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by Chandani Jayatilleke

Whether it is the Kandy or Kataragama perahera, I always preferred to watch it on TV, in the cool environment of our home.

But, my family members held a different view in this regard. They always talked of going to see the perahera at the spot saying it would be most enjoyable. Every moment they raised the topic, I became aggressive and played all my cards to discourage them from going to see the perahera 'live'. I knew that I wouldn't enjoy a thing in a crowded place. Not only did I discourage them, but also showed no interest in joining them, which eventually forced my mother to put off plans of going to see the perahera.

So it never happened. Going to see the perahera was never to be realised.

However, we (my family) happened to be in Kataragama during the Randoli Perahera on August 4. The first thing I wanted to do as we got there and after being told that it was perahera day, was to rush back home. The Holy City was filled with pilgrims - some of them had walked long distances from places such as Vavuniya and Trincomalee. The city was a sea of heads. I had never seen such a big crowd at one single place before. But, for the others in my group, it was a blessing in disguise - a great opportunity to see the perahera.

As the evening 'pooja' time was drawing near, the numbers began to swell. I couldn't think of a way to get near the 'devale' area. With our 'pooja trays' - the sacred offerings to God Skanda, as we moved hand in hand in a row to avoid getting lost. It would have been extremely difficult to locate any one of us who went missing in that crowd.

Already people were sitting and waiting on either side of the perahera route. Early arrival in the Holy City had given them an opportunity to secure prominent places to see the perahera. But, it made it extremely difficult for other devotees to walk to the 'devale' and 'Kiri Vehera' due to the obstruction.

The police officers on duty had to make a great effort continuously to control the big crowd. It was a huge task indeed.

With all the difficulties we managed to offer 'pooja' to the God Skanda and pay homage. Next we walked all the way to the Kiri Vehera - the main Buddhist shrine in Kataragama. The songs inspired by religious sentiments rent the air through loudspeakers. After worshipping at the Kiri Vehera, we faced a quandary as to whether to stay back to see perahera or not. Only I opposed the idea.

"Let's go find a good place, hurry up", my brother took the command from that point. We bought two sheets of polythene at Rs. 20 each. There were plenty of men who sold polythene in Kataragama. And we secured a suitable corner which is not too far from the starting point of the procession.

Everybody in my group was happy finally to have secured a prominent place. It seemed everything was perfect with them. They waited, as the perahera was to begin within the next five minutes. But it was not to be. We did wait. We waited for nearly four hours. I still think it was a sin to kill time like that. How could one wait for four hours without doing anything? What would productivity experts say about such a situation, I wondered.

Was it worth the wait for a perahera for such a long time? I failed to find an answer. It was a tussle between faith and reality.

However, there was one thing I enjoyed during the four-hour stay. It was the 'kavadi'-devotees bearing 'Kavadi' on their shoulders danced in worship of the God, while several devotees who had pierced their cheeks and tongues with hooks in order to fulfil vows joined the dancing processions.

With the sounds of cracking whips from a distance, the long wait for the perahera came to an end. All my worries were no more. There was sudden excitement all over the place. We couldn't wait to see the first movements of the perahera. The flag bearers and caparisoned elephants followed the whip crackers. However, the 'kavadi' dancers were the most colourful and attractive. It was quite in contrast to the Kandy Perahera - even the elephants stepped to the beat of 'kavadi' music.

The chants of 'Haro hara' echoed through every nook and corner of the Holy City. It was indeed an unforgettable experience. We left the perahera venue quite early. Though I missed watching the grand finale of the pageant, I am glad I saw the best of the Kataragama perahera at last in person and realised how thrilling it was to see the perahera 'live'.

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