Katina 2019: Learnings from Creating a Peacock

Introduction

The Katina Perahera has always held dual cultural and religious significance in the Buddhist calendar. The Perahera, or “parade”, marks the conclusion of the rain retreat, with Buddhist laypeople’s subsequent offering of the Katina robe to the Sangha. This event has formed a rich tapestry of cultural achievement over the years at Lankarama Buddhist Vihara, where laypeople have united in creating lavish mobile displays, playing rhythmic beats on percussive instruments, and performing intricate dance routines.

The year 2019 was no exception – and not simply because it happened to be the last time Katina was held in a blissful pre-COVID history. In 2019, the LBYG Katina team made the innovative decision to construct a blue peacock, rather than the famous walking elephant that had been constructed in years prior. 

We had come to this decision due to several factors. Although the elephant constructed for previous Katina events had served us well, it was far too bulky to be stored on temple premises during off-months and unfortunately had to be disposed of. Consequently, a display that was relatively lightweight, compact, durable and that could be more easily dismantled for storage was desired. We also hoped to produce a display that had not been made before, but also held importance as an animal native to Sri Lanka, and one that reflected Buddhist values. This thought process led us to the blue peacock as LBYG’s featured display for Katina 2019.

As one of the LBYG coordinators for Katina 2019, my intention in writing this article is to preserve the knowledge our team gained in creating the peacock – in particular, the design process, the materials and equipment used, and the outcomes that were achieved. Too often knowledge is lost to the sands of time, so it is hoped that what is documented here will inspire future generations of LBYG members to follow in our footsteps, but also to use their imagination to create something new. 

Construction

We began construction of the peacock in early September, incrementally working on it during weekend workshops for approximately six weeks before its presentation during the Katina Perahera on the morning of Saturday October 19th, 2019. The display was built in three parts: first the body, then the tail (or more accurately, the “peacock train”), and finally the head, after which assembly occurred and finishing touches were applied. 

Materials

• 6mm Galvanised Wire 

• 2mm/5mm Fibreglass Rods 

• Blue Silk Satin Fabric

• ‘Dragon Scale’ Fabric

• Green and Gold Polyester Fabric

• Newspaper

• Polystyrene

• Reddish-Pink Felt Sheet 

• Glitter EVA Foam Sheets (Blue, Green, Gold, Silver)

• Light Blue Foam Balls

• Blue Marbles 

• 0.5mm Fishing Line

• 12mm x 2m Metal Tubes

• Screws and Metal Plates

• Artificial Flowers

• Thumbtacks 

Adhesives

• Copper Solder

• Bostik ‘No More Nails’ construction adhesive

• ‘3M Super 77 Multi-Purpose Classic Spray’ fabric adhesive 

• PVA Glue

• Hot Glue Gun Sticks

• Masking Tape

• Cable Ties

Tools

• MAPP Gas Torch

• Hot Glue Gun

• Handsaw

• Sandpaper

• Scissors

• Screwdriver

• Utility Kitchen Knife

Body

The peacock body’s frame was primarily made of galvanised wire - its properties of flexibility and strength would ensure the frame would be easy to form and hold its shape. As illustrated in the photos, the basic body outline was formed with screws inserted into a worktable with a drill. The wire was then wound around this outline to form the initial 2D frame. As an aside, it is noted that additional length was left in the neck for later insertion of the head into the body. 

To add depth, three ellipses parallel to each other were wound around this frame in such a way that their planes would be parallel to the ground. These ellipses were formed at approximately a quarter, half and three-quarters of the body’s height, and were sealed and connected to the initial frame with copper solder using the MAPP gas torch. 

To complete the frame, circles of varying radii were wound around the body, starting from the neck moving back until the end of the body. This was achieved with galvanised wire and copper solder, with appreciable gaps in between the circles. Afterwards, these gaps were filled with a long 5mm fibreglass rod wound helically around the entire body from the neck to the end. Due to its lightweight property, the use of fibreglass would prevent the frame from being too heavy to carry had it been made solely of galvanised wire. The fibreglass rod was secured to the pre-existing frame with cable ties. 

