Engines, wires, figures and a lesson in the Dhamma
Vesak is just around the corner and in one small lane off Panadura, so is a tradition that has lived on for well over half a century. Stroll by the Asokaratne residence down Perera Mawatha a few days before Vesak and you will meet a sight for sore eyes; for 60 long years J.K.P. Asokaratne has held fort here to keep his lifelong hobby alive. When his Sal Uyana in honour of Lord Buddha’s life and times makes its debut on the day after Vesak it will be greeted by many happy locals; this is what most of them have grown up with, after all.
‘Sal Uyana’ may sound like the Sinhalese word for the garden of flowers Buddha was born in (and indeed, it is that too) but here we refer to a Vesak tradition that has dwindled into a concept almost obsolete. A Sal Uyana in this case is a little exhibit that celebrates some aspect of Buddhism. Often it depicts the life and teachings of the Buddha using animated figurines to tell a story to the audience, and perhaps pass on a few lessons and advice too. Think of it as serving the same function as a pandal, but with actual 3D characters and more animation (and if you’re lucky, music and great costumes too!).
Continuing a tradition mainly for children. Pic by Indika Handuwala
Mr. Asokaratne first built one when he was 15, in his childhood home just a few miles away from his current residence. “I was good with my hands,” he tells us. “I also had a great fascination with mechanics, hence the concept of a Sal Uyana for Vesak held great attraction because I could do something good while indulging my hobby.”
Since those carefree teenage years, the young Asokaratne would grow up to become a man of consequence in his community. He was the former principal of Sri Sumangala College in Panadura, a fitting end to a long and illustrious teaching career. Following retirement he continued to be engaged in the profession, occasionally lecturing on Geography and working with the National Institute of Education’s teacher trainee programme.
Today-at 76- he savours the indulgences of full-time retirement in his spacious and welcoming home in Panadura. With the companionship of wife Karuna, and frequent visits from his two daughters and their families, Mr. Asokaratne is a man constantly on the move-flitting from one project to another with amazing alacrity. One only has to take a peek inside his shed; packed chockfull with wires, engines and other curious gadgets it’s akin to entering Ali Baba’s cave (had it housed a mechanic’s dream and not gold, of course). Mr. Asokaratne could use all the wires and engines he can get though; his Sal Uyana is one of the most mechanically comprehensive we’ve seen, with many a wiring system and machines coming together to stage a 14-minute long performance every Vesak.
This year his Sal Uyana will tell the story of Khema, a ravishing beauty who lived during Buddha’s time. When the Buddha visits her town to deliver a sermon the vain and proud Khema refuses to attend, for she had lived her entire life having people come to her.Curious as to his presence, however, she later attends the sermon only to find herself confronted with a woman of greater beauty attending to the Buddha. Noticing Khema’s presence Buddha visibly ages the woman attending to Him and Khema realizes that beauty is indeed short-lived and it is only one’s life and goodwill that matters in the end.
It’s quite a taxing story to bring to the stage, says Mr. Asokaratne. First there’s Khema herself, who must be beautiful, even if she is made out of scrap material. Then there’s the other woman, who must be made to visibly age on stage. On top of it all he’s managed to rig the setup so a couple of birds fly overhead during the telling of the tale; the mechanics involved are time consuming and laborious but Mr. Asokaratne has time. You’ll find him pottering around his shed every day without fail, laughs his wife. “Look at the house! It’s like a junkyard,” she adds indulgently.
A keen collector of vintage gadgets and funny little objects, Mr. Asokaratne has managed to obtain for himself a number of old fans used by planters (they run on fuel), a clock that tells time in four different time zones (he built this himself with material from a scrapyard) and quite a few other objects that hold his visitors enthralled. Perhaps the most impressive among these is a coffee table he built himself; at the press of a button the smooth wooden surface slides apart to make space for a hidden compartment that rises up, complete with an electric kettle, teabags, sugar and a full set of china. “My visitors are always surprised,” he laughs.
It’s this constant fascination with the mechanics that has him keeping to the tradition of the Sal Uyana even after all these years, he smiles.
“I’ve been doing this for as long as I can remember and I do it mainly for the kids,” he explains.
“Children always remember what they learn when it’s presented like this and there are kids who still say ‘this is where I saw this Jathaka story’ when they pass by the house. Some have grown up with this.” Will he ever retire from the little hut that is now a permanent presence in his front garden? Probably not. “I’ll keep doing this as long as I’m able to. It brings people great joy and it keeps me quite happy too,” he laughs. Thus this Vesak the lights will burn a little brighter near the Asokaratne residence as they always have as this 60-year old tradition lives on to keep the spirit of Vesak, and Buddhism, alive.