Purohita Dumi of secretarial status celebrated his birthday on a grand scale recently. The bash followed several religious ceremonies including a pirith chanting held to mark the event. 

A number of Diyawanna members and purohitas of different ranks were among the large gathering of guests present on the occasion. As the party was proceeding with usual song and dance, an unexpected guest showed up as a bolt from the blue creating a mild stir among the attendees.  He was a former Diyawanna member once considered a blue-eyed boy of the former strongman.

There were spicy stories galore in the recent past about this character. One story said that he had fallen out with his former mentor and spilt beans about him and the members of his family in a bid to warm his way into the graces of the powers that be.  The man who was escorted by a big security detail had later taken a few drinks and joined others at the dance floor.