| Vesak Poya is the most important religious event in the Buddhist calendar and this year the celebrations take on an added significance as it is the 2600th Sambuddhathva Jayanthi (Lord Buddha’s Enlightenment). However the high cost of living has put a cloud over the celebrations for the organisers of pandals, dansal, and Vesak lantern vendors. They say it is becoming increasingly difficult to market their wares due to high costs of raw material.
Trading associations that organise pandals say they are literally shocked at the huge electricity deposits in addition to the high costs of materials to construct the pandals and labour costs.
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| The Thotalanga pandal. Pix by saman Kariyawasam |
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| The Grand Pass pandal |
Thotalanga Sri Vaishakaloka Pandal Society, President, D.W. Ranjith Hemachandra said, every year they are required to advance a deposit to the Electricity Board to obtain electricity and this year the amount had increased by about Rs.30,000. “We have to deposit Rs. 285,000. In previous years there were refunds of around Rs. 10,000- 15,000 once the Vesak celebrations conclude but we are not sure about this, this year,” he said.
Commenting on the pandal he said this year the pandal is in the shape of a sailing ship. Setting up for the 59th time, this pandal is one of the largest in Colombo. Using 450 arecanut trees for the structure and 62,000 bulbs for illumination, the total cost of the pandal is around Rs.2 million. “We don’t get any profit out of this venture and at this rate it would be difficult to maintain the tradition of pandals. Power and Energy Minister Champika Ranawaka is a good Buddhist and I hope he will try to solve the matter,” he said, adding that it would be some relief if electricity is provided to pandals under the domestic category and not under the commercial category as it is done now.
Over the years the vendors at the Thotalanga market contribute to a fund to put up the annual pandal in the area. However, this year, they were finding it difficult as the cost of an areca nut trunk had increased by Rs.200 per tree and labour costs had increased by Rs.500 per person, he said.
R.M.S. Waragoda, Secretary of the Sri Vaishakya Sambuddhaloka Society said they were asked to make a deposit of Rs.317,000 for their pandal at Grand Pass. “If the Electricity Board could give a permanent connection, the cost would be less, as every year the amount we have to pay for the temporary connection increases,” he said.
He said the estimated cost of their pandal would be Rs.1.8 million, of which about Rs. 550,000 has to be spent on electricity. He said around 60,000 bulbs will be used to light up the pandal.
He too said the vendors of the area, irrespective of race or religion contribute towards the pandal. “We hope that the ministers who adorn themselves with the Buddhist label would try to solve this problem,” Mr. Waragoda said.
J.A. Jagath, secretary Dematagoda United Vendor’s Vaishakadana Society, said their pandal was estimated around Rs. 1.3 million of which Rs.180,000 was the Electricity Board deposit. “When comparing this year’s total cost with last year’s, there is an increase of about Rs.200,000. Every year vendors at the St. John’s fish market contribute towards the pandal. This was easier when the market was in Pettah, but now the market has been shifted to Peliyagoda and due to various nscrupulous activities by certain groups there, the collection of money has been prohibited. However, some vendors personally called us and made donations,” he said.
He said in previous years the society did some kind of social activity with the left over donation money. Last year the society built a children’s park and this year they wanted to build a library for the children in the area. “But with the donations from the fish market being unobtainable and high prices of goods we do not know whether we can accomplish this project too,” he said.
Meanwhile pavement vendors who peddle their wares—lanterns and other decorations during the Vesak season complain the police are coming down hard on them.
Bandula Perera whohas sold Vesak lanterns for 25 years said the police drive them away, sometimes using bad language , although the police know it is only a temporary business.
“We have pleaded with customers not to pull up their vehicles close to the sales areas on the pavements and have shown them optional areas to park as otherwise the police take it out on us,” he said, adding that this year he was forced to sell his wares in a by lane in Rajagiriya for fear of inviting trouble from the police.
He also said this time he used plastic instead of bamboo sticks to make Vesak lantern frames as it costs around Rs. 6000 to get a permit to transport bamboo. “As a result we have to increase our prices and a lantern frame that was sold for Rs. 75 last year, is being sold at Rs. 150 this year,” he said.
Rohitha Kumara from Maradana has been told by the police that he cannot sell his lanterns at the ‘usual spot’. “There were five of us who did this business during Vesak season, but now only I am left and with this police crackdown it’s hard days,” he said.
‘Dansal’ organisers too are having their share of trouble with the police. Jeewantha Dissanayake, an organiser of the ‘dansala’ at Ward Place said the environmental police of the area have stopped him from putting up banners announcing the ‘dansala’ . He said because of the high cost of food items the dansala would be held only on one day.
H. Samantha from Maradana said the youth in the area have organised for the 18th time the annual dansala of rice and curry “In spit of the high prices we will continue with the dansala but we will initially have it only for two and depending on the funds we may extend it to a third day,” he said.
President inaugurates 2600th Sambuddhathva Jayanthi
President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday officially inaugurated the 2600th Sambuddhathva Jayanthi at a ceremony at Sri Maha Bodhi ‘Uda Maluwa’ in Anuradhapura, where he declared open a monument to commemorate the event.
The theme song of the Sambuddhathva Jayanthi was released at the ceremony and the President was presented four ceremonial stamps depicting ‘Lumbini’, ‘Buddhagaya’, ‘Isipathana’ and the City ‘Kusinara’. In addition a CD comrpising songs written by the Chief Incumbent of the Ruwanweli Maha Chaithya, Rev. Pallegama Hemarathana Thera, praising Lord Buddha was also presented to the President.
Grand plans and special traffic for Vesak week
Colombo city is all geared up for a grand 2600 Sambuddhathva Jayanthi celebration with more pandals, dansal and street decorations ruling the streets of Colombo and suburbs during the Vesak week.
Special programmes are to be held in the three Vesak zones in Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Gregory’s Road and Gangaramaya as well as Lake House roundabout, Kelaniya and Bellanvila areas.
President Rajapaksa is to open the world’s largest Buddhist information centre in Thunmulla junction on Vesak Poya day.
Students of the Colombo University will beautify Stanley Wijesundara Mawatha, Reid Avenue and Kumaratunge Munidasa Mawatha with Buddhist flags, Vesak lanterns and will display quotes of Lord Buddha.
They will also organize a king coconut and herbal drink dansals on Stanley Wijesundara Mawatha, herbal drink dansala on both Reid Mawatha and Bauddhaloka Mawatha and a dansala serving gram at Kumaratunga Munidasa Mawatha. An 800 foot digital Vesak pandal is to be set up in this zone.
A special traffic plan for Colombo city during Vesak celebrations has been initiated with DIG Traffic, Asoka Wijethilake heading the team.
All roads in Colombo will be open for those coming to the city but parking vehicles in the streets and pavements will not allowed. Police request those coming into the by vehicles to park their vehicles in public parking spaces to avoid traffic congestion.
Police also advise that travelling in overcrowded vehicles and getting on top of vehicles is prohibited as it can cause accidents and injuries. Legal action will be taken against those who do not comply with these rules.
Vesak lantern competitions will be held in all Army camps around the country. The Army will organize dansal in the North and East. Police and STF will be renovating temples and a blood donation programme will take place in every police station on Vesak poya day. |
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