Nittawela Gunaya [1906-1986]: the greatest of them all

Excerpted from Sarath Amunugama’s Kohomba Kanakariya

We end this essay (on some of the country’s finest Kandyan dancers), fittingly I think, with Nittawela Gunaya whom De Zoete called “One of the greatest Kandyan dancers and teachers.”

His grandfather Siriya had two sons Kiri Ukkuwa and Suramba. Kiri Ukkuwa was Gunaya’s father, but he was a better farmer than a dancer. So Gunaya studied dancing under his father’s brother Suramba, who was a great Kandyan dancer in keeping with his father’s heritage.

At the age of 18-years Gunaya underwent the “Ves Bandima” ceremony and, together with his cousin Nittawela Ukkuwa, earned a reputation as promising young dancers. They were recruited by Hagenbeck in 1927 together with 14 others to participate in shows in his Tiergarten zoo in Hamburg. Gunaya and Ukkuwa may have been presented among the “Wild Men from Ceylon” who were exhibited in many towns of Weimar Germany. Gunaya, however, returned and was in great demand for the rest of his life for performances abroad.

He was perhaps the most acclaimed Kandyan dancer in the capitals of the western world. It must be stated here that Gunaya’s early exposure to western audiences may have improved his commitment to the dance as a performance with his sense of drama and stage presence. But he had a sense of restraint and occasion which Sanskrit critics called “Auchitya” or appropriateness. This was in contrast to Ukkuwa, who also was a technically proficient dancer but did not have either the build or the restraint of Gunaya. As De Zoete correctly stated Ukkuwa had learnt some bad elements of western “show business” which detracted from his obvious talent and technical correctness.

Gunaya was a regular dancer at the annual Kandy Perehera and was given a prominent role in dancing alongside the sacred elephant carrying the relic chamber on its back. He also farmed his small plot of paddy land in Nittawela. However, it says much about his self confidence that he was not a Kankariya dancer, probably because he was in great demand as a Ves dancer both locally and abroad. While he did not refuse to dance in a group, his forte was solo dancing which enabled critics and general audiences to focus on his outstanding skills and personality.

To him goes the credit for making the dancing of Vannamas a major aspect of his performance. They suited his virtuoso style because he could improvise in the dancing of Vannamas. One could not take liberties with the Kankariya dances in that way. Beryl de Zoete describes Gunayas superlative dancing of Vannamas as, “The Horse and Hawk have only one version. It was Gunaya who made the new versions since being in Colombo, and for stage purposes. The frog was copied from a real frog. The mimicry and acrobatics to which it gives rise is remarkable, and it would be pedantic to quarrel with such masterly interpretations even if one might prefer the old, stylized form. The horse is sufficiently representative, even in the old version, and needs no reform” [1957;182].

At this stage we must focus our attention on the Vannamas and its significance for modern Kandyan dancing. According to legend, Vannamas [Descriptions or Varnanavas] were created in the time of the last Kings of Kandy, particularly Narendrasinghe and Kirti Sri Rajasinghe. Narendrasinghe was called “Sellam Nirindu” which has been interpreted in several ways. Obeyesekere who has recently drawn attention to this King says, “As Charles Godakumbure notes, there are a huge number of praise poems or panegyrics on this king … current research shows that there is considerable overlap between the erotic verses praising Rajasinghe and those associated with Narendrasinghe. If indeed Rajasinghe has many heroic poems associated with him, Narendrasinghe also has many verses in the erotic texts praising the king’s greatness and prowess but not in the grand style of War poetry” [2020;138].

However, in the case of Vannams we have a clear reference to him in the “Vadankusa Ratanamalaya” the writing of which is attributed to a Buddhist monk from Malwatte. The Ratanamalaya says that Narendrasinghe whose Royal pleasure [Raj asabhayangatha Vinodharyawu] was in the “five musical instruments” [Pancha Talayan] directed his Poets Hall [Kavya Sabha] to study the [Indian?] Vannama style and create 18 [new] vannamas. The poets did so taking the Kings immediate posessions like the royal elephant, royal conch, royal horse etc as their models. As instructed, they did so before his consecration ceremony [Rajabhisheka] Narendrasinghe was delighted and showered those members with many gifts [Kulatilleke;1993;4].

It is clear that Narendrasinghe was a patron of the arts and had supported the “Kavi Maduwa” or chamber of Minstrels. These poets had to please the king through “Prasasti” or singing of his great attributes. It is possible that the Queens and ladies of the harem were also musicians and singers in light of the fact that it was an attribute of Nayakkar ladies in Madurai who were familiar with erotic Vaishnava songs of Krishna and the Gopis. There is no doubt that there were female singers and musicians because we know that there were such singers called “Alatti Ammas” who participated in the rituals of the Dalada Maligawa. [I am in possession of a copy of a painting by a Thai court artist who accompanied King Chulalongkorn in 1897 to the Maligawa, which clearly portrays women singers before the chamber housing the Tooth Relic].

Even today Kandyan dancers sing and dance the “Narendrasinghe Varnanawa” particularly as a tribute to the “Sellan King” in the presence of a Nilame or a Chief during a procession.

