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| Sunday, 23 June 2002 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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A giant lantern from humble gravel By JAYANTHI LIYANAGE "Stop, Tissa !" Never had four syllables triggered such a social upheaval in Lankan history. Nor been a catalyst in converting an island nation into an emerging consciousness of the natural right that all living beings on earth inherit by birth. The right to live. This Poson Poya will see yet another revival of the role which devolves on us humans as custodians of all flora and fauna nature deemed fair to sprout on earth. And the loving care and concern, animals sheltered in the mercy of our households expect from us. What Arahat Mahinda strove to emphasise to King Devanampiyatissa on Mihintale Rock 2300 years ago, a young creative cattle-lover is set to echoe in Pragathi Pura, Pannipitiya on the coming Poson Poya. From humble gravel crumbling under our feet, 24-year-old Amila Siriwardana and his young clan of friends and relations have raised a giant lantern of delicate flower patterns shaped from powdered gravel. 170 miniatures extending from the Mother Lantern rise and fall slowly, rotating in eight different directions. The muted prismatic lights of red, yellow and violet, flickering from the floral apertures, cast a pale glow on an all-too-familar story unfolding at the base of the lantern. It is the story of how the meal-earner of many rural homes - the cart-bull - and the cow who is virtually the foster-mother of the nation, is sacrificed to the slaughter-knife once they become too feeble to be money-spinners. This sad tale is enacted at the foot of the lantern, in pictures and sculpts of pleading cattle-figures which tug at one's heart-strings. "We thought of straying from the usual Jataka Story as we wanted people to focus on a very crucial issue in society," says Amila, creator of the 30-foot high giant lantern which brought a flood of visitors during last Vesak. People came from as far off as Polonnaruwa, Panduwas Nuwara, Situlpawwa and Bangladesh and America, uniting the Pragathi Purians in a unique sense, spurring them on to man the traffic flow to the area throughout the night. "Some aged-folk going round the lantern viewing the cattle-story came out through the exit sobbing," Amila said as he pointed to the last tableau where the tied hind-limbs of the bull lying sprawled on the floor trembles in terror as the butcher strikes its neck with his knife. The idea was conceived by Amila and two Chamindas - one Ruwanpathirana and the other Kodituwakku - for a lantern wholly-structured in iron and covered with gravel powder-sprayed oil paper. Many from the neighbourhood and as far off as from Matara, had a hand in making the vision a reality and the striking denominator of the entire creation is that they are all under 30 years of age. The mortar in which Suranga pounded gravel while Priyantha sifted the powder with a sieve stands proudly by the lantern. The youngest in the troupe, 20-year-old Wimal Prasanna drew the floral motifs. "The lantern cost us Rs.400,000 but we will display it free of charge beginning from June 24," said Amila. "This is our way of reminding the society to bring back humanistic values to the manner in which we treat our precious cattle! We seem to have forgotten them in our race to progress!" |
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