According to Ajantha, the exponents of this art belonged to the generation of artistes who showed their skills in former Angam Madu in Athurugiriya Korale and adds the proponents of this art were in the armies of the farmed Rajasnghe I of Sitawaka ,the heroic king who engaged in the famous battle of Mulleriyawa that caused immense loss and destruction to the Portuguese.by. Mahendra Weerasinghe reporting from Colombo
(November,15, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Ajantha Perera, who mastered the Angam martial art belonging to the Velaikkara martial tradition of Pallepattuwa in Hewagam Korale, his male and female teams studding this ancient from of martial art handed down from his ancestors.
Ajantha’s great grandfather Carolis Perera was a village headman in the early 1900s and his contemporary Koratota Sobhitha Thera was adept at this form of martial art.
Ajantha who was influenced by his grandfather Richard Perera of Medera, says “I was only six year old when I learnt the Angam material art from my grandfather. My grandfather taught it to my father also. Very rare ola manuscripts and weapons relating to this material art, which I inherited from my ancestors are in my possession even today.”
According to Ajantha, the exponents of this art belonged to the generation of artistes who showed their skills in former Angam Madu in Athurugiriya Korale and adds the proponents of this art were in the armies of the farmed Rajasnghe I of Sitawaka ,the heroic king who engaged in the famous battle of Mulleriyawa that caused immense loss and destruction to the Portuguese.
“After this great victory against the Portuguese, King Rajasinghe I of Sithawaka bestowed Gamwara says Ajantha providing, claming and his Angam artiste relative even today live in Rajasinhe Mawatha, Koratota, Kaduwela, Colombo in village given to them by the king.”
“Our village is known as the smithies that supplied weapons for that war were traditionally there,” he says.
According to Ajantha this traditional martial art had two sub-divisions –Angam and Maya. Angam was the use of limbs and weapons while Maya was employed sorcery. Weapons, manthras (incantations), astrology, ayurvedic medicine, meditation, music,drum beating and other traditional secret formulae belong to the Angam martial art. There are he says also the historical legends of the Sudaliya and Maruvaliya schools of the
Angam martial art prevalent in the upcountry, the special two talented Angam martial art traditions.
According the legend, in the battle between these two traditions , a leader of one tradition gets killed and Galaboda Kumarihamy , a daughter born to his wife trains in the Angam martial art to which her generation is heir and defeat the leader of the faction that killed her farther. King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe of Kandy made Galaboda Kumarihami Edanduwawela Disapathini and bestowed gamwara on her. This is school of Marial art in however extinct today.
Very rare, difficult and dangerous modes of combat not seen anywhere in the world are in the possession of artistes of this tradition and Ajantha Perera also shows his skills in such surprising items.
He asked the pupil to strikes a hard blow with the award on the banana placed on his throat but only the banana get cut in two. In the same manner as ash pumpkin is placed on is body and when the pupil strikes a hard blow with the award , only the ash pumpkin gets cut in two. He has mastered several such feats and trains his pupils in them as well.
The Velaikkara generation of Hewagam Korale is engaged in giving its traditional martial art to five retired artistes as well as to ten male and female children over the age of seven years to protect this traditional local martial art, now nearly lost to other forms of martial arts like ,Karate and Kung-fu. As the guru of this generation, Ajantha Perea says that it will be strength to this Angam martial art if the patronage of institutions that protect the national heritage is given to Angam as well.
“Maru Nila” , knot methods as well as inhalation and exhalation mediation methods to Kundalihiniya minimising strength meditations systems are included in the Angam martial art. Gongalegoda Banda and Weera Puran Appu who let the 1818 Rebellion against the British were talented Angam martial artistes. The fear the British had of the Angam martial art is evident from the fact that they set fire to places where was practiced and one who knew it was ordered to be shot below the knee. Because of these pro-habitations the Angam martial methods became an art taking a dance form.
A male or female Angam artiste showing skills once in a year is known as Godawa.
(November,15, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Ajantha Perera, who mastered the Angam martial art belonging to the Velaikkara martial tradition of Pallepattuwa in Hewagam Korale, his male and female teams studding this ancient from of martial art handed down from his ancestors.
Ajantha’s great grandfather Carolis Perera was a village headman in the early 1900s and his contemporary Koratota Sobhitha Thera was adept at this form of martial art.
Ajantha who was influenced by his grandfather Richard Perera of Medera, says “I was only six year old when I learnt the Angam material art from my grandfather. My grandfather taught it to my father also. Very rare ola manuscripts and weapons relating to this material art, which I inherited from my ancestors are in my possession even today.”According to Ajantha, the exponents of this art belonged to the generation of artistes who showed their skills in former Angam Madu in Athurugiriya Korale and adds the proponents of this art were in the armies of the farmed Rajasnghe I of Sitawaka ,the heroic king who engaged in the famous battle of Mulleriyawa that caused immense loss and destruction to the Portuguese.
“After this great victory against the Portuguese, King Rajasinghe I of Sithawaka bestowed Gamwara says Ajantha providing, claming and his Angam artiste relative even today live in Rajasinhe Mawatha, Koratota, Kaduwela, Colombo in village given to them by the king.”
“Our village is known as the smithies that supplied weapons for that war were traditionally there,” he says.
According to Ajantha this traditional martial art had two sub-divisions –Angam and Maya. Angam was the use of limbs and weapons while Maya was employed sorcery. Weapons, manthras (incantations), astrology, ayurvedic medicine, meditation, music,drum beating and other traditional secret formulae belong to the Angam martial art. There are he says also the historical legends of the Sudaliya and Maruvaliya schools of the
Angam martial art prevalent in the upcountry, the special two talented Angam martial art traditions.According the legend, in the battle between these two traditions , a leader of one tradition gets killed and Galaboda Kumarihamy , a daughter born to his wife trains in the Angam martial art to which her generation is heir and defeat the leader of the faction that killed her farther. King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe of Kandy made Galaboda Kumarihami Edanduwawela Disapathini and bestowed gamwara on her. This is school of Marial art in however extinct today.
Very rare, difficult and dangerous modes of combat not seen anywhere in the world are in the possession of artistes of this tradition and Ajantha Perera also shows his skills in such surprising items.
He asked the pupil to strikes a hard blow with the award on the banana placed on his throat but only the banana get cut in two. In the same manner as ash pumpkin is placed on is body and when the pupil strikes a hard blow with the award , only the ash pumpkin gets cut in two. He has mastered several such feats and trains his pupils in them as well.
The Velaikkara generation of Hewagam Korale is engaged in giving its traditional martial art to five retired artistes as well as to ten male and female children over the age of seven years to protect this traditional local martial art, now nearly lost to other forms of martial arts like ,Karate and Kung-fu. As the guru of this generation, Ajantha Perea says that it will be strength to this Angam martial art if the patronage of institutions that protect the national heritage is given to Angam as well.
“Maru Nila” , knot methods as well as inhalation and exhalation mediation methods to Kundalihiniya minimising strength meditations systems are included in the Angam martial art. Gongalegoda Banda and Weera Puran Appu who let the 1818 Rebellion against the British were talented Angam martial artistes. The fear the British had of the Angam martial art is evident from the fact that they set fire to places where was practiced and one who knew it was ordered to be shot below the knee. Because of these pro-habitations the Angam martial methods became an art taking a dance form.A male or female Angam artiste showing skills once in a year is known as Godawa.
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