Father makes pandol with 5 lakhs of marbles ... on behalf of son who died!

Father makes pandol with 5 lakhs of marbles ... on behalf of son who died!

An instance is reported from Wadduwa, Palliyamankada of a father who collected close upon five lakhs eighty thousand coloured marbles with great dedication and had erected a pandol on behalf of Wadduwa Thalpitiya Dalada poojawa at the request of his son prior to  death.

Kumara Perera is a small businessman and living in Wadduwa, Palliyamankada. His son Sachin
Maduwantha Kumara Perera was studying in his advanced level class and passes away from a sudden accident about ten months back. Both father and son taken the major hand in erecting a mammoth pandol in Galle Road, Palliyamankada, Wadduwa for the annual perahera in Wadduwa, Thalpitiya Daladawaththa Purana Maha Vihara which they had been doing for for the past few years. 

The father Kumara Perera may never have dreamt that the pandol erected by the two of them for the 85th dalada poojothsawaya in the year 2018 would be the last occasion that they would be erecting the pandol. The suggestion put forward by the son, "Thaththe ... next time let's make the pandol with marbles" was sanctioned then and there by the father. 

However, a few months later the son has died from a sudden accident and Mr. Kumara had been spending his time in great sorrow from that day onwards. In any case he had resolved to erect the pandol this time by collecting about five lakhs eighty thousand marbles in order to carry out his son's wish. About four hundred and fifty kilos of gum or adhesives had to be used in this effort. A large number of small graphite pebbles and many other items and raw material were used  and expended in this connection. Though he refused thoroughly to mention how much funds he incurred in this connection, somewhere close upon Rs. ten lakhs may have been spent for this marvellous creation, we came to know. 

This is what Mr. Kumara Perera said: "It was I and my son who created this pandol during the past few years. Our friends too gave us support in that connection. Last time when erecting the pandol son said 'next time when making the pandol we'll make it with marbles'. Son is no more. But it is his wish that I carried out this time. There are about five lakhs eighty thousand marbles here. Though son is not here today ... he maybe seeing this and feeling happy. I wish him blessings of the triple gem! At the same time I bring to memory Chandarathna thero and and Gayan Father and everybody this moment", he said. 

- Wadduwa: Janaka Hettiarachchi -