Commemorating Vesak

Saturday, 25 April 2015 00:05 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

In Sri Lanka, every year two significant religious events are remembered with special issues of stamps. One is Vesak in May and the other is Christmas in December. Vesak commemorates the Birth, Enlightenment and Passing away of the Buddha. Looking back, the first ‘special’ issue of Vesak stamps was in 1969. The Post & Telecommunication Department released three stamps. Two of the three stamps – 4cts and 35cts – depicted the ‘Vajrasanaya’ (seat of Enlightenment) under the sacred Bodhi tree at Buddha Gaya. The drawings in both were the same with the Bodhi Tree in light brown with the leaves in green and the Vajrasanaya in gold with vermillion markings. Only the background colours were different. The stamps were designed by the renowned painter L.T.P. Majusri. The 6cts stamp depicted ‘Buduresmala’ (six-fold rays emanating from the Buddha – blue, golden yellow, crimson, white, scarlet and a mix of all five colours. Prior to this issue, two stamps had been issued in 1956 to commemorate Buddha Jayanthi – the 2,500th anniversary of the passing away of the Buddha, featuring the Dhammacakra – Wheel of the Dhamma (4cts), and the Hand of Peace (10cts). These two stamps were released on 10 May and on 23 May, Vesak day, two more were stamps were released – one (3cts) featuring the arrival of Vijaya, and the other (15cts) the Dhammacakra encircling the globe.

After 1969 it was in 1976 that a special Vesak issue was released. It was a colourful set of six stamps featuring 18th century wall paintings from the Dambava Raja Maha Vihara at Vahakotte in the Matale District. The stamps are reproductions of six panels of paintings depicting the birth of Prince Siddhartha – conception, King Suddhodana consulting the astrologers, Queen Mahamaya being taken in royal procession to the parents’ home and the birth of the prince at Lumbini grove. The Dambava temple belongs to the time of the reign of King Kirti Sri Rajasinghe (1747-82) and the paintings are in the image house which is a ‘tampita vihara’ – a square structure raised on pillars. The paintings are considered one of the finest series on the birth of Prince Siddhartha. From 1978 onwards Vesak stamps had been a regular annual issue. In addition to First Day Covers, the Philatelic Bureau has released souvenir sheets too to cover most issues. These issues have featured a wide range of temple paintings from the well-known as well as the not-so well-known temples. Most of them are Kandyan era paintings. Soliyas Mendis creations at Kelaniya and George Keyt’s wok at Gotami Vihara, Borella have also been featured. The murals in the three stamps from Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara depict Princess Hemamali bringing the Tooth Relic, The arrival of the Bodhi Tree and the handing over of the ‘vijinipata’ signifying the Act of Appointment to Ven. Velivita Sri Saranaknara Sangharaja by King Kirti Sri Rajasinghe. The Keyt stamps are the paintings featuring Prince Siddartha’s birth and his leaving the palace in disgust. The 1993 stamps illustrated four well-known stories from the Dhammapada connected with Magandhiya, Kisagotami, Patacara and Angulikmimimala. Other subjects include places of worship, significant events,Vesak celebrations, Buddhist flag and other symbols, and Buddhist publications. Vesak is a festival of lights. The 1987 issue captured different types of Vesak lanterns done in different shapes and materials including ‘gokkola’. Vesak stamps and souvenir sheets are a valuable collection fort any philatelist.