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Novel pandal at Kadawatha
View(s):A Vesak pandal made of cement and depicting the Jaddantha Jataka -the story in which the Bodhisattva was born as a majestic elephant- will adorn the Gonahena area in Ranmuthughala in Kadawatha.
Story and pix by Indika Handuwala
The pandal, the first of its kind, was built using around 30 kg cement, ten metres of wire mesh, 16 liters of paint and fillers and around a kg of colour powder.
It is to be lit up with 3,000 bulbs.
W. Siripala (53) one of the two main artistes who sculptured the pandal, said he and his friend -an expert in cement moulding- K.T Pradeep Kumara, came up with the idea of creating the 40-foot-high pandal.
The pandal itself was designed by well-known artist Gongithota Premaratne
Siripala added together with the lighting, an artificial waterfall running through the pandal creates a realistic life-like image of a forest inhabited by elephants.
He said the pandal was created in a way it could be removed and re- assembled at different locations.
Bandula Karunaratna who helped finance much of the cost of the pandal (which cost a million rupees), also provided the land to put up the structure. The costs of lighting up the pandal were met by Jeevan Manoj Seneratne.
Many members of the public too contributed towards the cost of putting up the pandal.
The pandal can be viewed till May 6.
The novel cement pandal at Kadawatha commemorates the birth of the Bodisatva as an elephant
Workers putting the final touches to the pandal
An electrician checks the lighting system
A scene from the Jaddantha Jataka
The pandal was designed by artist Gongithota Premaratne
A great cement oil lamp to be lit on Vesak Day