Road etiquette observed when passing a door at a Kadaim-doratu during the Kandian Kingdom

Abstract

Kandian Kingdom was divided into 12 parts and was ruled by twelve Kandian chieftains. The boundaries of these geographical areas were known as Kadaim and the door was the doratu only through which the people could pass. However, only the personnel of the secret service of the king could cross the boundaries regardless of the door. Furthermore, some of the boundaries were waterways. At these Kadaim-doratu, except for the king and the Maha Adikarama (Prime minister) other chieftains had to observe a decorum to pass. They had to stop at these checkpoints and inform the neighboring chieftain of their arrival by sound messages using the gunshots, drums or blowing of the conch shell. Until an escort team is sent by the neighbor, the visiting chieftain had to stay in a Ambalma, a rest room provided for the purpose. Even today when the sacred Pattini anklet of the 438 years old Kada-dora Devale at Ruwanwellais taken by perahera with honor through one of these non existing doors, such decorum is still observed. The devotees of the shrine stop at an ancient boundary and starts blowing the conch until devotees of the neighboring shrine responds and comes running with their drummers flag bearers and an elephant to escort the sacred Pattini anklet to their shrine at Ambalan-owita for the annual Gammadu festival in Morawatta. As part of tradition they never come early and congregated at the boundary and if devotees do not respond to the blowing of the conch shell, the perahera do not proceed beyond the kadaim boundary.