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| Sunday, 14 August 2005 |
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Dalada Perahera : Cultural and historic pageant by Arundathie Abeysinghe
Esala is the month of rituals, the time of tinkling bells, jingling anklets, twinkling lights, resonant drums and blossoming Esala flowers. An event of great cultural and historic significance takes place annually in the hill capital of Sri Lanka in the lunar month of Esala. The Esala perahera is a religious, as well as, a folk festival which provides an occasion for local artists to exhibit their reverence and devotion to the Buddha and other deities , Natha, Vishnu, Kataragama and Pattini. The Dalada Perahera, the main part of the Esala perahera, has a long history.
It dates from the time the Dalada (Sacred Tooth Relic) was brought to Sri Lanka. It was during the reign of King Kirti Sri Megavanna also known as Kitsiri Mevan (303 - 331 A.D.), a contemporary of the great Indian emperor Samudragupta, that the Dalada was brought to Sri Lanka. The Dalada was brought concealed in the tresses of Princesses Hemamala who was accompanied by her husband Prince Danta. The Dalada was first housed in a specially built shrine within the outer walls of the Thuparama. As the security of the country was threatened by invaders the capital of the country was shifted from place to place, and the Dalada too was moved from place to place as the general belief was that the person who possessed the Dalada had the right to rule. King Wimaladharmasuriya built a permanent place for the Dalada, and since then it is in the Dalada Maligawa. Asking for water is the main reason for the Dalada Perahera and thus the chief lay official of the Dalada Maligawa is called Diyawadana Nilame (the lay custodian and the chief administrator). Diya is the Sinhala word for water and the last ritual of the perahera is the water cutting ceremony.
The perahera begins according to the Nekath Velawa (astrologically auspicious times) set by the Maligawa astrologer. Before the perahera there is the Kap Hituweema ceremony and a long piece of wood obtained from a jak tree is planted according to custom in the ground of the four devales (shrines). The Dalada perahera comprises two events; the Kumbal Perahera, dedicated to the potter and Randoli Perahera dedicated to the golden queen. Ran means gold in Sinhala. The Dalada Perahera is followed by four other peraheras. Natha Devale Perahera occupies the foremost place, while peraheras of Vishnu, Kataragama and Pattini (a goddess) follow. Each player takes pride in playing the part assigned to him with religious devotion. The elephants are decorated with ornate regalia and battery operated lights. Thus the night perahera has the beauty of the lights dazzling in the tropical night. The Perahera is held for 10 days; five kumbal peraheras and five randoli peraheras. A group of whip crackers announce the arrival of the perahera, followed by some men bearing flags representing the various provinces of the Kandyan kingdom. The elephant that follows carries a Buddhist flag to show that the perahera is a Buddhist event, followed by a Peramune Rala on the back of an elephant carrying an ola leaf wrapped in a piece of white cloth. The Gajanayake Nilame (the officer responsible for the elephants taking part in the perahera) is followed by Raja, the Maligawa tusker carrying the casket of the Dalada flanked by two other elephants. The Diyawadana Nilame marches amidst a troupe of dancers and drummers. The other temple peraheras follow the main perahera. The Perahera ends with the Diya Kepeeme Ulela or water cutting ceremony. The chief kapuralas (or priests) of the devales are ferried across Sri Lanka's longest river-the Mahaweli, that runs through Kandy, as they await the first light of dawn to perform the rituals, wading in the middle of the river. One Kaparula draws a circle in the water with a golden sword and the priests empty into the river the water in the ran kendi (golden ewer) which they filled the previous year. The water thus collected is kept for one year. Then the four peraheras start their way back to Kandy signifying the end of the festival. A special note of thanks is due to Messrs Korale Mudiyanse and R. D. Kahandawala, employees of the Dalada Maligawa who made available research material to wirte this short account. |
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