Mediaeval Sinhalese Art c22.133

c22.133

A *naḷalpaṭa* is a gold or jewelled forehead plate, worn by the king, or others, chiefs or even craftsmen, who have been honoured with *paṭabeṇḍi* names. The frontlet is in the latter case called *paṭatahaḍuva*. Pl. XXIII., 3, shows a design for a jewelled *naḷalpaṭa*, for the king. Those worn by others consist of a plain gold plate of similar outline but smaller and without the pearl pendants indicated in the design. The ceremony of naming, and assuming the royal sword at the inauguration ceremony of a king, are thus described by Davy (p. 163): “it was that of choosing a name and putting on the regal sword. It was the duty of the royal astrologers to ascertain a fortunate period for the ceremony, and invent fortunate names; each individual being required to write a name on a plate of gold, set with precious stones, and deposit it in the Nata-dewalē. On the day fixed, which was sometimes a year or two after the election, the prince went in great state to the Maha-Visnu-dewalē, where he presented offerings and made prostrations to the god. Thence, he passed to the Nata-dewalē, and having gone through the same religious ceremony, he inspected the plates, chose the name that pleased him, and read it to the first Adikar, who proclaimed aloud,—‘This is the name that the gods have chosen for the king to bear.’ Then the gold plate, the Nālalpaṭe, on which the name was inscribed, was tied to the prince’s forehead by a member of the Pilamē Talawē family, which being of royal descent, enjoyed this privilege and that of putting on the regal sword, which was attached to a belt that passed over the shoulder and came round the waist. The sword having been girded on the prince, the Kapuralle presented a pot of sandal-powder, in which the prince, who may now be called king, dipped his fingers and touched the sword; and this ceremony was performed in the Maha, as well as in the Nata-dewalē.”