A ray of light behind high walls

Prisoners and officials at Welikada are busy preparing for Vesak

By Isuri Kaviratne

Vesak lanterns, pandals and other Vesak decorations are taking shape in people’s homes and workplaces and even behind the forbiddingly high walls of the Welikada jail.

Inmates of the Welikada prison have been engrossed in making their Vesak decorations for some weeks now. The pandal which shows the “Sama Jathakaya” was being completed when we visited last week.

An inmate works on a pandal

Even as they listened to the lilting melodies of Bhathiya and Santush on the radio, the prisoners were drawing the scenes that would make up the pandal. “The drawing of the thorana will be over by tomorrow afternoon,” said the chief painter, dipping his brush into the paint tins around him.

It had taken two painters about three weeks to draw the pictures for the thorana. The recording of the virindu too was taking place in an atmosphere of unity, rarely to be seen in today’s society.

“Saranai saranai saranai- palamuwa buddhan saranai.” These men convicted of various crimes were singing in unison with the officers in charge of the prison.

“Himi pamula mata budu sisilasak daneya.” The person who was playing the rabana sighed as the song continued. He, who had once played a rabana and sung virindu for the pandals in temples, is now in prison for murder, the death sentence awaiting him.
“I have no idea about the crime I was imprisoned for. I asked for an appeal but it didn’t work out,” he said.

Clad in white, an elderly prisoner, who wrote the script of the “Jathakaya” for the pandal said that he used to be a script writer for Rupavahini and ITN.

Making a lantern with coconut shells. Pix by Saman Kariyawasam

“I went through the ‘Jathaka Potha’ and chose ‘Sama Jathakaya’ and wrote the dialogue as I have experience writing scripts,” he said.

Another inmate, handling the electrical wiring of the pandal said that he had been doing such work since he was young. “Prison officials provide us with the necessary equipment,” he says.

Another group of prisoners working on an elaborate Vesak lantern made of coconut shells in the corridor of their cells said that they have been working hard to finish the lantern before Vesak, but have been slightly distracted by the cricket.

“Whenever our team plays we watch the matches,” said one of the prisoners while another said the lanterns came first as he was not a cricket fan.

Prisons Commissioner General Vajira Wijegunewardhana said though their main focus was the pandal, the prisoners will also take part in the annual Vesak Lantern Competition organized by Ven. Watanapola Rathanasara Thera at Rajakaruna Mawatha.

Officers and prisoners: Singing together

“About 200 prisoners will participate in the perahera conducted by Sri Sambodhi Viharaya as well,” he said.

He said the lanterns made by the prisoners and a photo exhibition will be on view in a section around the Beira Lake. The photos depict religious, cultural, educational activities done by the prisoners.

He also said that most prisoners did not eat meat and the money they save is used to release cows every poya.

“Prisoners should not be identified only as criminals. They are human beings too. They are not the same people they were when they first came to prison. They are being rehabilitated. It’s time that society too changed its attitude towards prisoners just as we have done within the prison,” he said.

Chief Jailor Lal Wickramasinghe said there will be chanting of ‘gihi pirith’ till dawn on Vesak Poya day and prisoners of all religions too will participate at this event.