At this stage the body’s basic frame was complete. To ease the work on the body that remained, the frame was secured to a worktable with metal plates and screws. This decision would also enable easy transport of the body between the work area and storage area in the temple during workshops. 

What followed next was the body’s dressing with peacock plumage. Newspaper sheets were placed all over the body and attached to the frame with masking tape and the occasional cable tie. Once this was complete, blue silk satin was draped over the body and cut to appropriately sized pieces, before being attached to the newspaper exterior – and any overlapping pieces of fabric – using 3M Super 77 fabric adhesive. This fabric adhesive was used because its stickiness allowed sufficient time to position materials properly, while also enabling efficiency of work due to its fast-drying action. However, the fabric was not adhered to the end of the body just yet, as this would have to wait until the tail was completed and inserted into the main body.

The peacock’s feathers were formed from a liberal amount of glitter EVA foam sheets, mostly blue and green colours. Once a simple feather shape had been cut out to the team’s satisfaction, it was traced repeatedly with pencil on the foam sheets, in almost tessellating patterns to minimise material wastage. These were then cut out and glued to the silk satin covered body using PVA glue, first from the end of the body towards the front in overlapping fashion. These feathers were also applied until close to the top of the neck.

Tail

The tail’s frame was made entirely out of fibreglass rods, with the aim that its lightweight nature would help it be positioned upright behind the peacock’s body – although ultimately this would not quite be achieved. The main structure was formed from 5mm rods, while 2mm rods were used for the internal support structures, all of which were secured with plenty of cable ties and masking tape. As illustrated in the photos, three vertical and two diagonal excess fibreglass rods were left outside so that the tail could be inserted and attached to the peacock body’s frame. 

Now that the tail’s frame was complete, it was draped with blue silk satin, like the peacock’s body. The 3M Super 77 fabric adhesive was used to adhere the fabric over the frame on both sides. To achieve this, slits were made at frequent lengths where the fabric hung over the frame, forming rectangular sections. These sections were sprayed with the fabric adhesive and then attached over the frame onto the fabric.

The tail was decorated with feathers arranged in four radial patterns, placed from the outside first and incrementally towards the centre, so that inner feathers overlapped outer feathers. Each feather had a blue pointed-elliptical shape made as its base, with a smaller green and an even smaller gold ellipse attached on top with PVA glue. These feathers were made from glitter EVA foam sheets, and were attached to the fabric with PVA glue.

Head

The third and final part of the peacock was its head and upper neck. First, the circumference where the lower neck ends on the peacock’s main body was measured, to ensure the upper neck would fit onto it. The head and upper neck was composed from one piece of polystyrene and was carved into its general shape with a sharp utility kitchen knife. The head’s features were then smoothened using sandpaper while wearing a mask to prevent breathing in any particulate matter.

Once the head’s form was satisfactory, it was secured to the peacock’s main body. As stated earlier, the body’s frame had 4 excess galvanised wire pieces extending upright out of the lower neck, to which the upper neck would be attached. These wire lengths were inserted into the polystyrene head piece until it was positioned correctly and sat flush with the top of the body’s lower neck. The head was then removed from the wires, and No More Nails construction adhesive was applied to the holes that had formed in the polystyrene. This followed with the repositioning of the head onto the excess galvanised wires so that it was connected to the body while being locked in place with the construction adhesive. Masking tape was also applied to the boundary between the body and head for further security.

Now that there was no longer a head and body separation, decoration of the head resumed in a similar fashion to the body. First, the blue silk satin was cut to size and attached to the polystyrene head and upper neck using PVA glue and the 3M Super 77 fabric adhesive. Feathers like those that adorned the body were attached with PVA glue up until close to the top of the peacock’s neck, while a different feather arrangement was arranged and glued on for the very top. The eyes were formed from green and gold glitter EVA foam and attached to the silk satin fabric with PVA glue. Blue marbles were attached to the foam eyes with a hot glue gun to form the eye’s pupils, as well as around the top of the neck to form decorative elements. The beak was formed from gold glitter EVA foam. Pieces of “dragon scale” fabric were cut out and pasted with PVA glue to the bottom half of the head. Finally, the peacock’s crown was made from light blue foam balls. It should be noted that the blue marbles and light blue foam balls were purchased from a dollar store.

