I saw an article yesterday (29th) in the Island newspaper reporting an exhibition to be held at BMICH, jointly organised by the Central Cultural Fund’s Maritime Archaeology Unit of Sri Lanka and the US Embassy, from 3rd to 5th September. This exhibition will highlight the ancient maritime heritage of our nation.
I will begin my article with an incident that occurred in 2008, when I was the Commander of the Southern Naval Area.
The late Commander Somasiri Devendra, a world-renowned maritime archaeologist, requested Navy divers to assist the newly formed Maritime Archaeological Institute of Sri Lanka, which had been established in Galle Fort. An excellent Navy diving officer, now a Rear Admiral and Commander of the Naval Volunteer Force, H.N.S. Perera—trained in ship salvage in the US (Florida) and China—was then a Lieutenant Commander. He had been mentored and groomed by Commander Devendra.
During one of his dives with civilian maritime archaeologists, they explored the famous Basses Reef in the south, searching for new shipwrecks and re-examining known ancient wrecks, including the famous Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb’s “Silver Coin” wreck.
One of their expeditions aimed to locate an ancient shipwreck of Sri Lankan origin off Godawaya. Some local fishermen and divers had informed researchers of this wreck, which lies more than 100 feet below the surface. The team, led by H.N.S. and civilian maritime archaeologist Muthukumarana, navigated to the approximate location on a civilian fishing boat, anchored it, and began their dive. They successfully located the shipwreck in deep waters with excellent underwater visibility, took photographs, and retrieved an ancient clay pot as a sample for carbon dating to determine the exact period of the ship.
However, the untrained civilian handling the boat noticed that the anchor was dragging and lost track of the divers’ location. Panicked, he returned to harbour. When our divers surfaced, they could not find the boat. H.N.S., being a highly trained naval diver, took charge of the situation, jettisoned extra weights, and began floating using their emergency life jackets.
I was informed of the emergency by fishermen at Godawaya, and an immediate search and rescue operation was launched, involving Navy ships and boats, as well as civilian fishing boats. The Sri Lanka Air Force was also alerted, and a SAR helicopter was dispatched from Rathmalana Airport. Luckily, just a few minutes before sunset, we located our diving team, who had been floating for hours, and brought them ashore safely. Remarkably, H.N.S. refused to abandon the ancient clay pot he had recovered from the shipwreck that day, even under those trying conditions.
This pot provided crucial details about this Sri Lankan-origin wooden ship from the Anuradhapura period (337 BCE to 1017 CE). Bravo Zulu to H.N.S. for his brave actions, ensuring the safety of his team while preserving a priceless piece of our maritime heritage.
Whenever H.N.S. meets me, he touches my feet and thanks me for saving his life that day. Subsequent dives at this location revealed fascinating details, likely of one of the earliest ships of Sri Lankan origin.
Did you know that perhaps the first customs ordinance in the world is at the Godawaya Buddhist Temple? Inscribed on granite, it outlines how ships should pay dues to the king and to the temple. King Gajabahu (114–146 CE) commissioned this stone tablet. A replica of this ancient historical tablet is available at the Sri Lanka Customs New Complex Museum.
Please visit this exhibition next week to gain a glimpse into the rich maritime history of our island nation.
I sincerely hope that the US Embassy will continue to collaborate with the Maritime Archaeology Unit to explore the waters surrounding our island.
