At an evocative evening organised by the High Commission of Sri Lanka in India, celebrating the launch of ‘Around the World in Magnets – Sri Lanka’, Professor Mahalakshmi, Doctor of Philosophy at the Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, offered a personal and scholarly reflection on the island nation’s layered history, culture, and enduring connections with India.
The book—authored by Dr. Anthony Vipin Das and Ms. Vidushi Duggal—is a first-of-its-kind travelogue that narrates Sri Lanka not through conventional prose, but through souvenir magnets: tiny objects that carry stories of landscapes, monuments, food, memory, and emotion.
Magnets as Portals into a Civilisation
Speaking about the book, Professor Mahalakshmi described how these small objects become windows into a grand historical and cultural landscape. “The magnets provide a glimpse of the textured history of Sri Lanka—the quiet solitude of the hills and beaches, the early historical marvels of Anuradhapura, Sigiriya, Dambulla or Polonnaruwa, and the irresistible charm of its food and dress,” she noted.
Magnets, paintings, photographs, and memory—all came together in what she called a “beautifully layered experience of culture,” one that evokes both imagination and longing.
A Serendipitous Academic Journey
The Professor recounted her own introduction to Sri Lankan studies, which she described with a gentle humour: “My academic introduction to Sri Lanka was nothing short of serendipitous—if you will pardon the pun.”
Her journey began in the early 2000s when her husband, Professor Rakesh Patel-Ryan, was invited by the Sri Lankan High Commission to train university teachers. What followed was a rich academic partnership involving the University of Kelaniya, JNU, and various Sri Lankan institutions.
One particularly moving memory was a field trip with 30 JNU students—some flying for the first time—across Colombo, Galle, Kataragama, and beyond.
Building Bridges Through Culture and History
Professor Mahalakshmi stressed that the book aligns with a much larger project—strengthening historical and cultural bridges between India and Sri Lanka.
“We often miss what is so obvious,” she observed.
“A book like this allows us to open our eyes wide and look at those cultural continuities, those bridges that are already there.”
She spoke passionately about shared histories—of kingdoms, alliances, wars, migrations, and cultural flows—that shape both societies in profound ways.
Two Magnets, Two Civilisations: Polonnaruwa and Sigiriya
Two magnets from the book resonated deeply with her research.
Polonnaruwa: Calling it a site of “layered and nuanced historical experience,” she explained that despite simplistic narratives of the Chola period as a “dark age,” the reality was far more complex.
Sigiriya: The second magnet took her to the majestic 5th-century marvel of Sigiriya—the Lion Rock. “Just the visualisation of such a monument makes you wonder at the knowledge the architects had,” she remarked. She spoke of the celestial Apsaras of the frescoes, the Mirror Wall with its polished sheen, and the ancient verses inscribed by anonymous admirers.
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