Mediaeval Sinhalese Art c26.15

c26.15

∗ There is a tradition to the effect that in the time of the mythical King Maha Sammata, in the course of a great war, all looms were destroyed by fire; and the form of the heddles was only preserved in the ashes, which lay undisturbed in the form of them; and hence the name aḷuva, from aḷu, ashes, instead of the former name, umaṇḍāve. This popular etymology is quite fanciful.