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JOURNAL, E. A. S. (CEYLON). [Vol. V1IL 



suinedat the subsequent feast which closes Ralahami-pidima, 

 and consisting merely of untasted rice and vegetable curries, 

 luri-talapa* and the inevitable bete]. Anything fried 

 having special attraction for the Yaksayo, flesh and cakes are 

 invariably excluded from the gods' ddne. 



When all is in readiness for the feasting itself, the Kapu- 

 rala, or an assistant, places not far off a gotuva (which he 

 has filled with a little of each kind of food provided) upon 

 a three-cross-stick stand, and a chair covered with a clean 

 white cloth ( etirilla) on which is put a plantain leaf with 

 a similar offering, panduru, a quid of betel, and may be a 

 cheroot. 



Sometimes for the single gotuva and chair tattuva, are sub- 

 stituted two gotu placed one above the other on the same 

 frame, some space apart — the upper for the celestial beings, 

 the lower for Mahikdntdvd the female Atlas of Aryan 

 mythology. 



The gods are now considered to have received all their 

 just dues, and nothing remains but to partake of the 

 meal. 



First, all the women who have prepared the ddne are 

 sprinkled with saffron water, and atonement made to the 

 gods by the Kapuwa for any fault they may have unwittingly 

 committed. The Kapurala and the rest of the persons then 

 sit down and proceed to eat, after the former has blessed the 

 food with an incantation and tasted it. The meal over, the 

 Kapurala and his assistant carry away the food and pan- 

 duru collected since the evening.! 



Ealah ami-pidi'ma. 

 Some days — at least three — elapse before the Rdlakdmi- 

 pidima or ceremony and feast to propitiate Kosgama JDeviyo, 



* A kind of custard pudding made of rice flour, cocoanut milk, and 

 honey, boiled to some consistency, and eaten with rice as sweetmeat. 



f " And all that time of the sacrifice there is drumming, piping, sing- 

 ing, and dancing ; which being ended, they take the victuals away, and 

 give it to those which drum and pipe, with other beggars and vagabonds, 

 for only such do eat of their sacrifices ; not that they do account such 

 things hallowed, and so dare not presume to eat them ; but contrariwise 

 they are now looked upon as polluted meat, and, if they should attempt 

 to eat thereof, it would be a reproach to them and their generations." — 

 Knox, p. 77. 



