Page 338 - Proceedings book

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The sections that which depict the historical imagination of Ehelepola Kumārihāmi

has been analysed, and the following themes have been emerged.

3.2.1 Chastity
As historical records mentioned that Ehelepola Kumārihāmi was devoted to her

husband, Ehelepola Adigar. She was a chaste and a brave woman. As chapter 2

mentions that the king, Sri Wickrama visited Ehelepola Kumārihāmi. As the response,
she rejected the king. Once the impatient king shouted and threatened her by

mentioning, “Ah okay Kumarihami. I will take revenge from you.” (p.43) On the
contrary, Ehelepola Kumārihāmi aspired to report the same for her husband, but she

was scared to mention it to him and make him angry. She hated the part of her hand
where the lustful king had touched and washed her hand using lime. Kumārihāmi was

shattered by the very thought that Sri Wickrama used to look for her while being at

the Paththirippuwa. One evening also, Sri Wickrama visited her and appreciated her
beauty while mentioning that,

Even my queens are not pretty as you are, Kumārihāmi, I have never seen such

a beautiful woman as you are. I even sent away Ehelepola Adikar to
Sabaragamuwa. So, I can see you. (Kumārihāmi II, Chapter 2, p.45)

Kumārihāmi rejected the king through closed the door in the Ehelepola bungalow. In
chapter 10, Molligoda Nilame visited Kumārihāmi and informed her that the king was

not interested in Ehelepola Adikar because the king attracted to Kumārihāmi. (p.81)

3.2.2 Deep love for the children and her husband

Ehelepola Kumārihāmi loved her children. She was scared about the bad predictions

that have been made about her children in their horoscopes. In the chapter 16 of the
novel, Kumārihāmi I, she mentioned to her husband that she would never let any bad

things to happen for her children. (p.56) In the chapter 5 of Kumārihāmi II,
Kumārihāmi was scared of two distinct personalities of her two children, Loku

Bandara and Maddhuma Bandara. Loku Bandara was scared of everything while,
Maddhuma Bandara was brave and face for every challenge as a hero. (p.34) Though

Ehelepola Kumārihāmi was above to get killed at ‘Deva sanhida’, she had a relief

because her husband was not caught by the king. In the chapter 15 of Kumārihāmi II,
Ehelepola Kumārihāmi’s thoughts have been conveyed as following,

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