INSEE innovates with first-ever cement based Vesak pandal in the world

Friday, 11 May 2018 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

A large number of Vesak sightseers thronged Ranmuthugala, Kadawatha this year and witnessed a unique Vesak pandal. It was illuminated with the customary flickering coloured lights, but what was most unusual was that perhaps for the first time in the world the Vesak Pandal was artistically moulded out of cement. Pradeep Kumara created the pandal along with his friend W. Siripala who designed the murals depicting inspiring Jataka tales etched out and crafted out of cement.

Pradeep, a mason, has been creative and innovative even as a child. This Vesak, he was inspired to make a long lasting pandal out of cement and commenced the task in February. At the end of three months of painstaking work, he had completed a 45 foot tall pandal.

Pradeep used around 50 bags of INSEE Sanstha Cement bags because, as a mason he appreciated the unique features and high quality of the Sanstha Blended Cement he worked with on a daily basis. When the pandal was nearing completion, he inquired from INSEE Cement whether they would support his innovation. The management of INSEE Cement were happy to learn about the project and appreciative of his efforts. They extended a contribution, even if that did not do justice to the passion, time and effort put into the magnificent creation.

Sujeewa Perera, Head of Retail Sales at Siam City Cement (Lanka), the company that manufactures and markets INSEE branded cement said, “Sanstha offers five key benefits such as, high strength, durability, better workability, aesthetic finish while requiring less water to mix, for builders that makes it truly different! As a blended cement, Sanstha offers Sri Lankan builders the advantage of a cement blended with Calcium Carbonate (CaC03) particles which closes all the pores in the concrete, making it strong. Constructions with blended Sanstha Cement is durable, and most importantly, it prevents water from entering the iron structures, preventing the iron from rusting. In fact, an entire bag of Sanstha Cement only requires 25 litres of water to mix. The added Calcium Carbonate (CaC03) and other supreme particles work as a lubricant making the concrete mixture easier to apply, making plastering more efficient and the end result, more aesthetic.

“While most Vesak decorations would perish soon after the festival and would barely last until the following full moon day of Poson, our cement pandal would be a lasting decoration that can be used over many years, making it a cost-effective investment in the long term as it will withstand rain or shine without any protection or cover,” commented Pradeep Kumara.