The Dehimaduwa Bandra Clan of Kandy
from Sri Lanka performs Suvisi Vivaranya
(Theravada Buddhism)
Sri Lanka is home to one of the earliest thriving communities of Buddhism, enjoying royal protection. The dances have survived and evolved surprisingly intact.
Because the Theravada tradition of early Buddhism concerns itself with personal enlightenment, monks do not dance as their counterparts in the Vajrayana and Mahayana heritages do. Similarly, as Theravada does not have the heavenly pantheon of northern mystical Buddhism, the dances that are used in rituals are not characters or embodiments of any kind.
Kandyan dances originated from the Kandy region of present day Sri Lanka. However, their Buddhist links developed later. These dances became so important and refined under the Kandyan kings in the 16th – 18th centuries that they were performed in Buddhist temple courtyards. Besides being examples of “karma dance,” where in the perils of life are engaged within a greater Buddhist context, Kandyan dances are now an integral part of the grand Esala Perahera Festival. The Perahera procession was thought to have developed in the 4th century when the sacred tooth relic of the Buddha was brought to Sri Lanka from India. Dances and singing are now part of some important Buddhist “sermons” in the Kandyan region. In one particular case, the performance of the Suvisi Vivarana sermon, which tells the story of the 24 past Buddhas, can last up to 6 days. The
Suvisi Vivaranaya is one of the rare Sri Lankan dance rituals where a monk is involved. Only the Bandara clan in Kandy performs this dance and its authenticity has been closely preserved.
The Many Faces of Buddhism brought from Sri Lanka 12 performers, including dancers and drummers, to stage the
Suvisi Vivarana. The Bandara clan has been associated with Sri Lanka’s preeminent Buddhist site, the Temple of the Tooth, containing a relic of the Buddha’s tooth, since 1627 during the reign of King Raja Singha ll. In the early 18th century, the Bandara family was appointed to ritually attend the Tooth Relic with the chanting of descriptive verses honoring the 24 previous Buddhas.
The adult members of the Bandara clan learned the ritual from their fathers, though changed social conditions and patronage have meant that the ritual has not been performed for more than 75 years. The dance and drumming elements are in vital condition as they have been used in other performances, while the verses themselves are still embodied in the living memory of the clan.
