W
WADANATALAATTA: A richly ornamented talipot. In ancient times its use was restricted to the court of the king and to temples; but now it is used by the upper classes on public occasions, being carried by the Atapattu tenants. The same as Kumaratalatta. q.v.
WAHALBERE: The same as Magulbere. q.v.
WAHALKADA: The porch before a temple or court.
WAHUNPURAYA: A tenant of the jaggery caste, which supplies the upper classes with domestic servants, chiefly cooks. This class has to accompany the proprietor on journeys and carry the palanquin of female members of the proprietor’s family. When not engaged as domestics the Wahumpurapangu tenants supply jaggery and kitul-peni. They likewise supply vegetables, attend agricultural work and carry baggage.
WAJJANKARAYA: A tom-tom-beater. A general term for a temple musician. The five wajjan of which a regular Hewisia is made up are: 1, the Dawula (the common drum); 2, the Temettama (kettle-drum) 3, the Boraya (drum longer than a Dawula) 4, the Taliya (cymbals) and 5, the Horanewa (the trumpet.)
WADUPASRIYANGE: The same as “Anamestraya.”
WAKMASE OR WAPMASE: The seventh month of the Sinhalese year (Oct. Nov.)
WALANKADA: A pingo of pottery, usually ten or twelve in number, supplied by the potter as a part of his service, either as a penumkada or as the complement of chatties he has to give at festivals, etc.
WALAN-KERAWALA: Half a pingo of pottery.
WALAWWA: A respectful term for the residence of a person of rank. The manor-house.
WALIYAKUMA: Called also “Wediyakuma.” The devil-dance after a Diyakepuma. See “Hiro hinetima.”
WALLAKOTU: Sticks, the bark or twigs of which are used in place of string. It is supplied by tenants for Yak or Bali ceremonies.
WALLIMALE: A poem containing the legends of Valliamma, the wife of Kataragama.
WALUMALGOBA: The cluster of young fruit the flower and the sprout (tender branch) of the cocoanut tree used in decorations, and supplied by tenants.
WANATA: A clearing between a cultivated land and the adjacent jungle. The same as “Pillowa”.
WANNAKURALA: An accountant. Tho officer of a temple whose duties correspond to those of a Dewala Mohattala or Attanayakarala.
WAPPIHIYA: A knife little larger than a Wahunketta (kitchen knife) with the blade somewhat curved.
WARAGAMA: A gold coin varying in value from six shillings to seven shillings and sixpence.
WASAMA: An office. A service holding.
WASKALAYA: The season in which priests take up a fixed residence, devoting their time to the public reading and expounding of Bana. It falls between the months of July and October. Sometimes a resident priest is placed in Was in his own Pansala, which means that he is to be fed with dan provided by the tenantry during the season of Was. The practice originated in the command of Buddha that his disciples should travel about during the dry season as mendicant monks, but that in the rainy season they should take shelter in leaf huts. The modern priests now desert their substantially built monasteries to take up their residence for the Was-lit: rainy season—in temporary buildings. The object of the original institution was to secure attention during part of the year to the persons living near the monastery—in fact that for this period the monks should serve as parish priests.
WAS-ANTAYA: The close of the Was-season.
WATADAGE: Temporary sheds for lights, sometimes called “Pasriyangewal” or “Wadupasriyangewal.”
WATAPETTIYA: A circular flat basket to carry adukku and penum in.
WATATAPPE: Circular wall round a temple.
WATTAKKA: The common gourd generally grown on hen.
WATTAMA: A round or turn. In Nuwarakalawiya it is applied to the turn in a Hewisimura service.
WATTIYA: A flat basket for carrying penum, flowers etc.
WATTORURALA: The tenant whose duty it is to open and close the doors of the sanctuary in a Dewale, to sweep it out, to clean and trim the lamps, to light and tend them, and to take charge of the sacred vessels used in the daily service.
WENIWEL: A creeper used as strings for tying.
WESAK: The second month of the Sinhalese year (May-June).
WESIGILIYA OR WESIKILIYA: A privy for priests.
WESMUNA: A mask worn at a Devil or other dance.
WIBADDE-MOHOTTALA: The writer who keeps the account of the paddy revenue of a temple.
WIDANE: The superintendent of a village or a number of villages. The agent of a proprietor.
WIHARAYA: A Buddhist temple (from the Sanskrit vi-hri to walk about), originally the hall where the Buddhist priests took their morning walk; afterwards these halls were used as temples and sometimes became the centre of a whole monastic establishment. The word Wihara or Vihara is now used only to designate a building dedicated to the memory of Gautama Buddha, and set apart for the daily offering of flowers, and of food given in charity. To the Wihara proper there has been added in modern times an image-house for figures of Buddha in the three attitudes standing as the law-giver, sitting in meditation, reclining in the eternal repose of unbroken peace and happiness; and these figures now form prominent objects in every Wihara, and it is before these figures that pious Buddhists make their offerings of rice, flowers, money, etc. It should not be confounded with the “Pansala” which signifies the monastic buildings as distinguished from the temple or place of worship around which they are clustered.
WILKORAHA: A large chatty used in soaking seed paddy.
WITARUMA: An inferior Vidane, but the office has lost its original dignity. The duties formerly consisted of mere general superintendence of Muttettu-work and carrying of messages to Hewawasam tenants. The Vitaranna now is only a common messenger doing ordinary service as a petty overseer.
WIYADAMA: Anything expended or issued for use, whether money or stores. It is generally used for provisions given to a headman or person of rank.
WIYAKOLAMILA: Hire of buffaloes employed in threshing paddy.
WIYANBENDIMA: The hanging up by the dhoby of clean cloths in temples for festivals or in private houses on festive and other occasions.