Sri Lanka's Model Bus Maker - Somadasa Lekamge
Down in a tiny village called Viyalagoda about Two Kilometres from Eheliyagoda town on the main Ratnapura-Colombo Road, lives a talented man by the name of Somadasa Lekamge.
I made a trip especially to meet him. I got to know about this unique person through the local correspondent of Ceylon Daily News, Mr. Nimal Wijayatunga who helped me to get in touch with him. Somadasa came and met us at Mr. Wijayatunga's residence and with a few twists and turns on a cobbled road amidts heavy rain and a dark grey sky, he led the way to his little, nearly completed house. When we entered, I was greeted by his tiny little grand daughter with a beaming cherubic smile on her face.
Somadasa found a key and opened a small door and lured me into the small door as if he were a Genie leading Aladdin into the cave of wonders. And by God it was indeed a cave of wonders! In it was his little museum of Sri Lankan Bus models exclusively and delicately made by his own hands with extreme precision and pristine detail. On the display shelves was the very first bus that traversed the roads of Sri Lanka right upto the latest state of the art Airconditioned Super Luxury Coach. Each model had been painstakenly crafted using sheet metals and cardboard with a quality finish that was far beyond expectations. In fact they were just too good to be true. In my words, they were equal if not better than most European model makers I have seen. "Each bus has a story" he said as he explained some interesting historical facts about a few buses. A quick glance across some of his model buses in the display shelves made me nostalgic with beautiful memories of school days and friendships.
Somadasa has been making buses since the age of 14. Now a mere Septegenarian, his six decades of model making has not gone unnoticed in the past. Him and his models have been highlighted at various Transport and Automobile exhibitions and conventions but without much benefit. "Who is going to continue this after you are gone?" I asked him. "It's probably going to be my little grand-daughter" he smiled.
As an avid aircraft model collector with over 250 civil aircraft models in my collection, I instantly realised the great value of being able to make any model without having to buy it. It also made me think of how many talented village craftsmen such as Somadasa might actually be out there in our country who are able to re-create any model using their mere hands without proper financial resources or facilities. How many of such people may have gone unheard and unnoticed without proper recognition! If our Government and the relevant ministries such as our Cottage Industries or Rural Affairs or Small Enterprise Development patronised and supported and encouraged innocent, talented people such as Somadasa, our motherland would by now have had a much better GDP and economic growth rate.
With a heavy heart and wishful mind, I bid adieu to Somadasa and his family and returned back to Colombo with a few buses as a token of appreciation. He does accept orders for bus models as a mode of income to survive. They usually take two to three weeks to complete. I appeal to any model enthusiasts out there to patronise and support such people and encourage them to grow further in order to strengthen our rural industries and make our motherland self reliant someday!
Chinthake Gunasekera
Down in a tiny village called Viyalagoda about Two Kilometres from Eheliyagoda town on the main Ratnapura-Colombo Road, lives a talented man by the name of Somadasa Lekamge.
I made a trip especially to meet him. I got to know about this unique person through the local correspondent of Ceylon Daily News, Mr. Nimal Wijayatunga who helped me to get in touch with him. Somadasa came and met us at Mr. Wijayatunga's residence and with a few twists and turns on a cobbled road amidts heavy rain and a dark grey sky, he led the way to his little, nearly completed house. When we entered, I was greeted by his tiny little grand daughter with a beaming cherubic smile on her face.
Somadasa found a key and opened a small door and lured me into the small door as if he were a Genie leading Aladdin into the cave of wonders. And by God it was indeed a cave of wonders! In it was his little museum of Sri Lankan Bus models exclusively and delicately made by his own hands with extreme precision and pristine detail. On the display shelves was the very first bus that traversed the roads of Sri Lanka right upto the latest state of the art Airconditioned Super Luxury Coach. Each model had been painstakenly crafted using sheet metals and cardboard with a quality finish that was far beyond expectations. In fact they were just too good to be true. In my words, they were equal if not better than most European model makers I have seen. "Each bus has a story" he said as he explained some interesting historical facts about a few buses. A quick glance across some of his model buses in the display shelves made me nostalgic with beautiful memories of school days and friendships.
Somadasa has been making buses since the age of 14. Now a mere Septegenarian, his six decades of model making has not gone unnoticed in the past. Him and his models have been highlighted at various Transport and Automobile exhibitions and conventions but without much benefit. "Who is going to continue this after you are gone?" I asked him. "It's probably going to be my little grand-daughter" he smiled.
As an avid aircraft model collector with over 250 civil aircraft models in my collection, I instantly realised the great value of being able to make any model without having to buy it. It also made me think of how many talented village craftsmen such as Somadasa might actually be out there in our country who are able to re-create any model using their mere hands without proper financial resources or facilities. How many of such people may have gone unheard and unnoticed without proper recognition! If our Government and the relevant ministries such as our Cottage Industries or Rural Affairs or Small Enterprise Development patronised and supported and encouraged innocent, talented people such as Somadasa, our motherland would by now have had a much better GDP and economic growth rate.
With a heavy heart and wishful mind, I bid adieu to Somadasa and his family and returned back to Colombo with a few buses as a token of appreciation. He does accept orders for bus models as a mode of income to survive. They usually take two to three weeks to complete. I appeal to any model enthusiasts out there to patronise and support such people and encourage them to grow further in order to strengthen our rural industries and make our motherland self reliant someday!
Chinthake Gunasekera
