Another Vesak, another celebration

The spirit of Vesak is in full swing with over 8000 dansal being organised across the island. These are in fact the registered dansal and there could be much more done in a smaller scale. While many believe it to be a meritorious deed to feed people on a Poya day, especially during Vesak and Poson, for some it is a moment to unite with family, neighbours or devotees from the same temple. From cool drinks to porridge, gram and rice and kottu, the nature of a dansal differs. While feeding the many dansal-goers, it is also important to consider the hygiene of food and the way  meals are being handled. This is why PHIs warn about hygiene and safety while ensuring that organisers receive official approval prior to organizing such an event. On the other hand, with people having the habit of engaging in dansal-hopping, organisers of each dansal need to be responsible for the hygiene of their own food and beverages. After all, providing free food and drinks is a meritorious deed that certain organisations and individuals do annually and people often look forward to them. We need to take pride in this culture as it is something unique to our  identity. 

Mala Perera

Pannipitiya