Vandals destroy part of Andare's statue

Vandals have broken off the hand of the statue of famous court jester Andare in Udamalala, Hambantota

Andare was a famous poet and a court jester in the 18th century when king Rajadhi Rajasinghe was ruling Senkadagala kingdom in Kandy.

He entertained the court with his humour and was honoured by an honorary title, "Sadda Vidda Palanga Pathira Rajapakse Wickramasinghe Muthukumarana."

In his old age, Andare was plagued by illness had been making his way to his village but his illness worsened at a place called Udamalala in Hambantota, where he died under a Palu tree stretching his hands and legs towards four directions in a humorous way.

A memorial plaque and a statue of Andare was subsequently erected at the spot where he is said to have died

Area residents say that though the spot is popular with tourists, there is no one to protect the place. They urge authorities to look into the matter immediately.

Text and Pix by M.N. Piyaratne - Kataragama