Mediaeval Sinhalese Art c9.11

c9.11

The family of Nilavala Muhandirams of Eldeṇiya and Maṅgalagama, artificers belonging *Nilavala* to the *rankaḍu-paṭṭala*, may be chosen to illustrate these points. The early history of the *family* family is given in a *vitti-vaṭṭoruva*† (statement of claim) in possession of the family, tracing their settlement in Ceylon to the fourteenth or fifteenth century. When King Bhuvanēka Bahu (? VI.) was reigning at Koṭṭe, he heard that a very skilful master smith from India had landed in Mānaduva, and said that since such a master had come over to Simhala he should be honoured by being brought to the Court on an elephant, and despatched to him Vaḍuvāvala Dēvasimha Mulācāri Nayide on an elephant and brought to Koṭṭe the master smith of Mānaduva on the same elephant. On his arrival he presented himself before the king and offered to His Majesty a telescope (iri-handa balana kannāḍiya) by means of which to look at the sun and moon, and also a pēṭeṭiya (an instrument to reckon time). He was liberally rewarded by the king, and he was given the village called Maṅgalagama, in Kiṅdigoḍa Kōrale, of Four Kōrales, for his sustenance (baḍa-veḍilla), and was invested with the title of Mandalavalli Nayide.