Revisiting the rituals of ancient hydraulic society

The long march to self-sufficiency and food security:

by Indeewara Thilakarathne

For centuries agriculture has been the life blood of thousands of people in diverse parts of the globe. Before the advent of industrialisation and when the man ceased to be pre-occupied with hunting and gathering, the agriculture provided a much-needed stability to ancient civilisations leading to the birth of many crafts including art, paintings, pottery and making various tools and jewellery out of metal.

In ancient Sri Lanka, the primary settlements were set up along the banks of major rivers such as Kelani, Mahaweli and Kubukkan Oya. The principal occupation of those settlers was agriculture.

According to Mahavamsa (The great chronicle), with the arrival of Mahinda thero, came a group of craftsmen and artistes, thus laying a firm foundation for a highly literate and religious civilisation.

The king provided the political leadership while the Maha Sangha or a member of the Order gave religious leadership and acted as counsellors to the kings.

This harmonious social order is symbolised by the Trinity Wewa (tank) which provides water for the cultivation of paddy and dagaba of which the pagoda symbolised the spiritual nourishment of the farming community and temple that provided guidance and a kind of political leadership to the community.

The temple was the nucleus of the village life and apart from enriching the spiritual life of the farm hands, it also acted as a place of meeting for villagers that always associated with key agricultural activities. Buddhist monks also provided advice even on mundane matters and were instrumental in taking collective decisions.

Rituals

Perhaps due to Indian influence, the astrology has been associated with major agricultural activities and the key activities have always commenced at auspicious time provided by the monks. The kings and the nobility took part in agricultural ceremonies in a grand manner.

There are ample evidence in this regard in Mahavamsa and Rasavahini. Perhaps the oldest reference made to the king's participation in agricultural activities was made in Jataka stories where it has been mentioned that the king Suddodana participated in a ceremony in India.

The king took the golden plough and led the others in Vap Magula (ploughing ceremony) and also took part in key agricultural functions.

Though Vap Magula assumes a political connotation in modern context, it has been major agricultural ceremony where the king or rulers and nobilities' participation not only symbolises state patronage to agriculture but also afforded the due recognition to it as a vital industry ensuing self-sufficiency in food.

Along with the agriculture flourished the animal husbandry and the farmers reared cattle, fowls and goats that were fed in village meadow. The structure of the ancient village was made up of wewa, dagaba and paddy fields and small forest and a village meadow.

These unites of villagers were more or less self-sufficient in food, milk and brackish water fish. The inter-village trade was confined to few goods such as spices, salt and ornamental goods that were brought into the village by travelling traders.

Other traditions associated with agriculture were the Pan Piduma, a festival where new water of the season was offered first to the temple and Gods for a bountiful harvest, the Kariya, a communal voluntary participation in agricultural as well as other social activities.

Attama is common system where one's labour is offered in agricultural activities and in return the farmers offer their labour in cultivation. Water conservation systems such as Bettma, Tattumaru, Kattimaru and Kanna meetings held before each Kanna (seasons such as Yala and Maha) are some of the common practices involved in agriculture.

Significance in modern context

However the significance of the Vap Magula can not be undermined even in the contemporary context, especially as food security is considered as a key component in the fight against extreme hunger and malnutrition.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa should be commended for reviving the tradition of Vap Magula as it a key sector of priority on Government's agenda.

In order to realise the millennium goals, self-sufficiency in principal essential food items such as paddy as a major source of carbohydrate and the dairy products is a sine qua non.

It is also the responsibility of the consumers and the public at large to wholeheartedly support the national drive for the national drive for local food production in a spirit of patriotism, in the very sense of the word, irrespective of petty divisions.

Although modern generation need not go back to the life-style of the ancient hydraulic civilisations, there are plenty of lessons that can be learnt and the notions of self-sufficiency in food and food security are as old as the ancient irrigation systems of the country.

The revival of Vap Magula may herald an era of self-sufficiency and perhaps, Sri Lanka could once claim as the granary of Asia and not as killing fields. If the nation fails to grab this opportunity, even at this crucial moment, development will be only a mirage.

There is absolutely no doubt about that fact that the country will not be able to achieve the millennium Development Goals without securing self-sufficiency and food security.

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