Rata yakuma or Riddi Yagaya

Rata yakuma, also known as Riddi yagaya is another event held to bless people. Riddi Queen or the queen who doesn't have children, is the main character in this drama.

This is the only low country ritual conducted for women only.

The main aim of having this is to pray for kids, for women who don't have kids, and bless pregnant women so that they can avoid accidents during their pregnancy.

This is also said to help bless new-born babies, to avoid diseases.

There seems to be two different Rata Yakuma traditions in Matara and Bentara. According to the Matara tradition, this is known as Riddi yagaya or Nanu Muraya, while it is known as 'Dolaha Pelapaliya' (Procession of twelve) in the Bentara tradition.

The origin

There are various stories as to how this event originated. A popular story in Matara is that a pregnant woman, who lived in Manavuru pura in Ambalanthota, had gone for a bath to the Jewellery Falls (Abharana Ella).

She had fallen ill there and a person called Ramachandra had blessed her by performing this yagaya; as a result, she had been cured.

Another story is that there were eight queens for a king in Manavur. The king had gone to war in another country, and had told the queens that he will hoist a white flag if he wins, or a black flag if he loses. The king won the war, but wanting to play a joke, he had hoisted the black flag.

Seeing the flag, the queens had become very upset and had jumped down the waterfall after removing their jewellery. Hearing this, the king also jumped down the waterfall and committed suicide.

This waterfall, where they placed the jewellery, became the Jewellery Waterfall (Abharana Ella). The king had become a devil and the queens, she-devils after their deaths.

There's another similar story; there had been seven queens named 'Riddi Queens' (Mudun mala, Dharmapala, Girimekhala, Onkara, Erdi, Ranakapala and Kondamal). All of them had been unable to bear children.

One day, each had a dream, where they were asked to offer a cotton cloth to Deepankara Buddha; after this was fulfilled, their wishes would come true, the dream indicated. Thus, they had performed the ritual and had been blessed with children. This story is well depicted in this yagaya.

How it's performed

Before starting the 'yagaya', the Aathuraya or patient will be taken to the place, known as Malmaduwa. Offerings will then be made to the Black devil, Eeri devil and Sooniyam devil. This include songs, dancing events and playing flutes; the offerings will end with a ritual called putting Dummala kiri.

Then it is the 'Uduviyan paliya'. It happens as stated below. One 'yakadura' (the one who conducts the yagaya) will keep a white cloth on his head and dance while singing.

Then he will place the cloth on the street and sing and dance while pretending that the cloth has caught fire.

After that, it is time to pay homage to the Reri devil. A lime will be cut in half to get rid of evil spells. Now, it is time for the 'Riddi Samayama', the main item in the event.

After that, the items include offering thorana, and burning the white cloth, dancing 'gini sisila, Dummala Kannalawwa, Vilakku pada, Maha kavi thalaya and Adav alleema.

Next come the 12 dancing events. These include a lot of dramatic characteristics. This shows how the seven Riddi Queens offer the cotton cloth. Here, the yakaduras performs, dressed as a woman.

The first item is applying nanu. The yakadura who is dressed like a woman, walks to the pond, has a bath, brushes teeth, applies soap, washes hair, gets ready and at the end, chews betel. Then the 12 events come to a close. Then it's time for the Kapuyakkariya, which depicts the steps of making a cotton cloth. At this time, the songs related to the origin of cotton will be sung.

Then comes the part where a yakadura comes with a doll; he washes the doll as if it is a 'baby', and gives the baby to the patient and gets gifts in return.Then the devils make the offerings and dance till morning.

The events performed by the chief yakadura are Pandam paliya, Salupaliya, Kendipaliya, Kalas paliya, Thambili paliya, Dummala paliya and Bille paliya. After each event, the patient will be blessed. In some areas, after this event, the '18 paliya' will be conducted.

After that, the songs related to Kalukumara baliya will be sung, the gods will be blessed and the devils chased away. That is the end of the Rata yakuma.

Expect more on this topic later.

Janani Amarasekara