Vesak is the most important event in the Buddhist calendar as it celebrates the birth, enlightenment and the parinirvana of Lord Buddha. This time it is all the more significant due to the Sambuddhatva Jayanthi. The Sambuddhatwa Jayanthie falls on May 17 this Vesak. It is a sacred time greatly revered by the Buddhist community of the world as it commemorates the 2600th year of Lord Buddha’s birth and is celebrated with piety and devotion by the devotees of Buddhism.
Colombo too embraces the celebrations of the Sambuddhatva Jayanthi and is filled with the blues, yellows, reds, whites and orange of the Buddhist flag. Roadside shops have sprouted along the main streets of Colombo and pedestrians huddle at their entrances buying lanterns, buckets, flags, lights, cards, posters and lamps to decorate their homes with. People are engaged in dana, sila and bodhipuja and many are planning ventures to venerate and honour this day.
Ranga Liyanage -
Maker of Vesak lanterns
Twenty Seven year old Ranga has been making Vesak lanterns seasonally for the last eight years. He lives in Kirulopona bordering the canal and the lanterns he makes are sold near on the side of the road near the police station. During the rest of the year he does odd jobs in order to supports his family.
“The lanterns are mostly pre ordered. We always send out batches to the army and the navy. There are atapattam kudu, pansal kudu, bilin kudu, nelum mal kudu and olu mal kudu. We have been making over seventy lanterns since last month.
Every year we donate Vesak lanterns to the temples close by. In commemoration of the Sambuddhatwa Jayanthie we made a massive white bird. And also stenciled the words ‘Buddha Jayanthie 2600’ on paper and layered below the surface so that it is highlighted when it is lit. This time we made most of the lanterns white for the celebrations and I think they will sell more.” Says a smiling Ranga Ranga also explains that after the bamboo stalks are brought in from Horana they are sliced and tied into the shape of a kudu using cellophane strips. And then the kudu are decorated using cut and patterned tissue paper.
Chandrasena
- Pandol Builder
Originally from Wellampitiya Chandrasena and his team have been the hands behind the pandol at Dematagoda for the last nine years. They are committed and dedicated to the extremely tedious task of outing up this fifty five foot high structure.
While overlooking the lifting and placement of the light panels Chandrasena explained that “First a Buddhist priest is invited to the location and after chanting an entire session of pirith the pandol’s construction begins to the time of the nakath.
The entire thing costs over 18 lakhs and it’s a lot of difficult work, but we are happy doing it for our religion. The process is delicate and there are also a lot of safety concerns. But like I said no one minds. We are all happy and blessed to be doing this. “
The pandol will be unveiled on the 17th of May and will continue to the 24th.
Hemapala Master -
Overlooks the stitching of flags
K Hemapala has been stitching national flags, Buddhist flags, school flags and any other flag at his small establishment on the roadside at no 220, Baseline road, Colombo 9. He is a devout Buddhist who has great pride in stitching the Buddhist flag and spreading the joy of Vesak to his fellow brothers and sisters.
“I have thirteen people here and about a few who work from home and we stitch flags for orders. My whole family gets involved. I haven’t been to a school but I manage this place and do my best to give our people a sense of pride through theses flags.
The National and the Buddhist flag are the symbols of our identity. It makes me sad to see people disrespect them. In commemoration of the Sambuddhatwa Jayanthie we are making the largest Buddhist flag in Sri Lanka. It is a ‘palan kodiya’ that is sixty feet high and one hundred and forty feet wide. It will be unfurled on the 17th of May at ten thirty in the morning.
The Largest Vesak Lantern Lanka
Overseas Realty owners and managers of World Trade Centre, are unveiling the largest ‘Pahan Kuduwa’ in Sri Lanka. This largest Vesak lantern is being constructed at the World Trade Centre Lobby, after a lapse of six years in commemoration of the Sambuddhatwa Jayanthie. The theme of the Lantern in thestory of the arrival of Sangamiththa Mehenin Wahansa to Sri Lanka with the scared Bo Sapling.
This is inspired by the painting of legendary artist Solis Mendis at the Kelani Maha Vihara. The 24’ diametric pond at the lobby will house the ship made of solid concrete and will run a height of three stories reaching 34 feet. This gives the devotees viewing the lantern a full view from three different heights unlike the worm’s eye view the other Vesak lantern exhibitions. The areas of construction include electrical, mechanical, civil and fire safety while its implementation is handled by the Facilities Management Unit of the WTC
This ‘Pahan Kudu’ comprises of 106 baby lanterns and 3 rotating lantern units attached to the ship. The framework of the entire unit is made of welded steel rods covered in tissue paper.
A base of tissue paper covers all the lanterns and is later decorated with stenciled demy paper. Insertion of ten colored bulbs will give the viewers the opportunity to see the lantern in ten different shades of color. A globe will be perched atop the massive structure depicting the central concept of world peace.
The project has been worked on for two months by seven to eight people daily. The surprisingly life like figures of the characters are made using life size mannequins that are reconstructed using a mix of plaster of Paris, Chemifix, wood chips, tissue paper and cement. This is then painted over and dressed using actual attire designed at stitched by the employees of Overseas Realty itself. The largest Vesak Lantern will be open to the public on May 17 at 7.00pm free of charge.
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