Assembly and Finishing Touches

The final part of the peacock’s construction involved the assembly of the body and tail, and the application of finishing touches. As mentioned earlier, the tail’s frame included three vertical and two diagonal excess fibreglass lengths which were specifically designed to be slotted and secured to the peacock body’s frame. The blue silk satin fabric covering the end of body also had not been glued, expressly for this reason.

Consequently, the excess fibreglass tail lengths were carefully inserted into the end of the peacock’s body so that the bottom of the tail sat flush with the body. This was followed by reaching into the body and securing the tail’s excess fibreglass pieces to the body’s frame with several cable ties. The silk satin fabric covering the end of the peacock’s body was then sealed in place with 3M Super 77 fabric adhesive, after which the remaining glitter EVA foam feathers were attached with PVA glue.

It was hoped that the tail would be lightweight enough to stand directly upright behind the peacock’s body, much like a real peacock’s iridescent feathers would appear during a courtship display. Unfortunately, the weight of the tail did not allow this, but two alterations partly remedied this effect. First, a wooden rod and two fibreglass lengths were attached to the tail’s internal structure with cable ties and angled against the table the peacock lay on, to prevent the tail from falling any lower. Second, the sides of the tail were tied to the top of the body with 0.5mm fishing line, so that tensile forces would hold the tail more upright.

This was followed by applying finishing touches to polish the peacock’s presentation. The peacock’s wings were cut from “dragon scale” fabric and attached to both sides of the body with the hot glue gun. Blue marbles were attached in a ring around the body with the hot glue gun, just as they had been to the upper neck. The body was briefly unscrewed from the table it had been attached to, so that the table could be decorated with green and gold polyester fabric. A placard with the word “LBYG” was created with silver and gold glitter EVA foam sheets and stapled to the front of the table. Furthermore, leftover green EVA foam feathers and blue marbles were attached to the table, with staples and the hot glue gun respectively.

Metal tubes were attached with cable ties to the legs of the table that the peacock rested on, to provide a good hold for carrying it during the Katina Perahera. The tubes were also covered with fabric (attached with the 3M Super 77 spray), to minimise contact with the metal surface while carrying the display. Lotus petals were made from reddish-pink felt sheet and curved into shape by tying them with rubber bands to a tube for a week. Finally, artificial flowers and the reddish-pink lotus petals were attached to the table with thumbtacks, so that they surrounded the peacock.

Final Remarks

Ultimately, the project to construct a blue peacock for the 2019 Katina Perahera proved to be a great success. Although there was some uncertainty that the display would be finished in time within the short, allocated timespan of six weeks, progress accelerated towards the deadline and all finishing touches were applied in the final week leading up to the Perahera. During the procession, a team of 8 LBYG members carried the peacock display around the circuit that started from the road outside the temple, led into the temple grounds and around the Dharmasalawa, circled the Bodhi Tree and finally the Chaitya. Without a doubt, the peacock’s inclusion in the Perahera injected a sense of colour and vibrancy into the day’s festivities. 

In conclusion, I would like to acknowledge every individual who contributed in any way, shape or form to the immense collective effort that created this blue peacock display. I would first like to thank the LBYG members, and parents – in particular, Balasuriya Uncle and Leslie Uncle – who so selflessly devoted their valuable time on the weekend to the Katina display workshops. The LBYG 2019/20 Executive Committee also deserve special acknowledgement, especially 2019/20 LBYG President Nadee Manchanayaka, Religious Vice Presidents Prashan Amarasinghe and Anupa Abeysinghe, and Katina Coordinators Thushira Singhabahu and Anuja Jayamuni, who were a joy to collaborate with in coordinating this event.

Finally, I would like to thank Kingsley Uncle, who has undoubtedly been the driving force of this entire project. Kingsley Uncle’s presence at every step of the way, from inception to delivery, was incredibly valuable in ensuring the project stayed on track, and it is not an exaggeration to say that much of the knowledge documented here is derived from decades of his lived experiences. 

Photos by: Sarath Kingsley, Shane Wickramanayake and Ashnith Wickramanayake