Harry Charles Purvis Bell was born on September 21, 1851 in Aden, India to Irish and Scottish parents. At that time, Bell's father was serving as an army major in colonial India. Harry Charles was the youngest of two children. He was sent to England for education as a child. Harry and his brother Alec attend a school in Cheltenham. It is said that Charles was interested in history or old things from his school days.
Harry Charles completes his schooling in 1870. After that he appeared for the civil service exam and passed it. Then he expressed interest in serving in Sri Lanka and landed in Sri Lanka in 1873. As an apprentice civil servant. After that, he went to the Maldives again for a while in 1879. Working there as a customs officer, Bell became interested in studying the history, culture and language of the Maldives.
Coming to Ceylon, he became a member of the Ceylon branch of the Royal Asiatic Society in 1880, which was run by several scholars who were interested in history. In the same year, Bell also holds the position of editor of the magazine published annually by the association. He held the position of editor of that annual magazine until 1914.
Bell party
The basic foundation for archaeological work in Ceylon was laid in the year 1861, during the time of Sir Hercules Robinson as the Governor. At that time, the colonial rulers had started and implemented many primary exploration activities to protect and preserve the ancient monuments of the country. On the request of scholars, the English government established a separate institution for archaeological work. H. was appointed as its first commissioner in 1890. C. P. Bell. He was known as a scholar on ancient civilizations, languages like Greek-Latin.
By this time, Bell was working as a judge in the Kegalle district and he first began an exploration of the antiquities of the Kegalle district. Meanwhile, the headquarters of the Department of Archeology established under the name of Archeology Survey Department is established in the city of Anuradhapura, which had the largest number of ruins.
it. H. On 7 July 1890, he came to Anuradhapura and officially started the archaeological work on the order of Governor Gordon. Therefore, National Archeology Day is celebrated on July 7 every year.
At that time, the first thing that had to be done was to clear the ruins of Anuradhapura, which was covered by forest. Apart from the Commissioner, the Archaeological Department consisted of an Assistant European Officer, a Clerk, three Cartographers and about a hundred workers.
The former Commissioner of Archeology Dr. Saddhamangala Karunaratne Bell has mentioned as follows:
In February 1890, he served as the District Prosecutor of Kegalle before becoming the Archaeological Commissioner. His group who started this archaeological work was known by the common people as "Bell Party". Apart from the Kegalu report, Mr. Bell also wrote annual reports and progress reports from 1890 to 1912. In 1896, he visited Wilpattu, a place where no European officer had visited at that time. Seeing its natural beauty, he wrote that if there was a beauty on earth, it would be here. (History of Ceylon Archeology - W. Saddhamangala Karunaratne)
Anuradhapura Excavations
By the time Bell went to Anuradhapura, the ancient dagabs, temples, and great forests had become habitats for wild animals. Sri Maha Bodhi and Ruwanweli Saya were the only places where devotees visited. He camped in Anuradhapura and started the opening of Dagab, the Great Monastery in the Mahavihara complex.
After that, they tried to preserve as much as possible by recording their plans. The first thing that attracted his attention were the Dagabs of Jetavanarama and Abhayagiriya, which were ruins of hills. In 1895-1898 Thuparamaya, 1899-1902 Ruwanvelisaya, 1902-1903 Mirisavetiya etc. Dagab was also explored and founded by him. Bell also managed to bring up a large number of antiquities from the ground to the surface.
Anuradhapura Old City, Pankuliya, Kiribathwehera, Tholuvila, Elara Tomb (Southern Stupa), Puliyankulam and Ranmasu Garden were also explored. He returned to Anuradhapura in 1906. From 1906 to 1910, further explorations related to Vessagiriya, Lankaramaya, Abhayagiriya were carried out and reports were prepared.
At the same time, places such as Ritigala Forest and Manakanda Forest, which are not far from Anuradhapura, were also explored and recorded. During this period, archaeological excavations were not carried out according to archaeological principles. What happened was the excavation of the ruins.
Sigiriya
It was a special occasion to remove the soil filled at the foot of the stone from the excavations around Sigiriya, which started in 1895, and place the foot of the lion. He also takes steps to climb Sigiri rock with the help of ropes and photograph the murals.
At that time D.A.L. Perera's copying of Sigiri's paintings is also a special case. Various steps have been taken to preserve and protect those paintings.
Bell is also working to remove the soil accumulated on the Sigiriya rock and build the ruins of the royal palace. Old photos showing Bell climbing the Sigiriya rock with his young child and wife hanging on the ropes show his great love for Sigiriya.
Goes to Polonnaruwa
Belga near Polonnaruwa
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