I looked up the steep concrete steps toward the pinnacle of Sri Pada. He was nowhere to be seen. I asked my newly wedded wife if she had any idea where he is, despite the fact that I knew the answer. He was far ahead of us. At his age of 60 with the heavy workload of managing the most prosperous timber mill in Galle, he was as fit as a lion.
When we reached the pinnacle, he was there waiting with a victorious smile, as if to say that he beat his young son in law who enticed the apple of his eye. I am sure he would have reached a few minutes earlier than me even though, he pretended that he beat me by hours. I let him win, for I have already won his daughter's heart. I happily refrained from reminding him that I had to literally carry his daughter and that was what beat me.
Politically we were on two different camps but, when it came to atheism and ideas we set camp together. Being a strong atheist who never visited a Buddhist temple, he was forced to participate in this trip due to a simple fact. He could not bear the thought of his rebellious son in law at his age of 20 taking his daughter to climb Sri Pada alone. When we informed him that over the weekend we are planning to climb this treacherous mountain he would have shifted in his chair. Moreover, I was planning to take my wife on public transport since I had no car at that time.
On Friday evening he informed us that he is coming to accompany us and we expected him around noon. To our surprise he was on the doorstep before sunrise, having driven all the way from Galle to Kandy and demanded that we start immediately, for he had to get back soon. Obviously, he had started his journey last night for there was no highway at that time and even the roads were rickety. Our protest for not coming with his regular driver revealed that he was indisposed and in fact, the journey to Kandy had started with another driver. He found the new driver, not to his standards and dropped him at Ambalangoda with a few rupees to go back. Although I could drive he would never allow me to take the wheel since I had no valid driver’s license. So he drove all the way up to Nallathanniya.
Knowing the type of person he is, I am not sure if he paid his respects to the stone carving of Lord Buddha’s footprint or not. But he verbally mentioned that this is the last time he would exhibit so much endurance to visit such an insignificant place of worship. He grossly violated the belief that, one should not voice his disrespect at Sri Pada. Fear of reprisal loomed and yet he dismissed all those thoughts by saying that he will never fear any invisible God whether he is Saman or Skanda.
We reached Kandy late evening of the same day and against all our protests he had a light meal prepared by my mother at my place in Kandy and set off towards Galle. According to my brother in law who lived with him in Galle, for he was not married at that time, that was the last day he went to bed unsupported. He was paralyzed below his waist and could not get up. Every available expert in the medical field was consulted and all the possible tests were done. Every effort failed and it was evident that he will be flat on his back for the rest of his life.
During this time I switched my employer and had the opportunity to work in Colombo and started travelling from Galle. My wife was so happy to look after her father attending to all his needs even though she had a newly born baby to look after. Being a rich businessman in Galle my father in law had plenty of servants and helpers and the daily chores were not a challenge to my wife.
During one of the family chit chats in his presence, I mentioned the words he used at the pinnacle of Sri Pada. The rest of the family who is highly religious insisted that he visit Sri Pada again and beg pardon for blasphemy. They offered to carry him all the way up the hill and all servants and helpers in unison agreed. Although I wanted to object to this, I had no say but my father in law point blank hit the nail on its head by saying that he would rather die on a bed than go to the pinnacle and beg for pardon.
During this time I was informed by someone I do not recall, of an ayurvedic doctor at Batapola, a small village close to Hikkaduwa who specializes in paralysis. Having brought up in a multi-cultural society in Kandy, I received my education at a Catholic school. Ayurvedic medicine was taboo to us. Yet along with my brother in law, we decided to pay a visit to this place at Batapola. His residence was a simple one up on a small hillock. When we knocked on the door, his daughter opened the door and asked us to take seats. Dr. Harischandra a partially blind person helped and led by his daughter sat with us. Having beaten off all hopes of being cured by a blind person, we quickly started a conversation by mentioning the state of our patient. He was not much interested in that and instead started inquiring about our whereabouts.
He casually revealed his linguistic capacity of speaking many foreign languages including Pali and Sanskrit. To my amazement, he himself was an atheist. He was a strict follower of Buddhist philosophy and detested visiting temples and praying. Gods and unseen forces were a taboo for him. An instant respect for this tall, slim, clean shaven, partially blind person was building up within my heart. At that time I was a great fan of Abraham T Kovoor who was a famous rationalist. At this time rationalist and atheists were shunned as rebellions and were rare to be found. Here I am face to face with not only an atheist but a highly intelligent doctor. Inadvertently I was looking forward to a great friendship with this great character.
By the time he trod on the exact reason for our visit, we were friends. For the consultation purposes, the need to take him to the patient by car and bring him back was discussed to which we immediately agreed with pleasure. Fees were never discussed. After a few minutes of travel time in our fiat 1100, he was presented with the patient who could not move his legs below his waistline. By this time he was well informed of the circumstances under which the paralysis set in. Without even a glance at the feet he just felt the patients pulses and informed us that he will make the patient walk within three months provided, we do exactly what he says in treating the patient. He asked who will be in charge of the patient and my wife immediately volunteered. A brief lecture on the difficult task that lay ahead was given to my wife and the treatments started.
The raw materials requested by him would never have been an easy task if not for the timber suppliers spread all over Sri Lanka. Leaves, roots, yams of any kind requested appeared within 24 hours. Physical treatment was personally taken up by my wife amidst her responsibilities towards a month old baby boy. At the end of a month the patient showed big improvements and by the end of 2 months he was up and walking, looking after the daily chores of the timber mill he owned. At least once a month I visited Dr. Harischandra at his residence at Batapola. His eyesight was deteriorating but his spirit was high and up.
This small write up is intended to make readers aware of this personality who went unnoticed by the responsible persons we elected as leaders. Wonders cross our paths unnoticed and whatever we notice are ignored by us. This great personality passed away while I was away working abroad and I intend to write further episodes with this great character in Part 2.
My father in law died at his age of 107 and was lucky to have Dr. Ganaka Senarathne as his doctor during his last stages in life. Ironically Dr. Ganaka Senaratne a consultant at Karapitiya practising western medicine is the nephew of Dr. Harischandra.
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