Mediaeval Sinhalese Art c7.19

c7.19

∗ The five castes numbered 4-8 are associated together as the five classes necessary to perform personal service; "both for the weddings and funerals of Raja, Bamuṇu, Grahapati, Veḷanda, Sudra and all men, the carpenter giving bedsteads, chairs, pavilions and the like; the tailor sewing and giving jackets and hats; the washer spreading awnings and bringing clean clothes; the barber cutting the hair and beard, trimming the face and adorning it; the leather-worker stitching leather for the feet; thus these five are needed for the wedding and for the funeral" (Janavaṃsa). These are often spoken of as 'the five servants.'