Hi my fellow Hivers,
How are you guys? I really believe that you are doing really well. Vesak Poya Day is a very important day for Buddhist devotees around the world. That is why Buddhist countries like Sri Lanka declare two days as public holidays. Many very important cultural events are held on the occasion of Vesak Poya Day. From temples, oral cultural events such as sermons, Buddhist sermons and poetry sermons are broadcast through loudspeakers to the entire village with the aim of donating highly virtuous individuals to society. This is an important social function. The night of Vesak Poya day is illuminated with various colorful patterns.
It is mentioned in ancient Buddhist history books that the birth, enlightenment and death of Gautama Buddha, the religious teacher of Buddhists, took place on the Vesak Poya day in May. To commemorate such an important day, Buddhists perform Amisa and Aloka Pooja. It goes without saying that the Aloka Pooja is very charming because of the photos you see in this content. Various cultural events were organized around Sri Lanka on the 12th and 13th of May, which was the Vesak festival. A Vesak zone was also held in the Galle city, which was organized by the Galle branch of the Sri Lanka Navy. This opportunity was given to showcase the artistic skills of the Navy personnel. These activities have been organized with great dedication for some time. Usually, traditional Vesak lanterns are made in homes and they are hung outside the houses or in the gardens. But the naval personnel had arranged the Vesak lanterns in such a way that they operated electrical circuits and emitted different colored patterns as they spun.
The shapes used in creating these Vesak lanterns are those related to Buddhist culture. The eight-leaf shape is the most commonly used Vesak lantern. Eight rectangular templates are connected to each other to create the eight-leaf Vesak lantern. In addition, lanterns are also created in the shape of a star and a lotus flower in homes. It does not require much effort. However, a lot of effort must be made to create a lantern that is different in shape and large in size. Before creating a Vesak lantern, the first prepared template is made using bamboo wood strips. Thread is used to connect the templates. These templates are covered with wax paper and decorated with beautiful designs on the outside. I left for the Galle Vesak area at night, and when photographing the lanterns, there was some blurring because they were moving.
It is said that the lotus flower bloomed after the Buddha walked seven steps after his birth. A lantern display depicting this event was seen in this Vesak zone. Clearly, such cultural elements reflect religious identity. At night, these are clearly visible because they are brightly lit.
It is not necessary to find a specific shape when creating Vesak lanterns. It is enough to have some mental imagination to get a rough understanding of how to make them. It is possible to achieve a very creative end through this, as can be understood when seeing the creations of the sailors. In making large creations, sometimes objects from the Jataka stories of the Buddha are also included. Small lanterns integrated into the large cage can also add more value.
To add an attractive shape to a Vesak lantern, the carved designs attached to the front of the paper add a striking function. The attraction can also be seen with the living eye due to the changing light patterns from time to time with the help of electronic circuits. During the Vesak festival, many areas are illuminated at night due to these electric light streams. Since natural raw materials are used for such creations, the lantern does not cost much.
