Vesak through the eyes of orphans

By Cassandra Mascarenhas

The religious and cultural festival of Vesak, known as Buddhism’s holiest day is generally a week of visiting temples for Buddhists, taking in the sights of streets adorned with colourful and creative Vesak ‘koodu’, pandols, each illustrating a story from the 550 Jataka Katha or the 550 Past Life Stories of the Buddha and enjoying the treats offered by ‘dansälas’ – a holiday celebrated by all Sri Lankans.