PAD March 11, 2006
The Seven Wise Women, Attidiya, Sri Lanka
Click on "comment" for the full story
The Seven Wise Women, Attidiya, Sri Lanka
Click on "comment" for the full story
posted by John Beebe at 7:37 PM
Saturday, March 11, 2006
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2 Comments:
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For me it started just after midnight (for everyone else it started far earlier the day before). So after 2 hours of restless sleep, Sanjeewa, our trishaw driver, picked me up to take me to his home to witness a Kiri Dhana.
For the next five hours, friends and family prepared cauldrens of coconut rice (kiribat) and a sweet dessert that is somewhere between pudding and taffy. Over an open fire in the small courtyard Sanjeewas friends constantly stirred this concoction to prevent burning. It reminded me the vigil we keep over the maple syrup except it required vigorous exercise on a hot steamy night. After about three hours of constant attention and once grandma determines that the mixture has reached the correct consistency it is then carefully poured out on banana leaves and spread out to cool before being cut into manageable sizes for serving.
Meanwhile the flesh of 25 coconuts has been grated and combined with other ingredients to make the milk rice (kiri bhat). Again, an absurd quantity of rice is prepared over the open fire and combined with grated coconut mixture. Again, it is spread over banana leaves and cut into manageable pieces.
While all this is happening, seven trays of fruits and other delicacies are being prepared in the kitchen.
All of this taking place between the hours of midnight and 5:00 am.
At about 4:00 am, having stirred the concoction for three hours straight, Sanjeewas friends leave to get a couple hours of sleep before work starts.
That leaves Sanjeewa, his wife and young son and daughter, and a mixture of 5 other female relations, not all of whom I understand how they relate. The only other male seen, Sanjeewa’s father, has slipped off to bed many hours earlier.
So then they arrive. The seven wise mothers dressed in white brought in before dawn (they must depart before the first light). They are here to offer prayers to the family, especially the women and children for health and prosperity. They are here in the name of a legendary saint (for lack of a better term) who many years ago came to Sri Lanka from India to find her gambling husband. She came not to berate him but because of her devotion to him. After years of futile searching she learned that he had been killed. In her rage she tore off one of her own breasts and hurled it at the city of his death. This act started a massive fire that destroyed the city. For this devotion and piety she continues to be honored. While I am certain I have confused elements of this story, the essence is accurate and certainly as odd as it sounds here.
So today I was blessed by seven powerful mothers after offering them sustenance. It may not be a brilliant photograph or a poetic retelling of the story, it is, however, a tradition I was honored to partake in.
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