Moratuwa Celebrates Avurudu:

Keeping with traditions

Malathi Perera

The Dina Pola

Moratuwa being a well known city for music, decades back she was named as "little Paris" as the ladies wore the most fashionable dresses later for other cities to follow the style. Yet, Moratuwa bosomed all communities, Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim Burgher along with different religions Buddhism, Christianity and others, where all were united, helped each other celebrated all fiestas as a city as one.

The Sinhala and Tamil New Year was celebrated in a very grand scale immaterial of any ethnic or religious conflict.

Like in any other city, "Koha" began singing his tune rhythmically to announce that the Avurudu is close by.

Likewise all floral trees pettaled out flowers to emanate their fragrance to show the purity of the festival. The red "Erabadu" trees hid their green leaves and made the tree tops covered with a carpet of red flowers as well as the ground below with its fallen petals. Butterflies were fluttering every where kissing all flowers conveying that Moratuwa too is celebrating Avurudu!

The light blue skies glittered from up without hiding the sun even for a moment to bless the city. No sight of rain. Vow, it's Avurudu in Moratuwa.

Moratuwa comparatively is a city comprising many Associations which is involved with at times charity for poor, sick persons and mostly for fun and frolic. I can be rest assured that there isn't another town or a city where people are involved in uncountable social activities. I trailed down to many places to see how Avurudu was celebrated.

Depicting the new generation

The "Dina Pola" was flocked with people to buy clothes for themselves and their loved ones.

The ladies of Moratuwa did not forget to buy clay pots to cook their milk rice of boil milk on a hearth with fire wood depicting to the new generation the traditional customs.

The Fire crackers were sold at large for the Moratuwa folk to light at appropriate auspicious times during the Avurudu days.

The ladies of Moratuwa were keen in carrying the weight of Sinhala traditions and customs to the next generation. Therefore, some elderly ladies got together at prominent places and started beating "Raban" which "Koha" liked it much. The tune of Koha and beat of Raban, how amazing and entertaining. The city was becoming traditional.

Kevum makers

The "Kevum" makers made it a point to sell "Kevum." Thousands of "Kevum" were sold to Moratuwa ladies to lay on their Avurudu tables. They stood hours standing in queues to buy to place on the Avurudu table as well as it was mouth watering to see them trying to taste a hot hot "Kevum" forgetting that they are on the road.

The YWCA Moratuwa did not forget to make their Day Care Centre children happy.The Association caters the children of very poor families to feed them daily and teach them at a very low cost, which the National YWCA sponsored the rest.

The members of the Association made the children happy giving them gifts and selecting "Avurudu Kumara and Kumariya" and held many more competitions viz. Fancy dress, short distance running for three year old kids etc. The gifts which the children got were donations by the generous YWCA Board Members. What a spiritual gesture of the Moratuwa ladies.

The Avurudu Pola

The Moratuwa Housewives Association held an Avurudu Pola with the intention of donating the proceedings to the cancer patients. The sales were very high. The cancer patients will be donated with their required medicine etc. by the Members.

The Association of the Elders Home in Moratuwa, did not forget to spend a day with the lonely inmates to keep them happy by organising games to suit their ages. How generous the members were.

The heart throbbing event was the "Kavi" competition, when the inmates one by one started singing on themes of songs and kavi - 'Budun Vandina Dathin Vandinna Ammata,' 'Menalada Puthe Kiri Dunne Ma Nubata' etc.

The Chief Guest N Kanagaraja a great entrepreneur of the Island donated all the gifts to the winners of the inmates and the Guest of Honour was Clarence Mendis.

Friendly atmosphere

The Sri Lanka Housewives Association too held their Avurudu Ulela free of charge to the members, just to up keep with the traditions and Sinhala customs.

The main features were "Sinhala Traditional Kavi" competition, balancing lime and spoon, and many more whilst serving huge pieces of "Kiribath."

The Moratuwa All 4 Women celebrated their Avurudu Ulela end of last month as the whole month had been booked for several Avurudu Festivals, eventually the Board decided to hold it at the end of the month without coinciding with the other festivals organised by other Associations to enjoy.

The Moratuwa city at large is a fantastic and a jolly city. It just finished two carnivals which held earlier in anticipation of Avurudu for people to buy what ever they require from the stalls. Still Avurudu Festivals are held in small scales by residents living down lanes to maintain unity and harmony.

A Reader of this article definitely would gauge what friendly atmosphere the Moratuwa folk carry on, and what a proud lot of Moratuwians they are to inherit music, dancing, charity and entertainment!