No. 23. — 1881.] KANDYAN CEREMONIES. 41 



the friends and relations of the deceased to a prepared spot 

 near the house. Here the plate and cup that had been used 

 by the dead man are deposited; and cake and rice are put into 

 the plate, and water is poured into the cup. A light is set up 

 by their side, and incense is burnt; while the priest invokes 

 the deceased in the following words: "Take this rice, water, 

 cake, light and fragrance, and release thyself from the condi- 

 tion of an evil spirit." At the same time he takes the cup of 

 water and pours it on the ground. The plate and cup are 

 washed; and the priest carries them off to his residence. The 

 object of the ceremony is to confer merit on the departed, in 

 whatever condition he may have been re-born. 



10. — Area Mangalyaya. A day is fixed, a month, forty-five 

 days, or three months after the Godana; of which due notice 

 is given. A number of priests are invited, through the priest 

 of the neighbouring Pansala, the number varying with the 

 means of the family; and rice, cakes, fruit, etc., are collected. 

 The priests are brought in procession to the house, where 

 they read the scriptures for several hours. After this, robes, 

 begging-bowls, cups, handkerchiefs, etc., are presented to 

 them; and a common offering, consisting of a load of vege- 

 tables, cakes, an adze, a mamoty, an axe, an arecanut-cutter, 

 a chunam-box, and (if the deceased was an old man), a 

 betel-pounder, is placed before them, A cloth not less than 

 16 cubits in length, and held at one end by the relations of the 

 deceased, is then tied to the load, a priest holding it meanwhile 

 near the other end. Another priest takes his seat close by ; 

 and, holding his fan in front of him, recites the following- 

 words, the people repeating them after him : — " These offer- 

 ings, which have been procured by just means by us and the 

 dead man, we offer to you, the descendants of the great 

 Buddha, in order that we may obtain merit in the name of the 

 deceased." The cloth is then rolled up and placed on the 

 offering, and the eldest priest intones the stanza : " As the 



