Chilaw for Coconuts, crabs and Coreas!

THE TOWNS OF SRI LANKA – WHAT’S BEHIND A NAME?

By EVERYMAN

Chilaw , except for its bustling bazaar, is a town which is seemingly wrapped up in a ‘don’t worry me’ mood. Located 128 km from Colombo via Negombo one has to pass it on the way to Puttalam from which the road branches off, one leading to Anuradhapura and beyond, and the other to Jaffna.

But first how did it get its name? According to records the name is derived from the Tamil word ‘Cilapam’ meaning pearl fishery. The pearl banks referred to as ‘paars’ was where the divers operated. There being no special diving equipment the men would risk their lives by going down far below the sea’s surface to retrieve the oysters from which pearls are extracted.

Chilaw it has been said is well known for the three ‘C’s – Coconuts, Crabs and Coreas. Of coconuts there are plenty. The vast coconut plantations you will see while driving to Chilaw bears testimony to the fact here is one part of what has been described as the ‘Coconut Triangle ’ of Sri Lanka

Of crabs there are a number of methods of cooking this sea-food delicacy. But the residents of Chilaw from days long ago had their own special recipes for preparing crab curry. Crabs as any good cook will tell you had to be taken alive and immersed in boiling water prior to cooking. For this reason many people do not buy crabs to be cooked at home. Prawns – ‘yes’ but crabs –‘no.’

However eating crabs at a Chinese restaurant is very much in order. Because the killing of crabs by boiling them in water is done by someone else. Let’s leave the logic of that type of justification for another day and move over to the Coreas. Victor Corea who was a successful lawyer took to politics, which was very much in keeping with the family tradition. There’s a Chilaw joke that out there, you’re a Corea or a pariah!

In September 1922 he became a Founder Member of the Ceylon Labour Party which was led by A.E. Goonesinha. His brother Charles Edgar Corea also took to politics but will best be remembered for being a member of the Royal College cricket team in the famous or infamous ( depending on your old school loyalties ) Royal – Thomian match played on March 12 and 13, 1885, in which Royal were bundled out for nine runs! St Thomas’s replied with 170 for 6. The story at that time was that the match was abandoned due to rain. This has been hotly disputed by both Royalists and Thomians over the generations, each group maintaining that if not being able to win at least an honorable draw would have been the final result.

But true blue, black and blue Thomians maintain that the Royalists abandoned the match and walked away to avoid certain defeat. All we can say at this moment of time is that ‘it’s just not cricket.’

Both the Corea brothers through their involvement in politics were in the vanguard for the fight for independence. It was on their invitation that Mahatma Gandhi in 1927 made his first and only visit to Ceylon – as our island was then known and went to Chilaw to show his support for their fight for Independence.

Chilaw is and has been having a very large Roman Catholic community. It has been described as the start of the Catholic Coastal belt in Sri Lanka which ends as far South as Moratuwa. The Cathedral of Our Lady of Mt Carmel, which was built over 200 years ago is the main Catholic Church in the Diocese. There is a legend that a woman who went in search of firewood to a forest where the Chilaw town is now located, found the statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and realizing that this was indeed a miracle she handed it over to the local parish priest who placed it within the Cathedral. It is claimed that it is the same statue which can be seen even to this day.

Chilaw was also the hometown of one of Sri Lanka’s most eminent scholars. Linguist, historian author, poet and composer, he was none other than Rt. Rev. Edmund Peiris who was the first Sinhala Bishop in Sri Lanka and became Bishop of Chilaw.

In addition to his priestly duties he believed in and worked for a nationalist cause. It was his ambition to have a true national Renaissance in Sri Lanka, for this he took the opportunity when at London University to study for a degree in Oriental Studies, majoring in Sinhala and Pali. While there he studied rare Sinhala manuscripts which were in the British Museum and was also able to translate several Portuguese and Dutch documents which he put together in several books pertaining to Sri Lanka’s ancient culture and society

Other than the strong Roman Catholic influence in Chiaw it can claim to have one of the oldest Hindu Kovils in Sri Lanka. This is the Munneswaram Kovil which is said to have been in existence since 1000 CE and is associated with the Hindu epic Ramayana. This Kovil is one of the five ‘Ishwarams’ found along the coastal belt of the island. According to Hindu belief ‘Iswaram’ is an abode of god Shiva and there are five such around the coastal towns of Sri Lanka.

When writing about Chilaw one cannot forget the lagoon. It is one of the most scenic spots in Sri Lanka but unfortunately is not included in any of the tourist guide books. Perhaps the writer should have stated ‘fortunately’ for had tourists come in their bus loads Chilaw would certainly have lost its traditional peace and charm. And the ‘‘don’t worry me” mood would have been shattered. It is more than likely that many of the residents would exclaim ‘ We are so grateful that tourists don’t come here. We know that the country needs them but you see the problem is ……..’

Standing on the bridge over the lagoon one can hear the regular crashing of the waves on the shore and see at a distance the sea-birds dipping into the waves for their food. From beneath you the soft lapping of the lagoon water can be heard. While around you the gently wafting cool and comforting breeze, will wrap you with a sense of tranquility making you forget about the turbulent times we live in.

And as you stand there you may well remember the song made famous by Nina and Frederick –

“The sound of a seagull’s distant cry

His wings like a parentheses drawn in the sky

And two white birds clinging like foam

To the crest of a wave rolling by

Listen to the ocean

Echoes of a million sea shells

Forever it’s in motion Moving to rhythmic and unwritten music

That’s played eternally.”