The sight of an elephant being bathed is usually fascinating. And when the elephant in question is the tusker Kaveri Raja, one of the ‘Daelay Athas’ that walks beside the Maligawa tusker carrying the golden ‘Karanduwa’ in the Kandy Esala Perahera, it is indeed an attraction.
Whilst the mahout bathed the tusker scrubbing behind its ears, abdomen and legs with a coconut husk, the majestic animal waited patiently flapping its enormous ears. Kaveri Raja was given a good scrub to start the day afresh.
“Kaveri Raja loves to eat buth and pani” (rice and treacle),” said mahout Yasaratne. Tharanga Chandrasena, Cultural Officer of the Sri Dalada Maligawa Perahera ‘Angshaya’ (Department) explained that Kaveri Raja was a gift from the Indian Government and was is now being trained to carry the Karanduwa.
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| Kaveri Raja enjoying his bath |
Kaveri Raja is one of the many tuskers playing a key part in the annual Mahanuwara Sri Dalada Esala Perahera, the most important event in Kandy. The ‘Kumbal Perahera’ which started on August 7 is now on and will continue until the 11th. The grand ‘Randoli’ Perahera in its full glory will traverse the streets of Kandy from August 12 and conclude with the Day Perahera on the 17th.
Mohan Panabokke, Basnayake Nilame of the Sri Maha Vishnu Devale spoke to The Sunday Times of the many ceremonies to be performed before the start of the Kandy Esala Perahera.
The first ceremony is to cut the ‘Kapa’. He stated that at the ‘nekath’ (auspicious) time of 5.30 on the morning of August 1, the Wannaku Rala and the Vidane of the Maha Vishnu Devale of the Hatara Korale performed certain rituals and cut the ‘Kapa’ facing the east, from a jak tree in the ‘Nidagam’ land of the Maha Vishnu Devale. The ‘Kapa’ is a piece of wood from a branch of a tree with a milky sap, which has not borne fruit. The ‘Kapa’ was brought in a perahera from the Aluthnuwara Devale in Navatilakapura, close to Mawanella and placed at the Palle Devale in the premises of the Maha Vishnu Devale in Kandy.
At another ceremony on August 2, this was cut into four equal lengths and taken by the Natha, Kataragama and Pattini Devales in procession.
One piece was left at the Maha Vishnu Devale. At 5.55 in the evening, the ‘Kap’ were planted in each of the four devales. It is the ‘Kap Situweema’ – the planting or placing the ‘Kapa’ in the devale to commence the Mahanuwara Esala Perahera. The ‘kapa’ is covered on all sides with a white cloth in the form
of a tent.
The Devale Perahera was conducted in the inner courtyard of the devales round the ‘Kapa’ for five consecutive days from August 2-6. On August 7th, the first ‘Kumbal’ Perahera went round the Temple square. People believe that it will bring them prosperity and good fortune if they view the first ‘Kumbal’ Perahera and they come to Kandy from near and far, bringing their children as well to receive blessings.
The Basnayake Nilame stated that the ‘Kapa’ means the commitment, the undertaking and the promise to the deities to conduct the perahera according to the rituals and seek the blessings for its successful completion.
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