Memorial pilar on Swami Rock, Tricomalee, Sri Lanka
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Memorial pilar on Swami Rock, Tricomalee, Sri Lanka
Swami Rock, Tricomalee, Sri Lanka. Pillar erected in memory of Francina Van Rhede in 1687. She was the daughter of a gentleman of high office in the Dutch service and betrothed to a sea Captain who betrayed her. She watched his ship sail away for Europe. Before getting clear of the coast the ship tacked along and passed parallel to the precipices that formed the southern boundary of Fort Frederick. As it approached the rocks, the lady, who had watched from her apartment, ran along the cliff edge and as the ship turned for its journey to Europe, she balanced on a projecting crag and flung herself off. Her broken body was recovered from the rocks below. Her distraught father had a memorial carved on a solitary pillar of the type found in Hindu and Buddhist temples (pictured). It is square and hexagonal in alternate stages and bears the inscription: TOT GEDAGHTENIS VAN FRANCINA VAN RHEDE VROUW VAN MYDREGHT DESEN AO.24 april 1687 OP GEREGT Date: circa 1900
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Media ID 7187227
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1687 Hexagonal Lanka Lankan Pillar Shield Suicide
EDITORS COMMENTS
Swami Rock, Tricomalee, Sri Lanka: A Memorial Pillar of Love and Tragedy This evocative photograph captures the Memorial Pillar, a poignant reminder of the tragic love story of Francina van Rhede, etched into the rugged cliffs of Swami Rock in Tricomalee, Sri Lanka. The pillar, dating back to circa 1900, stands as a testament to the enduring power of love and loss. Francina van Rhede was the beloved daughter of a high-ranking Dutch official, betrothed to a sea captain. However, her fiancé betrayed her trust and sailed away to Europe without her. Desperate and heartbroken, Francina watched as his ship departed from the coast. Unable to bear the pain, she ran along the cliff edge and, as the ship turned for its journey to Europe, she leaped from a projecting crag and plunged into the sea below. Her distraught father, grief-stricken by her untimely death, had a memorial carved on a solitary pillar. Inspired by the pillars found in Hindu and Buddhist temples, this square and hexagonal structure bears the inscription: "To the memory of Francina van Rhede, Lady of Mydregt, who departed this life on the 24th of April, 1687." The Memorial Pillar at Swami Rock stands as a haunting reminder of a tragic love story that transcends time and place. Its quiet beauty and poignant history continue to draw visitors from around the world, who pause to reflect on the enduring power of love and loss.
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