The whole area goes bright all of a sudden, amid the scented breeze. Everything is calm and serene though the performers of the drama are ready for action, donned in the white, yet devilish, costumes.
A bond is slowly brewing within culture, people and their religion.
And that bond provides anyone, be it a local or a foreigner, with ample material about a tradition that has withstood the test of time. The tradition is brimming with rich elements and insights of the oriental culture.
This drama is known in different names. In actual sense, it is no drama. It is a ritual performed in anticipation of prosperity and well being of the people. Gammadu shanthikarma, also known as devol madu shanthikarma, has been an ancient practice among Sri Lankans to pay reverence to the gods in return for peace and prosperity. The key players donned in devilish costumes and the devil masks dance until the evil spirits, if there is any, vacate the area and welcome the gods and deities to bless the land.
These rituals are not gone into oblivion as yet – at least not until the occupants of this land give up their faith on superstitions and myth. That is not to be expected either as long as the Sri Lankans continue to have their faith in their traditional healing rituals.
The recent performance held at the premises of Town Hall, Colombo, under the patronage of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and a host of parliamentarians, to bestow godly blessings on the Colombo Municipal Council staffers as well as the Sri Lankans in general was a ritual that evoked innermost spiritual feelings. The ritual began at 6 pm and ended at 12 noon with a sense of consummation.
The Gammadu Shanthikarma involves quite a lot of dance performances, which primarily includes low country style performed throughout the night. The terms heard in Gammadu Shanthikarma are similar to those in Sabaragamuwa dance according to Professor Mudiyanse Dissanayake. That said the Devol madu shanthikarma is known as a ritual of low country dance performances. It also bears resemblance to the popular Kohomba Kankariya which is originated in Kandy.
The ritual begins with lighting clay-lamps to revere the gods and deities. The dance performances require specific training for years. The masks utilized in the dance performances are made of wood, skillfully carved by the local artistes. The dance performed in grandeur represent 16 devils.
The primary objective of the Gammadu Shanthikarma is paying respect to Goddess Pattini. Later on it spread into a pantheon of gods and goddesses. Whether the performance is fruitful or not, the ritual is a collective effort to chase away the evil and welcome the wholesome inside.
The Gammadu Shanthikarma is a sacred act of performance that needs extensive preparation unlike a run of the mill activity. The performers are required to practise abstinence for a certain period to expect the maximum outcome. They should keep away from alcohol and meat, two elements considered evil or dirty (kili) and abhorred by the deities. Being a teetotaler and a pure vegetarian at least for a few weeks is also good for the participants if they seek divine blessings from the performance. The participants are also required to be clad in white as this is an act of sacredness.
The ritual however faces the risk of extinction as its performers require special training of skilled dances as well as the ability to recite the traditional Sinhalese verses to summon the deities. Only a few artistes are keen on sustaining the tradition, as the modern public interest is slowly deviating from the myth and superstition.
* Gammadu Shanthikarma routine
* Milla Kepeema
* Lighting clay-lamps
* Dalumura Thebeema (offering flowers)
* Bisokapa situveemaa
* Dinner
* Yahan dekma and kala pandam
* Offering pideni
* Thorana ritual
* Pattini dance
* Thelma dance
* Acrobatic performances
* Vaahala performance
* Yahan performance
* Alms for gods
* A mba offering
* Devol dance and fire performance
* Gara Yaka dance
* Milk offering
* Paying reverence to gods
Add new comment