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.
Sanuja Kasturiarachchi, Director General of the Department of National Museums, 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 March) at the Department of Government Information.
The Director emphasized that preserving national heritage is a primary responsibility of the Department of National Museums. 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 day of its death, 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 project.
Manori Gunathilake stated that animals preserved using taxidermy can remain intact for up to 500 years, and the reconstruction of Nadungamuwa Raja has been carried out to allow preservation for a similar period.
Deputy Director of the Zoological Department, Lankani Somaratne, said that nearly Rs. 7 million had been spent on the reconstruction project, with the largest portion used to build a specially designed glass enclosure for the elephant. She added that an additional 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, at the age of 69, 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 in the same year.
