The spectacular Saman Devale perahera

By Mahil Wijesinghe

Even the skies seem to have cleared after the rains, although the sun has set and darkness is creeping in. The evening has just begun for the people of Sabaragamuwa who celebrate aged- old rituals of God Sumana Saman. The Men, Women and children throng the Saman Devale, while several locals look out from the balconies of their homes and shops. The crowds hastily move to get a view of the procession wending around the Saman Devale premises.

As darkness slowly engulfs the area, thousands of colourful bulbs begin to flash everywhere in the Devale premises from treetops to rooftops of buildings which transformed the area into a carnival atmosphere. For five days in the second week of the rainy season in September, the premises of the sacred Devale of God Saman in Ratnapura, is magically transformed by the ancient pageantry of the spectacular Saman Devale Perahera. This year’s procession will be held from September 16 to 20.

The annual pageant is a colourful devotional display in honour of God Saman, most often combined with significant events in Buddhism. The perahera is a tradition that goes back to many centuries. Sri Lanka has many such pageants, the most famous of which is the Esala Perahera in Kandy, arguably the grandest pageant in Asia. Perhaps, the five-day long spectacular cultural pageant at the historic Sabaragamuwa Saman Devale is considered second only to the Esala perahera in Kandy. The pageant showcases the observance of age-old customs and rituals dedicated to God Saman which are performed over five nights.

The Saman Devale pageant portrays certain aspects of Sinhala Buddhist culture, interwoven with the performing arts of the province and strongly influenced by certain aspectsof folk religion of the Sabaragamuwa province.

The pageant is overseen by the chief custodian of the Devale, Basnayake Nilame and is unique in its combination of local performing arts traditions- including the upcountry (Kandyan) low country (Southern) and its own Sabaragamuwa regions - with dance and music. The perahera has also given a platform to certain art forms which were on the wane, owning to the lack of an appreciative audience and vanishing generations.

The ceremony begins at the Devale, after Kap Sitawima ceremony at the auspicious time in the Devale premises. The pageant showcases the observance of age-old customs and rituals dedicated to God Saman which are performed over five nights. A relic casket beautifully ornamented and a gem-studded relic chamber is reverently placed upon the majestic elephant amidst a crescendo of conches, flutes and drums. Special attendants lay white carpets along the path of the tusker, as it majestically leads the way and the viewers alongside bow their heads in reverence. The tusker is followed by many similarly caparisoned elephants. They walk in groups of three, with their brightly dressed mahouts alongside.

Preceding and interspersed between the elephants are whip crackers, torchbearers, acrobats, dancers, fire eaters, fire-ring twirlers and stilt walkers. There are also people who bear the provincial flags of Sri Lanka. There are Hewisi drummers swaying to the beat of the Geta Bera. In all, several forms of Kandyan dancing and drumming can be also seen.

Adding to the glamour, a variety of dance forms of the low country , among them Kolam and Vadige Patuna, Gini Sisila, stick dancing and Kadu Netuma, or the sword dance of Sabaragamuwa, a mountain region famous for its warrior clans can be seen enthralling the crowd.

Another impressive repertoire of drums, including the Daula of the Sabaragamuwa province, the slender Yak Bera of the South, the Dandu Bera as well as the harvest drums can be seen in the procession. The performing artistes are from guilds specialising in the various dance forms inherited from generation to generation, and their performances are of a high standard. One can witness several type of national traditional art forms at this procession.

Walking imperiously among these entertainers, bedecked in ancient ceremonial regalia, with jewel-encrusted swords at their sides are aristocratic chieftains. Most viewers specially children of the procession are mesmerised by the Mahababa Kolama, which can only be seen at the Saman Devale procession in Ratnapura, which is an inherited feature in Sabaragamuwa. The huge, colourfully dressed 15-foot high, two- faced figure of Mahababa, with a serene face on one side and a fierce demonic face on the other, is a remarkable feature at this colourful pageant. The legend has it that this huge figure depicts the character of King Rajasinghe 1.

The entire Devale premises is packed with people. The crowd gathers as the dancers take turns to enthrall them. They swirl and twirl, and the whole area comes alive with vivid colours. More elephants join drum beats echo and more people join to view the perahera.

The historic Saman Devale has been originally constructed during the Dambadeniya period (circa 1236-1270 AD). This Devale had been restored during the days of King Rajasinghe of Sitawaka. In the stone built ramparts in front of the Devale there is a plaque depicting two warriors standing in symbolic form. The destruction caused to the Devale by the Portuguese is depicted by the plaque. The three-storeyed Devale is situated on a hillock on the bank of the meandering Kaluganga and covered by the lush green mountain range.

The culmination of the pageant is the water-cutting ceremony on the last day at Ratabala Ella in the Kalu Ganga, followed by the day perahera. On the night following the completion of the pageant, a ritual is performed to bless all those responsible including the Basnayaka Nilame, Kapuralas, dancers, drummers and the elephants who carry the relic caskets. The pageant held with pomp and splendour leaves you spellbound. As we walk away from the main gate, the drum beats reverberate as the spectacle continues through the lanes of the Saman Devale premises.