The Pushmi Pullyu
The Colombo National Museum is OK, but the natural history museum is depressingly bad. It, however, does house a two-headed goat, which is the highlight of the experience. This goat was donated by someone from Moratuwa in the nineties and it remains pickled in formaldehyde at the entrance to the natural history museum. You can even see it without paying entrance if you want to push. The rest of the natural history museum is, essentially, a third grade science project pinned to the wall.
The hanging whale
The National Museum, however, has undergone an extensive refurbishment and is actually pretty good in parts. The highlight there is a giant whale skeleton hanging from the ceiling, it’s tail poking into the section that houses DS Senanayake’s desk and marital bed. Besides that, the Anuradhapura era stuff is impressive, though not as impressive as Anuradhapura, as is the Kandyan, though not as much as Kandy.
It’s a bit hot, the parking is far away, the bathrooms are far away and it’s a lot of walking, but the National Museum is not a bad weekend do. Certainly check out the goat.
In Natural History Museum you can see maps showing ‘Batahira Pakistanaya’ (West Pakistan) and ‘Nagenahira Pakistanaya’ (East Pakistan). Both ceased to exist in 1971 with the birth of Bangladesh. It means the maps are nearly 40 years old. Don’t think anything has changed after they moved to the current location.
My favorite item was the ‘Punani’ leopard who killed 11 men in either 50s or 60s.
The whale has been there for sometime
Punani.
I’ve actually went to Punani once, just so I could say I’ve been there.
Actually considered buying a house there, so I could say I live in Punani…
One of the Ondaatjes wrote a book about the leopard called The Man-Eater of Punani :D
That’s amazing!
I wish I wrote a book called “The Man eater of Punani”
I can just see the people in bookshops doing double takes after seeing the title and thinking WTF??!
I confess to have done exactly that in Cargills bookcity once and browsing through. I remember some hilarious accounts about a grandmother and some beautiful imagery of Wilpattu. Never got round to reading it.