Making of Cheewara
Chevarara, which is created in parallel to the Katina Ceremony, is made in the form of ancient Theravada practice by Buddhist monks in ancient times. Natural herbs such as plants leaves, roots, nuts and flowers are used to make the Pandu (a blend) which makes the colour similar to the natural acrid mixture. This process is done by the meditation practitioners through a form of meditation. In order to make this special blend called Pandu to a correct proportion, they have to commit approximately two months and a 24×7 continuous process with close supervision.
In parallel to the above process, the stitching of Cheevaraya (robe) is done in another place. For that unprocessed white clothes are used. The Cheevaraya (robes) is prepared by sewing pieces of cloth together and placed the pieces similar to the layout of the paddy field. The Cheevaraya (robes) of the early monks were made of scraps of discarded cloth from cemeteries.
After successfully making the blend and stitching of Cheewaraya, the next process is to paint the cheevaraya using the blend. A wooden canoe is used for the panting process and this process is repeated until the correct colour of the Cheevaraya is made.
