Maha Saman Devalaya:

Jewel of the Sabaragamuwa Province

Story and pictures by Mahil Wijesinghe

Sixty-five year old Janis and thirty year old Siripala wait till September every year. The pair has a special duty each year for the Peramune Rajakariya (frontline work). Every year, a few days prior to commencing the Perahera, the pair who are in charge of Mahabamba Kolama, start making the structure by first creating a bamboo skeleton of the body and hands. They then fix the mask onto the skeleton and dress it up in colourful cloths.

The energetic link between the two leads to Mahabamba, donning on the frame, walking and rotating it each night of the Perahera, while his companion walks alongside, instructing him about what to do and where to go. Like Janis and Siripala, hundreds of people have their duty to perform at the Perahera which takes place five days in the month of September in about three acres of the Maha Saman Devale of Saparagamuwa.

For five days in the third week of September, the premises of the Maha Saman Devale get magically transformed by the ancient pageantry of the spectacular Maha Saman Devale Perahera. The annual Perahera is a colourful devotional display that honours God Sumana Saman who is believed to be the guardian deity of Sri Pada or Adam’s Peak. The Perahera is a tradition that goes back many centuries and is considered second only to the Esala Perahera in Kandy in terms of reverence.

Rituals

Preceding the Maha Perahera are several rituals performed according to auspicious times, namely the Pirith ceremony, Kap Sitaveema, Kumbal Perahera and Dewala Perahera, which takes a total of 13 days to complete. Keeping more with traditions than rituals are announced by firing the Portuguese muzzle loaded cannon in the Devale. And following the Maha Perahera is the Diya Kapeema (water cutting) at Kalu Ganga and Daval Perahera (Day Perahera) which concludes the pageant.

The Perahera showcases the observance of age-old customs and rituals dedicated to God Sumana Saman and portrays certain aspects of the Sinhala Buddhist culture, interwoven with the performing arts of the province that are strongly influenced by its folk traditions. 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.

Those watching the Perahera, especially children, are mesmerised by the ‘Mahabamba Kolama, an inherited feature in Sabaragamuwa that can only be seen at the Saman Devale Perahera. The huge (around 15 feet high), colourfully dressed, two faced figure of Mahabamba, serene on one side and fiercely demonic on the other, is a remarkable feature at this Perahera. Legend has it that the huge figure depicts the character of King Rajasingha I of Sitawaka.

The entire Devale premises is packed with people and the excitement grows as the dancers take turns to swirl and twirl and bring the whole area alive with sounds and twirling colours. More elephants join the drum beats as the drum beats echo and more people join to view the Perahera.

The three-storeyed Maha Saman Devale of Saparagamuwa stands majestic on a hillock on the bank of the meandering Kalu Ganga. Located five kilometres from Ratnapura city on Ratnapura-Panadura highway, the Saman Devale can also be accessed via Horana, Avissawella and Pelmadulla.

Before the commencement of the annual Perahera, we visited the historic Maha Saman Devale and found the place busy. Walking around the serene setting of the Devale, we saw a gorgeous view of the mountaintop of Sri Pada that made the adobe of God Sumana Saman, who carries a white lotus flower standing behind a tusker.

The story goes when Yaksha, Naga and Deva clans ruled the island, the inhabitants in Saparagamuwa now known as Sabaragamuwa, who belonged to the Deva clan was represented by a kind leader by the name of Sumana. Following the visit of Buddha, he became a devout follower and requested the Buddha to place his footprint on a gemstone atop Sri Pada for worship. After Sumana’s passing away, he was deified and remained a symbol of peace and tranquility due to his meritorious deeds.

According to the historical records, an interesting narration interwoven with construction of the Devale, during the reign of King Parakramabahu II (1236-1270) of the Dambadeniya Kingdom, the royal treasury was reduced to zero and the King sought alternative ways to obtain riches to fill the treasury.

On this quest, the King’s chief minister, Arya Kamadeva came to Ratnapura and to the then Saparagrama Viharaya or Saman Viharaya. Upon seeing a statue of God Sumana Saman and knowing that he is the deity that influences the area, the Minister made a vow to build a shrine if he was able to find gems to fill the treasury. Soon after he found a trove of gems and in fulfillment of his vow he built the Devale where the Saman Viharaya stood.

Through the times, the Devale had remained a place of devotion receiving much patronage from kings who ruled the kingdoms of Kotte, Seethawaka and Kandy.

When the Tooth Relic of the Buddha was hidden in a maize grinding stone at the Delgamuwa temple in Kuruwita (The Sunday Observer recently featured this story) King Rajasingha I has brought the Tooth Relic to the Saman Devale on 11 consecutive years to hold the Dalada Perahera.

Walking along the much spacious Devale upper and lower terraces evidence remains that the place was once occupied by the Portuguese, who ruled the area for 43 years. Ending their occupation, King Rajasingha II (1635-1687) was able reclaim the area, constructing the Devale, introducing the characteristic architecture of the Kandyan Kingdom.

Terrace

Through the Devale ground we made our way up to the upper terrace climbing huge stone-made steps leading towards the quite long three-storeyed shrine of God Sumana Saman. The beautiful Makara Thorana adores the entrance to the shrine where a huge illustration of God Sumana Saman hangs inside the shrine. And inside the walls of the main shrine room there are indications of wall paintings belonging to Kandyan period.

Tragically, the wall paintings that once adored the walls of the Devale have been whitewashed long ago, erasing the priceless paintings. What remains today is only a huge figure of a fierce looking demon with an elephant calf hanging from his teeth. At the upper terrace before entering the Devale shrine, we walked to the image house of Buddha which houses a seated Buddha statue belonging to the Kandyan period.

Furthermore, a few yards further inside, amidst white jasmine flower bushes, there lie a deep well and several buildings which are occupied by Kapuralas at present. In the corner of the left side of the Devale stands ancient tall Bo-tree, a small Devale and a brick built small Stupa with pillars.

A much spacious lower terrace strew with sands in the Devale is use for dressing elephants during the Perahera season. Some ruined remnants of antiquity such as stone carved pillars lie half buried scattered in the ground while a stone emblem of a Portuguese soldier probably trampling a local soldier and an inscription below the carving can still be seen within the tile roofed verandah of the lower terrace.

A large number of visitors throng the Devale daily for Poojas carrying Pooja baskets with fruits lined up in a passage leading to the shrine room to get blessings and fulfill the hopes and vows from the God Sumana Saman. A newly constructed museum at the Devale holds an impressive collection of ruins found from the Kalu Ganga. It is believed that the ancient Devale has been once destroyed and thrown into the river where the remnants of bygone era are still hidden beneath of the depths. Some of the findings are exhibited in the museum.

This year’s Perahera starts tomorrow and will continue till September 16. All Perahera programmes are overseen by Kamal Ratwatte, incumbent Basnayake Nilame, the Chief Lay Custodian of the Devale.