Ashtaka
The eight verses of blessing recited at a Sinhalese wedding.
Also: ashtakaya, Sinhalese blessing verses
Ashtaka are verses of eight lines, in Sinhala, recited in praise and blessing of the couple at a traditional Sinhalese wedding, usually from the poruwa. They invoke the Buddha, the gods and the sacred places for the health and long life of the pair. Younger readers of the ashtaka are trained by senior reciters in the Kandyan tradition, and the verses are read to the music of drums, in a style specific to weddings. The word is derived from the Sanskrit for eight.
Region: South Asia