NOTES. 141 



3. Ceremonial Mango. — A fine example of a large brazen mango 

 has recently been deposited in this Museum on loan by Mr. P. E. 

 Pieris, M.A., CCS. It is made with a pale alloy crowned by a 

 mounting of yellow brass bedecked with crystals and terminated 

 by a high knob carrying a hook. On each side there is a figure of a 

 mythical bird called Garuda, and below these an incised Bo leaf 

 design. The mango ends in a lotus flower with crystal (glass) 

 centre. It is hollow and contains loose metal pellets, which rattle 

 when carried about. Along the lower concave border there is a 

 cleft, as in the Pattini bangles, armlets, and anklets, througli which 

 the pellets can be seen. 



The following is the story of Pattini devi or the birth of the 

 goddess Pattini out of a mango : — 



" In the garden of the King of Pandya was a well-grown mango 

 tree which bore a remarkable mango, out of which Pattini devi was 

 bom. 



' ' This mango was more beautiful and larger than the other mangoes 

 on the tree. It was arranged to pluck this mango by arrow shots. 

 Headed by the King of Pandya, all the archers of the place tried in 

 vain to shoot it down. Seeing this the god Sakra in the form of an 

 old man with an arrow in his hand came to the spot. The King of 

 Pandya said : ' Oh ! old man, how can you shoot this mango after 

 all these renowned archers, including myself, have failed ? ' The old 

 man repHed : ' Although I am old, there is no one among you who 

 can lift my arrow.' Thereupon, knowing his power, the king asked 

 him to shoot the fruit, so that the mango should not fall to the 

 ground. A cloth being held up, the old man taking aim shot the 

 mango. The fruit, separated from the stalk, began to fly round in the 

 air. Whilst beholding this wonder, a drop of sap from the fruit fell 

 into the eye of the king and blinded it. Thenceforth, the king being 

 afraid to keep the wonderful mango in his country or to harm or 

 eat it, ordered his people to put it into a pot, place the pot in a 

 small boat on the water, and let it drift away. The boat was found 

 by a Moorish queen, who carried off the pot with the green mango 

 to her palace. A few days afterwards Sakra, chief of the seven 

 heavens, came as an old beggar asking alms. The queen remembered 

 the mango, and thinking to give a part of it to the old man looked 

 in the pot. There she saw instead of the mango a female infant, 

 more beautiful than a golden image, sucking her fingers. Sakra 

 then disappeared. 



" This strange infant, born from the mango, was named Pattini 

 devi. Having grown up, she is said to have performed various 

 marvels and supernatural acts. The story of the mii-acles she 

 wrought is fully told in the Ambawidamana, Walalukathawa Salam- 

 basantiya, Wesamedima, and Ankehupata." 



The total length of the mango image and hook is about 22 inches, 

 the mango alone measuring about one foot in length. It is said to 



