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Panhida
(Stylus) |
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writing apparatus such as pens, pencils and paper were not
current during the period under reference. A slab of wood
in which sand was evenly spread, which was called "Velipillava"
on which one has to write with his second finger so that,
there by he gains writing skills of the Alphabet and also
the techniques of writing. Elder Bhikkus and students too
having acquired the writing skills through the above prosess,
latter used the stylus in writing Ola books. The Ola leaf
is kept on the left thumb and writing is done with right
hand, holding the stylus firmly between the first and the
second fingers, pressing the point of the stylus hard against
the Ola leaf. Subsequently, the Ola leaf was rubbed with
black colour so that the styluscuts are filled with the
colouring and stand clear and readable. |
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Dandasanaya
(Wooden Rest) |
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This is the table on which Ola Books were rested and read.
It is a collapsible one, a rare specimen of it's kind, and
made of wood and rattoned. It's about 275 years old. |
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Mukkali
Bankuwa (Bench) |
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This is the bench on which the King sat, when he called
on Velivita Saranakara Sangharaja, on courtesy calls. This
bench is distinct form the conventional benches, in that
is stands on three legs, symbolizing the three main characteristics
of life namely impermanence, suffering, and soullessness
which are common even to the king in spite of all his royal
pleasures and powes. This bench to is turned out of Jak
wood and is now about 250 years old |
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Kunama |
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was used by King Veera Parakrama Narendrasinga first and
during his reign, under the pretext of king's orders, Ganinnanses
(the impious ones) with the connivance of the nobility of
the day, got Velivita Saranankara Sangharaja and the "Silvath
Samagama" (the disciplined group) banished to the hills
of Laggala (Matale District). Conincidentlyly, an erudite
Brahmin from India arrived in Sri Lanka at this juncture
and challenged the indigenous intellectuals for a polemical
duel. The standard of learning in the region was at such
a low ebb then that no indigenous man would dare come forward
and take up the challenge of the foreign erudite, As such
and under unavoidable circumstances, the King had to order
recalling Velivita Asarana Sarana Saranakara from the hills
of Laggala to come and face the situation and take up the
challenge immediately. When the Royal Order was brought
before Asarana Sarana Saranankara now in the Laggala hills,
his immediate response was "It donse't matter where
I am beheaded". Yet he was not dicided to take up the
invitation. The King, on course with no order by His Majesty
himself, he was taken aback. King, there upon, expressing
this regret and appoligising for the illegal banishent,
immediately dispatched his own trapport the KUNAMA for Velivita
Asarana Sarana Saranakara to travel to Kandy and with his
"Silwath Samagama" from Laggala hills. Thus having
reached Kandy, he entered into debate with the learned brahmin
from India, defeated him and preached Dhamma to him and
the king. Thereafter, the Kunama was gifted to Velivita
Saranakara and he used it for his travelling. The Kunama
was in his temple, neglected and with time wooden battons
got decayed. With the kind assistance of the Central Cultural
Triangle, the Kunama was restored to it's pristine workmanship.
This Kunama is about 285 years old |
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