Award winning creativity

With local raw material:

by Panchamee HEWAVISSENTI

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The Amadahara Vesak Sadaham Kalapaya (Vesak Zone) organised by the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd. (Lake House) was held opposite Lake House premises during Vesak. The winner of the 19th annual Vesak Lantern competition organised by ANCL Buddhists society is Prabhath Buddhika Nayanajith of Kandy.

Nayanajith’s Vesak lantern was able to draw a special attention by people who came to witness the beauty of Amadahara Vesak zone.

An exclusive creation of Nayajith’s won the first place among seventy five competitors from various parts of the country. Receiving due recognition for the unique lantern Nayanajith received a cash prize of Rs. 200,000 from Media Minister, Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene.

Nayanajith, though his work looks mature is still a twenty five year old bachelor and a product of Nugawela Central College, Kandy who resides at Yatiwela, Katugastota. He is the youngest of a family of three - one brother and a sister. He is a businessman by profession. I wondered how he managed to make such an exclusive Vesak lantern despite his busy schedule. He elaborates “Time was the factor which stood in my way making the lantern despite my busy business schedule.

I had to rush hither and thither for business purposes. Although I had a desire to make a Vesak lantern especially for `Amadahara’. It took almost six months to finish my creation. As the time permitted I engaged in making the lantern by spending one hour each in the morning, afternoon and the night”.

His lantern is made of `Nava’ tree. He explained how he used `Nava’ tree to make his Vesak lantern. “I let the stem of tender `Nava’ tree be decayed to get the netlike substance which remains after the rotten stem has been flown out.

The netlike thing is the material I used in making the lantern. Apart from that I used dried, fallen out material of bamboo trees called `Paththa’, Gunny strands, Gunnies and dried areca-nuts (Karunka Mala)”.

Since `Nava’ trees were not available in the vicinity I had to go to Galagedara and brought them in a trishaw. I collected other local material in the jungle close to my house called `Moragirikanda Kelewa’.

The lantern depicts the birth of the Buddha surrounded by the Kandyan Dalada Perahera. This lantern he produced for the Amadahara competition was his second creation. His first creation too won the first place in a competition organised by Swarnawahini last year in Kandy.

This is the first time he has brought his creation to Colombo. He smilingly explains the experience he had during his stay in Colombo. “It was a really enjoyable four days. I got to know a lot of people from various parts of the country. We used to have fun inside our pandals after the show was over. We didn’t feel the passing of time. We spent the whole night inside pandals at Lake House premises”.

There was no sponsor for him but his family has given him the financial assistance in this endeavour. “ I am planning to do another one for next year’s Vesak as well. Since I won the cash prize, I think it is easier for my next creation as I will be financially stable”.

The pride of winning the first prize at the Amadahara Vesak lantern competition would further motivate him to come out with many unique creations in the future. The up and coming youth, Nayanajith went back to his native place, Kandy after bagging the prize and with the pride of being the winner of the competition.