Don’t let the Sun go down
‘Nawalowa Nawahiru’ was the title given by Bandara Eheliyagoda to the
biography of Deshamanya H.K. Dharmadasa. I had the good fortune to
translate the book into English, with the title ‘Son of the Soil’.
Bandara Eheliyagoda was able to take us through the life of ‘Nawaloka
Mudalali’, from his early years in his village, Sultanagoda, to
Peliyagoda, from Dharme, to Kalu Mahattaya to Deshamanya H. K.
Dharmadasa. Eheliyagoda also take us through the social, economic and
political development in our country. ‘Nawaloka’ was the name he decided
upon for the small restaurant he began at Peliyagoda, and made it a
household name in whatever business he ventured into. Many people have
heard of his arrival in the city with only seventy five cents in his
hand, and built up his business empire.
Anyone who reads the biography will be able to empathize with
Deshamanya Dharmadasa, and we can also understand how he empathized with
the people around him, the people who came to him for help. Eheliyagoda
repeatedly mentioned how Nawaloka Mudalali’s left hand did not know what
his right hand was giving away.
His contribution to the field of arts began with the production of
the film ‘Hatara Maha Nidanaya’. In the film, there was a heart rending
scene of a cattle slaughter. In the background was a song by Milton
Perera, which had been composed by Karunaratne Abeysekara. The song was
about how we drink the cow’s milk, get all the work done pulling a cart
or ploughing the fields, and in the end sell the cow for slaughter.
 ‘Hatara Kendare’ his next film attracted Buddhists from all over the
country, from remote villages, people who had never seen a movie,
because it gave them an opportunity to see all the sacred Buddhist sites
in India, an opportunity they could not even dream of. It was a genuine
attempt to enable our people to make the Indian pilgrimage at least
through the film, which was a most meritorious deed at a time when films
were produced with the intention of making a quick profit.
Though the films, ‘Hatara Maha Nidhanaya’, ‘Hatara Kendare’ and
‘Hatara Peraliya’ were produced by H.K. Dharmadasa his name did not
appear anywhere in the films. ‘It is not your name, but what you have
done, that should remain. If a job is done well, the name will also
remain’ he would always say.
To bring entertainment to our people he produced ‘Abuddassa Kale’,
with the comedian from Kelaniya, H. D. Wijedasa. ‘Wasana’ and ‘Ihatha
Athmaya’ by K. A. W. Perera were also produced by Dharmadasa mudalali.
Every film carried a massage, in addition to the entertainment offered.
A good example was the song by Nanda Malini in the film ‘Ihata Athmaya’.
The lyrics were by Karunaratne Abeysekara. It was a song to rouse the
patriotic feelings of our nation.
“Reminding us of the philanthropists in our ancient books like
Saddharmalankaraya, he has won the acclaim of our people as the
modern-day Anatha Pindika, after the wealthy financier of Savaththi
during the time of the Buddha. If there ever is a living symbol of the
power of merit to win heavenly abodes in the next lives, it is
Deshamanya H. K. Dharmadasa.
The Wesak pandals erected by him depicting the Jataka Stories
established his identity as a great Sinhala Buddhist businessman. Who
else could have been able to erect such beautiful pandals continuously
for over half a century?” Hon. W. J. M. Lokubanadara commented in the
introduction to ‘Nawalowa Nawa Hiru’.
We always take pride in our cultural values, and the life of Nawaloka
Mudalali is one very good example of such practices in real life. It has
shown the very close association between the temple and the village,
between the monk and the peasant, which he developed further to a
relationship between the monk and the businessman. It also shows the
very close bond between family and close family friends, how they help
each other. How Piyadasa aiya and Manamperi (Meegamuwe Mudalali) helped
the young Dharmadasa when he first came to the city, and how Dharmadasa
mudalali in turn helped his own people, his relatives and the youth from
his village.
The South of Sri Lanka has always produced great men, in almost every
field, and Deshamanya Hewa Komanage Dharmadasa will be the name to go
down in history as the great man in the field of business and
philanthropy to have come from the South. Nawaloka Mudalali’s grandson
Udesh Dharmadasa had this to say on the day the biography, ‘Nawalowa
Navahiru’ was launched. “You are the source of light for us. An honour
for your family. A blessing to all of us. A treasure for our country.”
So let us not let the Sun go down, let us ensure the he remains the
light not only for his family but also to all his countrymen and all
humanity.
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