Directed by the President of the Sri Lanka America Association of Southern California (SLAASC), Niroshan Kahawatte, Raja Saba Padura took a mesmerised Sri Lankan community in Southern California on a journey back into the royal courts of ancient Sinhala kingdoms. The music and orchestra, led by Indu Wickremesooriya and Sucharita Rodrigo, presented a storyline revolving around the ancient legendary royal court performances boasting of the best drummers, singers, and dancers of the Kingdom.
Niroshan Kahawatte
The same vibes were captured in the SLAASC production’s unique elements, leaving one to contemplate how our cultural heritage continues to resonate in the hearts of not only the Sri Lankans living in Southern California but throughout the world.
The court performances of Sri Lanka are among the oldest performances with an unbroken history. Legend traces their beginnings to pre-Buddhist times. The Mahavamsa, is rich with descriptions of song and dance in ancient Sri Lanka’s royal courts. It records that beginning with Pandukabhaya in the 5th Century BC, who presided over royal command performances of dance and music, through Devanampiyatissa, who rode his State elephant in procession to Mahamegha Park attended by dancers and musicians in the fourth Century, to the reign of great Dutthagamani in the 2nd Century BC, history abounds with the description of the role that the lively arts played on ceremonial occasions and how after his great victory the king held a grand investiture on the terrace of his palace, for his leading general Phussadeva.
In the second Century AD, in the Kalinga Forest, the Gal Asana inscription speaks of the Lion Seat from which King Nissanka Malla witnessed artistic performances of dance and song in the Kalinga Park. The scholar king “Pandita” Parakramabahu II admired the most exquisite dances and songs where the dancers performed and sang on attractively decorated stages, assuming different characters.
However, remote their origins, it is quite clear that the historical theatres, like all living art forms, have changed over the years, discarding some elements and absorbing others.
As in all modern societies, many of the older forms are waning away while the new theatre is flowering. And it is no different among the expatriate community.
The decline and fall of the Sinhala monarchy inevitably led to the withering away of dance and music as refined entertainment and the passing away of traditional artists in the absence of royal patronage. Chitrasena and Vajira kept the tradition alive, along with those who followed Prof. Ediriweera Sarachchandra’s resurrection of the traditional forms of song and dance.
In that light, Niroshan’s elaborate production must be seen as an attempt to keep ancient traditions alive in the minds of the expatriate community, particularly its younger generation.
The fusion of music, dance, costumes, creative backgrounds, the use of modern technology, and outstanding performances made the production mesmerising. This helped retain the audience’s attention for several hours and gave the contemporary generation a window to the past.
The tickets were reasonably priced, allowing access to anyone interested, and almost everyone fortunate enough to watch it overwhelmingly appreciated it. This production deserves such appreciation and accolades. Niroshan and the rest of the cast and crew members of the SLAASC Committee have tirelessly tried to showcase an amazing stage production.
By all standards, the Los Angeles production should be considered a singular success.
The writer is the former Deputy Director General, United Nations.
