The magic behind the Maha Bamba Kolama – By MAHIL WIJESINGHE
Source : sundayobserver.lk
It is during September that the ten-day-long spectacular annual cultural pageant at the historic Saparagamuwa (the word hailing from ancient times, though people have got used to saying Sabaragamuwa) Maha Saman Devale at Ratnapura is held, which is considered second only to the Esala Perahera in Kandy. The festival this year was held from August 24 to September 8.
The pageant showcases the observance of age-old customs and rituals dedicated to God Sumana Saman, the guardian deity of Sri Pada. The rites are performed over five nights of sound and light.
The Maha Bamba Kolama, one hand on the wrist with a bouquet of flowers and the other hand holding a sword, parades in the Perahera
The entire venue is packed with spectators, and excitement grows as the dancers take turns to swirl and bring the whole area alive with sounds and lights. More and more elephants join, and as the drum beats echo, more people come to view the Perahera.
Most viewers of the pageant, especially children, are mesmerised by the unique 15-foot-high two-faced figure of Maha Bamba Kolama, which can only be seen at this pageant—an inherited feature carried at the head of the procession.
The Maha Bamba Kolama figure, with a serene face on one side and a fierce demonic face with a five-cobra hood on the other, is a remarkable feature. It is believed that this figure depicts the character of King Rajasingha I of Seethawaka, who was considered to be fierce like a demon in anger and pleasant like a deity to the virtuous. It is also believed to have been introduced by King Rajasingha I.
A sacred duty
The ancient chronicles say that for the making of the Maha Bamba Kolama and carrying it for five days at the Randoli Perahera at the head of the procession, the king ordered property worth more than twelve thousand rupees (a huge sum in those days) to be granted to the makers, along with free food and lodging for the five days at the Devale.
The king also ordered the supply of raw materials—bamboo and cloth—to make the figure of Maha Bamba. After returning to their home at Kolombogama, 12 miles away on foot, they were given a sack of rice and four pots of jadi (a unique dried fish dish) for their expenses. This duty of making the Maha Bamba has been passed down from generation to generation.
Lal dresses the hand of the Maha Bamba figure
The process of constructing the figure begins at an auspicious time by artisans descending from a specific caste that has traditionally inherited the right to make and carry the Maha Bamba figure in the pageant. Construction of the Maha Bamba Kolama is called a Peramune Rajakariya (frontal duty) of the pageant.
This duty was granted to the people of the Kolakkara lineage in Kolombogama, a village situated near Nivitigala in the Ratnapura district. They were also granted land (Nindagama) by the king to construct the Maha Bamba and maintain the tradition.
Peramune Rajakariya
We met Lal Serasinghe, who is in charge of constructing the Maha Bamba at the Devale premises. He hails from Ratnapura, in the vicinity of the Devale. He was assigned the making of the Maha Bamba figure by the present descendant of the Kolakkara lineage. His duty is the Peramune Rajakariya of the pageant, and this post goes to the most experienced person.
Every year, a few days prior to the commencement of the pageant, Lal and his assistant start constructing the Maha Bamba figure. First, he makes the bamboo skeleton of the huge body, selecting a strong and light bamboo plant that can be stripped into seven parts and easily carried by one person. The bamboo structure is completed in about six days. Later, they fix the hands, wooden sword, and mask onto the bamboo skeleton and dress the structure in colourful saris.
The initial stage of the bamboo skeleton of the Maha Bamba
When the construction of the Maha Bamba is complete, Lal and his assistant do the final touch-ups, adjusting the colourful saris. Finally, Lal carries the Maha Bamba, walking and rotating inside the structure on each of the five nights of the pageant every year.
Once the pageant is over, the cloth and mask are removed and kept in the Devale in a protected room. The rest of the bamboo skeleton is discarded. A new structure is constructed for the following year.
The dedicated Lal and his assistant have excelled in making the Maha Bamba Kolama for several years, and each year, thousands of spectators—mostly children—are mesmerised by this magnificent creation, which adds majesty to the Saparagamuwa Maha Saman Devale pageant.
The three-storeyed Saparagamuwa Maha Saman Devale stands majestically on a small hillock on the banks of the meandering Kalu Ganga in a picturesque setting, two kilometres from Ratnapura town on the Ratnapura–Panadura highway.
The shrine was originally constructed during the Dambadeniya period (1236–1270 AD) and restored during the reign of King Rajasingha I of Seethawaka. On the rampart in front of the Devale is a plaque depicting two warriors symbolising the destruction caused to the shrine by the Portuguese. A large number of pilgrims and visitors throng to the Devale, especially during the Perahera season in September.
