Crowning shame

Crowning shame

Ananda Abayaratna recounts how a national treasure, the crown of King Rajasinghe II, was lost forever. Pic by Shane Seneviratne

Fifty years ago, in the morning of September 19, 1961, the assistant curator of the Kandy museum opened the doors and to his amazement found the crown of King Rajasinghe II missing from its usual display. He also noticed an opening in the wooden ceiling of the centre gallery of the museum and that the door of the glass show case had been forced open. The police visited the scene of the crime but no information was forthcoming on any potential suspects. The daring deed, it seemed, had been carried out leaving no trail.