The preserved reconstruction of Nadungamuwa Raja, the revered tusker that carried the Sacred Tooth Relic casket for many years, will be opened to the public from June 11.
The department’s Director General, Sanuja Kasturiarachchi, said the reconstructed elephant will be displayed at the Natural History Museum within the Colombo National Museum premises.
The announcement was made at a media briefing held today (9) at the Department of Government Information.
Director said preserving national heritage is a primary responsibility of the Department of National Museums, and the department was entrusted with preserving Nadungamuwa Raja, who died in 2022 and was declared a national treasure, so that future generations could view and learn about the tusker.
The elephant’s remains were handed over to the department for preservation on the same day it died, following a request from the Diyawadana Nilame of the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic and with the consent of its custodian, Harsha Dharmavijaya.
The reconstruction was carried out by the department’s Zoology Division and Exhibition Design Unit under the guidance of Deputy Director Somaratne. Taxidermists Chamalka Kothalawala and Ravindra Wickramanayake were among those involved in the work.
Director Manori Gunathilake of the Department of National Museums said animals preserved using taxidermy techniques can remain intact for up to 500 years. She noted that the reconstruction of Nadungamuwa Raja had been carried out in a way that allows the specimen to be preserved for a similar period.
Deputy Director of the Zoological Department, Lankani Somaratne, said nearly Rs. 7 million had been spent on the reconstruction project. She said the largest portion of the cost was for the specially designed glass enclosure built to house the preserved elephant.
According to the Deputy Director, nearly Rs. 16 million was spent on constructing the glass chamber used to display the specimen.
Nadungamuwa Raja, who carried the Sacred Tooth Relic casket for many years, died on March 7, 2022. The tusker was 69 years old at the time of its death and was kept at the residence of Harsha Dharmavijaya in Mirigama.
Widely admired by the public, the elephant was proposed to be declared a national asset, and Cabinet approval for the designation was granted that year. (NewsWire)
