A large number of Vesak sightseers who thronged Ranmuthugala, Kadawatha this year witnessed a unique Vesak pandal.
It was illuminated with the customary flickering coloured lights, but what was most unusual was that perhaps, for the first time in the world the Vesak Pandal was artistically moulded out of cement. Pradeep Kumara created the pandal along with his friend W. Siripala who designed the murals depicting inspiring Jataka tales etched and crafted out of cement.
Pradeep, a mason, has been creative and innovative even as a child. This Vesak, he was inspired to make a long lasting pandal out of cement and commenced the task in February.
At the end of three months of painstaking work, he had completed a 45 foot tall pandal.
Pradeep used around 50 bags of INSEE Sanstha Cement bags. When the pandal was nearing completion, he inquired from INSEE Cement whether they would support his innovation.
The management of INSEE Cement were happy to learn about the project and appreciative of his efforts. They extended a contribution, even if that did not do justice to the passion, time and effort put into the magnificent creation.
“While most Vesak decorations would perish soon after the festival and would barely last until the following full moon day of Poson, our cement pandal would be a lasting decoration that can be used over many years, making it a cost-effective investment in the long term as it will withstand rain or shine without any protection or cover” commented Pradeep Kumara.