Devendra Mulachari:

The brainchild behind Kandy's brilliant designs

by D. D. M. Waidyasekera

Relatively little has been written about one of the most brilliant designers and royal artificers produced by the Kandyan Kingdom - Devendra Mulachari. He designed and built some of the most historic monuments in the Kandyan Kingdom, including the Pattirippuwa or Octagon of the Sri Dalada Maligawa, the Cloud Wall or Walakulu Bemma surrounding the Maligawa, the Diyarella Bemma or ornamental wall surrounding the Kandy Lake and the Magul Maduwa or Audience Hall in Kandy.

The Pattirippuwa of the Sri Dalada Maligawa, one of the most outstanding designs of Devendra Mulachari

He lived and worked under three Kings, Kirthi Sri Rajasinha (AD 1747-1782), Rajadhi Rajasinha (1782-1798) and Sri Wickreme Rajasinha (1798-1815).

Little is known of his origins. King Kirthi Sri Rajasinha (AD 1747-1782), on the advice of Ven. Weliwita Sangharaja Saranankara Thera, is said to have rebuilt and renovated hundreds of Buddhist temples which were destroyed by invaders or were abandoned.

For the restoration work, the King employed traditional Sinhala artists who were scattered throughout the country. Some of them came from Devundara (Dondra) in the South and one belief is that Devendra Mulachari’s father was also in this group and settled down at Madakumbura in Kotmale. Devendra Mulachari himself appears to have settled in Arattana in Udunuwara circa AD 1750 during the reign of King Kirti Sri Rajasinha.

His first architectural work was the Madama or Bana Maduwa at Middeniya (Lawrie’s Gazetteer, p. 589). Middeniya is a village in Udapalata Korale, Tumpane. It was a construction of about 500 sq. ft. on a land about six perches in size. The original construction had a four-sloped roof with ancient flat tiles (pethi ulu) and one door. The original construction is not visible now.

Folklore

Another of Devendra Mulachari's constructions was the Pekada Kamhala at Madakumbura, Kotmale. King Sri Wickreme Rajasinha entrusted him with the task of constructing this building. According to folklore, settlers there found that agricultural implements were not readily available for cultivation nor were there facilities for repair and maintenance of tools and implements. On their request the King sent Devendra Mulachari to construct a workshop to manufacture, repair and maintain agricultural implements. This was Pekada Kamhala, 32 feet in length and 15 feet in breadth, about 500 sq. ft. in extent, standing on six stone pillars with wooden carvings on top. Of the entire structure, only one stone pillar is left along with the stone foundation which is visible.

Octagon

He was then entrusted with the construction of the Pattirippuwa or Octagon of the Dalada Maligawa. Devendra Mulachari first constructed a model of the proposed structure, using the stems of plantain trees, and showed it to the King. On the King's approval of the model, work commenced and the building was completed.

The Magul Maduwa or Audience Hall in Kandy

The Cloud Wall or Walakulu Bemma around the Sri Dalada Maligawa

It enabled the King to have a grand view of Kandy and enjoy martial arts, dances and other cultural events with ease and relaxation. However, an exception was when the Sacred Tooth Relic was taken in procession at the annual Dalada Perahera when the King always got down to a lower elevation to view the Perahera.

Devendra Mulachari is also credited with the planning and construction of the moat running alongside the Maligawa and the Royal Palace, and the highly original concept of the Cloud Wall or Walakulu Bemma surrounding the Maligawa. However, the project was not completed during the Mulachari’s lifetime.

Devendra Mulachari and his son are also credited with creating some of the carvings at the Embekke Devala. Out of 514 carvings, 128 are elaborate carvings in the pillars, their uniqueness being that all are different from each other.

The title Mulachari, according to Dr. Vimalananda Tennakoon, was given to an artificer who was well versed and an expert in at least five arts and crafts. The royal artificers of the Kandyan Kingdom formed a close corporation, divided into four workshops or pattales. They were the Abharana Pattale (workshop for ornaments or jewellery), Otunu Pattale (workshop for crowns), Ran-Kadu Pattale (workshop for golden swords) and Sinhasana Pattale (workshop for thrones) – D’Oyly p. 135; Knox p. 108.

Devendra Mulachari was the chief, not only of one workshop, but due to his skill and brilliance, of all four workshops during his time.

With regard to his personal life, as far as can be gathered from various records, Devendra Mulachari got married around 1775 to a woman named Ran Etana. He had two sons; the elder Devendra Devasinha Mulachari was granted the Kawudugama Sannasa in 1730 Saka AD 1808, appointing him as the Kotta Badde Vidane of Uva (Codrington p.241).

Devendra Mulachari is also said to have had a daughter who was given in marriage to Manuwira Wickrema of Embekke. Some of Devendra Mulachari’s descendants are still at Arattana and particularly at Mangalagama.

Resemblance

There is no doubt that Devendra Mulachari was closely associated with the kings particularly Sri Wickreme Rajasinha. It is said that there was a close resemblance in features and appearance between them and this may also have been a reason for the close association. This similarity is said to have led to problems at times and probably was a reason for the jealousy of the chiefs and courtiers towards the Mulachari, which ultimately led to his untimely end.

His end was connected with the construction of one of his chief works, the Magul Maduwa or Audience Hall in Kandy. This was first started in AD 1784 under King Rajadhi Rajasinha who laid the foundation stone for the project.

The timber for the construction was brought from Matale and consisted of Nalmilla, Na and teak wood. According to the original plan, its length was 19.75 metres and breadth 11.65 metres with 24 elaborately carved columns on each side, making 48 columns in all. Subsequently, its length was increased by 10.33 metres to 30 metres with another 16 columns and 64 elaborately carved columns are visible today.

The Embekke Devala which is believed to contain carvings of Devendra Mulachari and his son

One of the intricate carvings at Embekke Devala

This work took a long time to complete and was still under construction at the time of King Rajadhi Rajasinha’s death in 1798. It continued under King Sri Wickreme Rajasinha and was largely completed during his reign. Many events such as the receiving of foreign ambassadors, meetings of the highest judiciary and the signing of the Kandyan Convention in 1815 took place there.

Demise

It was during the construction of the Magul Maduwa or Audience Hall that events which led to the untimely demise of Devendra Mulachari occurred. Due to the jealousy of the Kandyan chiefs and courtiers towards Devendra Mulachari, the former who furnished the timber for the construction falsely complained to the King that the Mulachari shortened and rejected the beams brought.

The King thereupon threatened to cut off the fingers of the Mulachari (apparently the right thumb) who, upon hearing this, to avoid disgrace, threw himself into the Kandy Lake (Coomaraswamy p. 59, Codrington, p. 240). Subsequently, the King, on learning of the true situation, was in remorse and is said to have bit his own right thumb and accorded the Mulachari a funeral with full honours.

Thus ended the life of one of the most brilliant designers and royal artificers produced by the Kandyan Kingdom and the architect of some of the historic buildings and constructions in Kandy and the Kandyan Kingdom.

It is unfortunate that his life and works have not received the recognition that they deserve. It is time to give due recognition to the achievements of the brilliant and unique designer and artificer Devendra Mulachari in producing some of the historic constructions that adorn Kandy.

The writer is President of the Sri Lanka Institute of Taxation and a former Commissioner of Inland Revenue. The article is based on his historical research study in the book 'The Royal Artificers of Mangalagama and their Descendants' published by Stamford Lake Ltd.