National cultural symbols in Parliament earmarked for preservation

Twenty categories of architectural, artistic, and decorative elements in Parliament have been earmarked for special preservation efforts as national cultural symbols, Parliament sources said.

This extensive list includes iconic elements such as the Parliament building itself, the revered Mace, the Silver Door, the Copper Door, the Lion Gate, the Bar of the House, 18 Brass Flags, Cluster Lamps, the Ceiling of the chamber, the Ceiling in front of the Copper Door, 18 Ceremonial Flags, Line Arts, the Wooden Mural at the Members Entrance, Murals in staff entrance, Paintings in the guest lobby, Paintings in the private dining room of Members, Portrait Gallery at Second Floor, Photo Gallery, and other important photos/images at the ground floor, along with Antiques in the showroom.

The initiative to initiate a preservation programme for these valuable architectural elements within the Parliament complex saw its preliminary discussion in the House last week with Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena presiding over the discussions.

The primary objectives of the programme include safeguarding these structures as enduring cultural symbols, preserving their copyrights while acknowledging their creators, and protecting their architectural and artistic values from destruction, sources said.

The meeting was attended by officials from the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, Department of Cultural Affairs, Department of National Archives, Department of National Museums, Central Cultural Fund, Department of Archeology, National Council of Arts, Department of Government Information, Ena de Silva Trust Fund, Geoffrey Bawa Trust Fund, National Crafts Council, Sri Lanka Handicraft Board, and the University of Visual and Performing Arts.

Minister of Transport and Highways and Mass Media Bandula Gunawardena, State Minister for Small and Medium Enterprise Development Prasanna Ranaweera, Chief of Staff and Deputy Secretary General of Parliament Chaminda Kularatne, and Serjeant-at-Arms Narendra Fernando were also present.