An ‘Elephantine’ Impasse

by K.K.S. Perera

Seeing an elephant receiving a lot of attention, a confused Sumanasiri enquired from his cousin on the rationale behind the whole issue - what encouraged the organisers to take a pachyderm for this festival, he speculated.

“Sarath aiyya, what is the role the elephant plays here; is there a perahera of sorts?”

“No Malli”, said the affable Gamini, “may be an unusual experience as far as you are concerned, but it is customary at this particular place for the she elephant owned by a well-connected businessman from the area to be anointed with oil”.

The much publicized ceremony got underway as usual at the temple in the village, where Sumanasiri was present visiting a relative in the area. The traditional ritual was to be carried out under the auspices of Chief Incumbent priest, but to Sumanasiri’s amazement, the priest on this occasion played an insignificant role in the midst of involvement of the ‘Prabhu’ clan and a few prominent elements dictating to Dayaka sabha.

Sumanasiri, however, admired the preparations of the temple for the function; the gaily decorated entrance with traditional gokkola and punkalas had added extra glamour to the occasion, he thought. The arrangements were colourful and impressive.

“Why this giant platform?” Asks Sumanasiri, pointing to the specially built stage and the ramp.

“That is to match the height of the 10-footer ‘Hasthi-Rajaya’, just see, doesn’t she look majestic, don’t you see, its presence enhances the prestige of the ceremony.”

Anointing ceremony

The Sinhala/Hindu Avurudu festival reach a climax with an anointing ceremony followed by the first bath for the new year. Oil is mixed with herbal paste for the family elder to rub on the heads of other members while reciting the famous verse, a pali/Sinhala rhyme. People sit with a white cloth under their feet. While some go to the nearest temple in the village seeking the blessings of the Loku Hamuduruwo others visit the elderly indigenous doctor, or the vedamahattaya who attends on each and every person that walks in to his chamber.

An elderly, fair-minded person explained the basics of the ritual to the young people who gathered at the temple, he said,

“Anointing of oil and Nanu (Herbal mixture) has to be done before taking the ceremonial bath. The ceremony has a history connected to Kandyan era, where it was performed as a religious ceremony by the royal Nekath Mohottala, who would directly supervise it.

In accordance with his instructions, the royal physician prepares the oils as well as Nanu”, he continues talking to a few interested listeners. “The oil is made of herbs such as Gorochana, beli-mal, sevendara, sandalwood, iriveriya, kohomba-kola, kumkumappu, kalanduru-ala and sathsanda, by extracting the juices from the leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds. Explain what ‘Nanu’ is made of, he said, “it is a concoction made using ingredients prescribed by astrological calculations and differ each year; this year leaves from Bo, Nuga Divul, Karadana, Kohomba or Kumbuk were used.”

Sumanasiri interrupts, “Those ingredients you mentioned sir, do they not change from year to year?”

“Yes of course, very good question,…by the way you are a stranger, I am afraid I have not met you before, anyway young man, according to the Almanac every year herbs associated with the planets are used.” Says the cultured villager, who belongs to the old school of thought. “It is the same medicinal leaves as prescribed that is held over the head and spread on the ground for the feet, during the ceremony,” he concluded.

The oil lamp was receiving its floral arrangements; the garlanding with jasmine flowers is being done by three ‘jacket and cloth’ clad charming damsels from the area: it has to be ready for lighting by Prabhu dayakes, namely the local government member, the businessmen and the Bhandagarika, treasurer of the Dhayake sabha. A mischievous young man attempted to decorate the hair-do of the prettiest of the girls with a bunch of jasmines.

“They must allow the girls to finish the work,” Sumanasiri commented. “Why malli, are you jealous?”

Kiribath, plantains and a few varieties of oil cakes were arranged in an orderly manner on the white cloth that covered the long table in the ‘dana salawa’ or the dining room. Inquired by Sirisoma’s cousin, the ‘Abiththaya’ [acolite], replied, “Dhanapala Mudalali, the businessmen spent a lot on the function, while ladies from ‘Kulangana Samitiya’ collected the balance by visiting every house in the area.”

With 30 minutes to go for the much awaited nekatha, both guests along with their families arrived at the scene.

The organisers received them and ushered them to the inner chamber, where the oil lamp was to be lighted. While hundreds of people queued up; some young mothers carrying their new born babies, and with elderly and the sick standing in hot sun waiting for their turn in the queue, the treasurer signalled to the mahout to get the animal near the ramp to have its head anointed on priority as already agreed by the organisers.

The oil and Nanu preparations were kept ready at the platform before the auspicious hour.

Being given an opportunity to witness an unusual act for the first time, Sumanasiri got a fine idea; “Aiyya, why don’t you bring your pet doggy down too for anointing a little oil?”

Public address

“Not a bad idea, shall we?” However, on second thoughts, we decided not to; why should we create an ‘unpleasant’ scenario? As the auspicious time approached the CD player was connected to the public address system played Karaneeya metta sutta.

We paced a few feet towards the Bo tree and sat on the steps under the shade, as people started walking in numbers.

The queue was getting longer extending several metres outside the gate too. To his astonishment Sumanasiri observed a second queue being arranged by the abittaya, he asked, “Gamini Aiyya now what is that fellow up to, why two queues?”

“That is how they do it, a precedence had been created; every year, on the orders of Bandagarika, the abittiya make a special one as well to give priority for the families and friends of Businessmen and the Prabhu clan,”

However, as the matter was getting unusually delayed, and well past the auspicious time, Sumanasiri walked up to the central area get to an idea what caused the delay and soon realized the folly; the organisers were arguing on which direction to face; the almanac says facing South.

The ramp has been is constructed differently and that the only option now was to face the North. As the elephant’s head cannot be reached and the next nearest point accessible was the tail of its massive body; but the Nayake Priest quite correctly refused saying, “No way, I will not apply oil in any other part of the body but the head”, he was adamant; all attempts to convince the Nayake thero failed, he fervently declined to apply the nanu and oil on any other organ besides the head. The businessman reluctantly had to agree as an alternative, that the Bandagarika would attend to the task.

“Kalu kaputa sudu venaturu - Molgahe dalu enaturu, Hal essa pela venaturu - Ekasiya vissata desiya vissak ayu bo weva” -

[-Until the black crow turns white - until the rice pounder sprouts buds - until the rice ‘seeds’ germinates - may your life be as long as two hundred and twenty, instead of the hundred and twenty]

He recited the stanza looking at a note prepared by a student and applied a little Nanu just above the giant animal’s tail, while inviting the devotees for cries of Sadhu...Sadhu...

“Gamini aiyya, our father used to say, how in the good old days when the Nanu was prepared in the temple, it commenced at least 10 days prior to the Avurudu; and that they did it while the bhikkhus recite Pirith throughout the long process”, the somewhat disheartened Sumanasiri reminisces, “Are they following these traditions now? Do they use the correct ingredients at least?”

“You know malli, oil anointing is the last, but one of the vital rituals, it is an integral part of the Sinhala and Hindu New Year festival.” Said Gamini, a villager, who is also a devout dayake, “but”, he continued, “it is gradually losing its real value, being hijacked by ‘temple politics; and we are just helpless spectators.”

Disgusted and confused, but happy that they did not go ahead with the idea of anointing their pet doggy, the two cousins took a walk back home, contemplating on degeneration of values in contemporary society, as a result of ‘internal politics.’ [Names are fictitious]

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