| |||||||
Perahera mood sets Kataragama aliveColombo: The Sunday Leader, 4 August 1996
|
The Kataragama God pays a short visit to his sweetheart Valli at Valli Amma Devale
|
Daytime fire walking at Kataragama
|
The King had asked for God Kataragama's favours to win the war against Elara. On that occasion the deity had proclaimed, "Go to war. My blessings are with you. Victory is yours."
The King had made a vow to build a palace with a golden roof for God Skanda if the country was united under his rule. And after he had won the battle, he had come to Vedihiti Kanda to meet God Kataragama to fulfill his vows.
Then God Skanda had taken an arrow and fitted it to his golden bow. He had fired the arrow from atop the Vedihiti Kanda and told the king to build the palace at the place the arrow would fall.
King Dutugemunu constructed a palace at the place where the arrow fell. He also appointed servants to perform the religious rites and offered lands to maintain the place.
The servants were divided into two categories as Nilapangukarayo and Praveni Pangukarayo. Nearly 12,700 acres belonged to the Devale.
Prior to the conclusion of the Kataragama perahera, the traditional fire-walking ceremony is held in the sacred premises at a place between the Kataragama Devale and the Valli Amma Devale.
The devotees who prepare themselves for the event by abstaining from meat and other vices, engage in deep prayer and meditation, and seek the God's blessing for participation. The pilgrims walked along a rectangular area strewn with a thick layer of smoldering embers which was prepared by burning a pile of logs laid out on the ground. There have been instances of people sustaining burns for having walked through fire without the pure devotion and purity required for the event. This year about 25 persons required medical attention.
Somipala Ratnayake, the Chief Kapurala at the Kataragama Devale, said that people come to Kataragama to seek solution for various problems for which they have no other recourse.
In addition to Buddhists and Hindus people of other faiths constantly pay homage at Kataragama, too.