The Kattadiya
Upatissa Attygalle
Until recently I had little or no regard for Kattadiyas and their
craft. I had come to have such a sad opinion of our local necromancers
after having witnessed many a performance by a number of their ghoulish
group.
I had come to the conclusion that their vocation was nothing but a
lot of mumbo - jumbo mixed with a generous portion of hocus - pocus and
that it held not a shred of credibility or truth. The Kattadiyas
themselves I saw as a bunch of ‘Thakkadiyas’ or Charlatans who for
pecuniary gain exploited the ignorance, the fears and the
superstitiousness of unfortunate people.
Then a singularly novel case involving a member of their ungodly clan
made me look upon at least at the individual concerned in this
particular case, with respect even though my opinion of their practice
remained unchanged. Once you know the whole story you would without
doubt agree that this Kattadiya showed no less a degree of wisdom and
shrewdness in curing his patient than did King Solomon in settling the
dispute between the two women who claimed maternity of the same baby.
Hand
My wife and I had been desperately in need of an extra hand to help
us with the domestic chores. My father sent us a bright and energetic
lad of 17 from the remote village of Guruluwana in the Ratnapura
District. Ratna was his name and the last job he held was assistant to
the Kattadi-Mahatthaya of his village. It was Ratna who told me this
incredible but true story.
One evening after dusk a young newly married woman went down to the
latrine which was situated a fair distance from her house like in all
village homes where no drainage system exists. A moment later her
husband received the shock of his life when the door flew open and his
wife rushed in with both her arms raised a above her head and screaming,
“I can’t put my arms down! I can’t put my arms down!....” The husband
could not get any explanation from her as to what had happened nor could
he bring her arms down though he used all the force he could muster.
He then ran and fetched the estate apothecary who served as the
village doctor too. When the Apothecary - Mahatthaya too failed to force
her arms down, he explained that he had not wished to use too much
pressure as it could have broken the humerus bones of her arms and
advised the husband to take his wife next morning to the General
Hospital in Ratnapura where he said the doctors would bring her arms
down under anaesthesia.
The entire journey to Ratnapura Hospital and back began to go
thorough the husband’s mind like a movie. He saw himself walking to the
bus halt coaxing his wife who kept her arms raised high above her head
and chanted loudly, “I can’t put my arms down, I can’t put my arms
down....” The endless wait at the bus halt, the endless explanations to
the bus conductor and every new passenger that got into the bus, the
getting down at the Ratnapura main bus stand, the walk through the town
to the hospital, the jeering and the hooting, the giggles and the stares
- he saw it all clearly as in a nightmare.
When he could bare it no longer he collapsed on to the floor sobbing
heavily. By this time quite a few curious neighbours had come to find
out what this commotion was all about adding to it by expressing
individual opinions none of which were in the least constructive but
only began arguments with each other. Just when the arguments were about
to break into fisticuffs someone shouted above the cacophony, “Let’s
call the Kattadi-Mahatthaya.”
Magic
This suggestion worked like magic. Everyone stopped arguing and
agreed unanimously that the Kattadi-Mahatthaya should be sent for
forthwith. This worthy accompanied by his assistant Ratna soon arrived
at the scene. Once he was apprised with the details of the case he
walked upto the woman and peered into each of her eyes lifting the lids
with his fingers like a doctor.
He then stepped back triumphantly and said, “The reason for this
woman’s predicament is that she has encountered a devil on her return
from the latrine in the dark. Startled she raised her arms but fear
froze them in this position.” Everyone shouted angrily, “Never mind the
reason. Tell us whether you can get her to put her arms down or not.”
The Kattadi-Mahatthaya smiled and replied, “Of course I can! It will
however cost 55 rupees paid in advance to show your faith in my Gurukama.”
The husband who was still snivelling on the floor was hauled to his
feet and asked whether he was willing to pay this amount. He quickly
produced the money from his savings in a pillowcase and the
Kattadi-Mahatthaya was ready to begin his treatment. The resourceful
sorcerer then took his assistant to a corner and gave him some
instructions sotto voce, after which he requested the crowd to get back
as far as possible from the woman leaving her standing alone at one end
of the room. Ratna went upto her and stood vis-a-vis at arms length from
her.
Suddenly he tilted his head back and looked up at a point right above
his head. Immediately the heads of everyone in the room with the
exception of the woman and one other looked up in the same direction.
Loose
At this very instant Ratna’s hands reached out and quickly jerked
loose the woman’s cloth round her waist. As the cloth began to descend
the woman gave a short yelp, at the same moment her arms shot down to
retrieve her cloth which she managed to get hold of just before it fell
down to her feet.
When the heads came down, the crowd saw the woman standing with her
arms down adjusting her cloth round her waist. She had also stopped her
chanting but was blushing furiously. Only one pair of eyes had witnessed
the woman’s moment of cure - that of the Kattadi-Mahatthaya. |