As mentioned earlier the Kavikara Maduwa were the originators of the Sinhala Vannams. They took as a model the Vannams of an Indian poet named Ganithasara and were assisted by Buddhist monks from Malwatte who interacted closely with the king. There are many legends and folk poems about this period when Kings, Queens and Monks had close literary and other relationships with each other which indicate the presence of a literati in Kandy who were familiar with the rules of prosody in the creation of kavi or poems. As highlighted in the Ganithasara connection, the Vannams of this period were no doubt influenced by the culture of the Nayakkars who were Saivaites and Vishnuvites.

Kandy had the biggest Vishnu Devale after the sacking of Devinuwara, the seat of Vishnu. Today we have 18 traditional Vannamas [Daha Ata Vannam] of which the most popular are Gajaga [Elephant], Thuranga [Horse], Savula [Cockbird], Naiyadi [Cobra], Kirala [Lapwing], Sinharaja [Lion], Mayura [Peacock], Ukussa [Eagle], Hanuma [Monkey], Mussaladi [hare], Gahaka [Conch], and Eeradi [Arrow]. These all refer to well known animals or objects. Another class of vannam are dedicated to the Buddha [Asadrusa], Sakra [Surapathi], Ganapathi [Ganesh], and Udara [the pomp of the King].

It is most interesting that in the preliminary stage of the Kohomba Kankariya there is an episode called Naiyandi which is the Vannama of the Cobra. This is danced by the Mul Yaddessa before the core ritual that starts with the Avanduma begins. The Vannamas were not a part of the Kankariya and was danced by Goigama caste dancers. However, later it came to be a favorite item of the more innovative Kankariya dancers and became a bridge in their transition to being performers on stage and secular ceremonies.

Gunaya was the best exponent of the Vannamas. It suited his temperament and style because he preferred to dance solo so that he could interpret it in the light of his outstanding intelligence and training. Thanks to Gunaya, who was by now idolized by the Colombo middle class, new vannamas were composed by poets such as Sri Chandraratne Manavasinghe. They collaborated on the Mahabo vannama which became very popular. Gunaya also danced the Samanala [Butterfly] Vannama. In the light of later miming of the features of animals by lesser dancers, Gunaya stands out an artist who through “Abhinaya” suggested but did not imitate the subjects of the vannamas.

To get a feel of Gunaya’s influence let us turn to De Zoete’s description of the Maestro at the initiation ceremony of his protege Sevranga. “They chant while dancing, very slowly advancing and retreating with forceful steps, facing each direction in turn. The teachers and some of Gunaya’s group of dancers join in the chant. Again, the drums burst out, and the dancers leap into the air. Wide crossed steps alternate with high springs in an orgy of movement. Finally, it settles down and chanting begins again. The long streamers wave wildly from the point of the headdress. The initiated boy always take the lead. He is certainly a magnificent dancer. His springy step and beautiful hand movements, as it were marking time, his syncopations sideways and forwards, his sudden leaps without preparation into a spin are quite intoxicating” [1957;100].

The high point of Gunaya’s national stature was reached when he was chosen to dance the Thuranga [Horse] Vannama at the celebrations of Sri Lanka’s independence in 1948. At that time, he was in his prime as a dancer. Thuranga was a wise choice because in addition to its fidelity to the traditional Vannam as recognized by De Zoete, it was a dance pregnant with meaning for a Buddhist society since it depicted Prince Siddharta’s ride on his favourite horse Kanthaka away from royal pleasures to seek his enlightenment.

Let me paraphrase the vocal rendition which accompanies the dancing of the Thuranga Vannama:

“The prince Siduhath who was loved by all was attracted to the reclusive life,

He ordered Channa to bring his horse Kanthaka and mounted it,

To the soft sounds of the horse’s hooves the three advanced, Going hither and thither till they reached the riverbank, Then carrying the handsome young prince Siduhath, all three jumped across [the river Neranjara] thanks to the strength and courage of his Thuranga [Horse]’

Gunaya danced before the Royal Guest- the Duke of Gloucester, younger brother of Edward, D. H. Lawrence’s “Pale little wisp of a Prince” who in 1922 saw the Perehera and Kandyan dancers from the Octagon of the Maligawa. There were three stages at three levels in the hall and Gunaya danced to the throb of drums at two levels and in the finale, with a magnificent leap ended with an “adawwa” on the lowest stage to the acclamation of the distinguished audience.

Fortunately, we have a word picture of that event penned by a leading journalist of the time D. B. Dhanapala who was an eyewitness, “A lone Kandyan dancer clad in the usual costume that changes a normal peasant into a glorious, resplendent prince came on the vast open stage and strutted across it in such majesty of step and dignity that a hush fell on the assembly. Then slowly the dance began to the rhythm of a lone drum echoing through the vastness.

“The dancer has slowly assumed the gait of a somewhat showy horse. He displayed his flanks, strutted, and pranced, showing the creatures noble proportions; head light and moving in majestic rhythm as he confined himself to the topmost part of the three-tiered stage. Then we became aware as the dancer proceeded, that the horse had turned to be the rider, proud of his seat on the stallion, controlling the beast and urging it on as and when he pleased completely enchanted with the joy of movement and the power he held over the beast … it was as though we were seeing a Centaur of the fabulous age in flesh and blood dancing before us as a split personality of a dancer. And when the dance had run to its climax there was a sudden pause. In a split second the Centaur dancer leaped from the top to the lower stage. It was a dramatic moment” [2012;116].

Even today that is recognized as a magnificent fusion of the man and the moment and a recognition of the pure dance quality of Ves as the preeminent national aesthetic manifestation of the Ceylonese nation.