Author | Martin Wickremasinghe |
---|---|
Language | Sinhala |
Genre | Historical novel |
Publication date | 1944 |
Publication place | Sri Lanka |
Media type | Print (paperback) |
Followed by | Kaliyugaya [1] & Yuganthaya |
Gamperaliya (The Transformation of a Village) is a novel written by Sri Lankan writer Martin Wickremasinghe [2] and first published in 1944. Wickremasinghe subsequently wrote Kaliyugaya and Yuganthaya , as a trilogy encompassing three generation of the same family and the changing society, culture and economic environment of Sri Lanka between the early and mid 20th century.
Gamperaliya is considered to be one of Wickremasinghe's most famous works, with the novel depicting the breakup of traditional village life due to the impact of modernisation. The gradual subversion of the traditional economic and social structure of the village by the commercial culture of the city is portrayed through the story of an aristocratic family in a southern village. The novel has been widely praised for its realism in depicting Sinhala rural life and is considered an important work of Sri Lankan literature. [3]
The novel was adapted into a film in 1964 by Lester James Peries.
The story begins in the early 20th century in Koggala, [4] a hamlet in the south of Sri Lanka. Piyal teaches English to Anula and Nanda, the daughters of Muhandiram Kaisaruwaththa at the Maha Gedara, their ancestral manor. Piyal falls in love with Nanda, but she is from a high caste Govigama family and her parents disagree to give Nanda in marriage to Piyal and instead she is married to Jinadasa Lamahewa, who is also from a high caste family. Piyal leaves the village and finds a job in Colombo and becomes rich.
After a couple of years, Muhandiram Kaisaruwaththa dies, and the family declines financially. Jinadasa leaves for Sinhale to start a business. Tissa, having completed his education, goes to Colombo in search of a job.
Years passed, and Piyal, now a rich man who owns a mansion in Colombo, visits his village. Nanda, her mother and sister join Piyal and his mother on a pilgrimage, where Nanda and Piyal meet again. Jinadasa, unsuccessful in business, dies penniless. Piyal marries Nanda in a grand European-fashioned wedding and they go and live in his residence in Colombo.
Lama Hewage Don Martin Wickramasinghe, was a Sri Lankan journalist and author. His books have been translated into several different languages. Martin Wickramasinghe is often acclaimed as the father of modern Sinhala literature.
Doreen Wickremasinghe was a British leftist who became a prominent Communist politician in Sri Lanka and a Member of Parliament (MP). She was one of the handful of European Radicals in Sri Lanka.
Kala Keerthi Regi Siriwardena was a Sri Lankan academic, journalist, poet, writer, playwright and writer of screenplays.
Gamperaliya is a 1963 Sri Lankan drama film directed by Lester James Peries, with screenplay, dialogue and script by Reggie Siriwardena and Tissa Abeysekara; it was adapted from the novel Gamperaliya by Martin Wickramasinghe. The film stars an ensemble cast of several eras together including, Henry Jayasena, Punya Heendeniya, Wickrama Bogoda, Trilicia Gunawardena and Gamini Fonseka.
Kaliyugaya is a novel written by Sinhala writer Martin Wickremasinghe and first published in 1957. It is the second book of Wickremasinghe's trilogy that started with Gamperaliya - transformation of a village. The final book, published in 1983, of the trilogy is Yuganthaya.
Yuganthaya is a novel by Sri Lankan writer Martin Wickremasinghe which was first published in 1949. It is the third and last part of Wickramasinghe's trilogy that began with Gamperaliya and was followed by Kaliyugaya.
Kaliyugaya is a 1981 Sri Lankan drama film directed by Lester James Peries; it was adapted from the novel Kaliyugaya by Martin Wickramasinghe, and follows the events of the film Gamperaliya. It was followed by the film adaptation of the third novel in Wickramasinghe's trilogy, Yuganthaya, in 1983.
Madol Doova (Sinhala: මඩොල් දූව is a children's novel and coming-of-age story written by Sri Lankan writer Martin Wickramasinghe and first published in 1947. The book recounts the misadventures of Upali Giniwella and his friends on the Southern coast of Sri Lanka during the 1890s. It later describes the efforts of Upali and his friend Jinna to lead their lives in a small deserted island. The novel has been translated into several languages, and was made into a film of the same name in 1976.
Madol Duwa is a 1976 Sri Lankan drama film directed by Lester James Peries and produced by Upasena Marasinghe. The film stars Ajith Jinadasa as Upali, a young rebellious youth who travels to a small island to get away from the restrictive society around him.
Kala Keerthi Dr Bastian Koralage Henry Rudrigo Jayasena, popularly known as Henry Jayasena, was an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, theater and television. With a career spanning more than four decades, Jayasena is considered one of the best dramatists in Sri Lankan drama.
Heendeniya Vidanaralalage Punya Heendeniya, popularly as Punya Heendeniya, is a former Sri Lankan cinema actress who resides in England.
Gamperaliya may refer to:
Muhandiram was a post in the native headmen system in the lower-country of Ceylon during the colonial era. It was awarded as a title of honor until suspension of Ceylonese honours in 1956.
Koggala is a small coastal town, situated at the edge of a lagoon on the south coast of Sri Lanka, located in Galle District, Southern Province, Sri Lanka, governed by an Urban Council. Koggala is bounded on one side by a reef, and on the other by a large lake, Koggala Lake, into which the numerous tributaries of the Koggala Oya drain. It is approximately 139 kilometres (86 mi) south of Colombo and is situated at an elevation of 3 metres (9.8 ft) above sea level.
Koggala Lagoon is a coastal body of water located in Galle District, Southern Sri Lanka. It is situated near the town of Koggala and adjacent to the southern coast, about 110 km (68 mi) south of Colombo. The lagoon is embellished with eight ecologically rich small islands.
Viragaya is a 1956 novel written by Martin Wickremasinghe. The novel is considered an outstanding work in modern Sinhalese fiction due to the significance of its theme and the sophistication of its technique. The story is based on a virtuous character called Aravinda, a Sinhalese youth raised in a traditional Buddhist family in the South.
Kalukapuge Don David, popularly known as David Dharmakeerthi was an actor Sri Lankan early Sri Lankan cinema.
Sarath Kusum Wickramasinghe was a Sri Lankan business executive and diplomat. He served as Sri Lankan High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 1995 to 1999.
The Fortress Resort & Spa, traded as The Fortress Resorts PLC, is a luxury boutique hotel in Koggala, Sri Lanka. The resort was incorporated in 1973. The resort is listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange. In 2003, Sri Lankan entrepreneur, Dhammika Perera acquired a controlling stake in the resort. The resort was formerly known as Club Horizon Hotel, Koggala and was renamed to its current name in the same year. The hotel was affected by the 2019 Easter bombings. The resort is designed like a fortress to enclose a Dutch-era villa.
Martin Wickramasinghe Folk Museum is located in Koggala, Southern Province, Sri Lanka. Named after the writer Martin Wickramasinghe, who had been considered as the father of modern Sinhala literature. The museum complex consists of Wickramasinghe's childhood home and a folk museum. It is also the location of the final resting place of Wickramasinghe, his wife and other family members.