High-tech guards for Sigiriya damsels

Chamikara Weerasinghe

The National Heritage and Cultural Affairs Ministry will soon introduce micro-climatic monitoring equipment, electro-optic holographic machinery and infra-red thermography techniques at Sigiriya rock fortress to ensure long-term preservation of its historic frescoes and mirror wall.

This is in keeping with the instructions of President Mahinda Rajapaksa , said National Heritage and Cultural Affairs Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi.

The Committee appointed by President Rajapaksa to identify ways to preserve the Sigiriya frescoes after his recent inspection visit to assess the current state of the frescoes, has recommended the need to import modern equipment and machinery to prevent the rock paintings from being damaged by air pollutants and biological agents.

The Ministry will not bring foreign experts to restore Sigiriya frescoes. Minister Wanniarachchi said, “we have all the expertise we need in the country to preserve the frescoes.”

The local experts in ancient frescoes preservation including scientists and engineers attached to the Archeology Department last week handed over a report on the current state of the Sigirya frescoes to Minister Wanniarachchi with recommendations to provide security and protection to the frescoes.

She said the report was called for by the President and she handed over the report to President Rajapaksa.

The Cultural and Heritage Ministry has been asked by the President to monitor the frescoes on a 24-hour basis for factors such as humidity and sunlight on the the surface of the frescoes, Ministry sources said.

Wanniarachchi said they have sent samples from discoloured Frescoes for microorganism tests to Peradeniya University to determine how they should go about restoring the frescoes to its original state and to prevent them from decaying. Minister Wanniarachchi said she is waiting for the results of laboratory tests conducted by the Peradeniya University on the fresco surface.

The report will be sent to the President for further evaluation , she said.

The National Heritage and Cultural Affairs Ministry is doing its best to protect the frescoes, she said.

The President’s orders came following an inspection by him to Sigiriya last month where he spotted several white coloured stains that have appeared on the surface of Sigiriya.