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| Sunday, 21 December 2003 |
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Turkey gate Sel lipi by Gotabhaya Swasthi Shree! Thus says his sacred Majesty, the gracious Great King, glorious Chakravarthi, King of the Kings of Maya, Pihiti and Ruhuna, Mahoora of the Vanniala-aeththo and ruler of all lands from Yapapatuna to Sampanthota: It has come to the attention of the Maha Wasala that Pandhura, the Chakravarthi of Amerikaawa has betaken himself to the Land Between the Rivers in order to attend the festival of giving thanks unto the devas. Now, it is apparently customary on these occasions for a large bird of Amerikaawa, which looks like a huge chicken and which is known as a kalkun in the barbarous language of the Landhesi, to be sacrificed to the gods. On this occasion, the bahubootha pettis showed Pandhura lifting up one such bird after sacrifice, to be passed amongst the gathered soldiery. Now it turns out that this fowl was not in fact a real bird but a vyaja-kalkuna, a false fowl of Amerikaawa, a foul fowl. It seems it was present merely as a decoration. Only the gods know whether the sacrifices they received were true birds or whether they were something else made to look like the flesh of a fowl. Now the carvers of sel-lipi in Amerikaawa are said to be wrath with Pandhura. It further turns out that much of what Pandhura does, or appears to do, is in fact false. When, on the 1st day of Vesak Pandhura descended in a dhandumonara onto the deck of a ship, in order to declare that the war in the Land Between the Rivers was over (in itself false), he was depicted as being in the middle of the mighty ocean. The ship was actually in a harbour in Amerikaawa itself, not battling the waves in the sea of the yonakas. Some carvers of sel-lipi are even beginning to link events in the white palace of the Chakravarthi to the dramatic rendition of events in the popular naatya known as 'Ballaawa wananna', a tale of a tail wagging the dog. The entire administration seems to be acting out a naadagama, an opera, for the benefit of the people of Amerikaawa. What a vision that opens up for all of those involved in the task of governance in this resplendent isle! It has been known for some time that many actors in naatyas have become korales in the audience hall, or even aemathis. Now is the chance for the remaining korales and aemathis to become actors. They can pretend to perform the many tasks that they promised the people they would carry out if they became korales or aemathis. It is therefore decreed that vyaja-kalkunas should be matched, in this Dhammadweepa, by pandals which should be constructed to make people believe that many thousands of houses are being built. Foundation stones should be laid for vast schemes of development to appear to be started. Cartloads of earth should be dumped in paddy fields to portray the construction of gigantic highways. The lekams and other nilames of the various angshayas should immediately start directing these operations. To go further, meaningless laws, which are never meant to be implemented, should be enacted. Aemathis should scurry hither and thither in large rathas accompanied by soldiers in war-chariots, giving the impression of multitudinous tasks being performed with the utmost despatch. Of course, there are those who will say that this edict is unnecessary, as the nilames of the various angshayas have already directed vast naadagams and kolams, and the korales and aemathis are already engaged in acting. Swasthi Shree! This rock edict is made on this day of Ravi of the month of Unduwap of the Year of the Saka Era 1930. |
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