The diagram illustrates the stages involved in constructing a traditional Wesak lantern, an activity carried out in Sri Lanka to mark the Wesak festival in May. Overall, the process consists of eight main stages, beginning with the preparation of a bamboo frame and ending with the attachment of decorative frills to produce the finished lantern.
The process begins with the preparation of the raw materials. Twenty-five bamboo sticks, each measuring 25 centimetres in length, are laid out in preparation for construction. In the second stage, six pairs of these sticks are joined at their centres to form small diamond-shaped units. These diamond units are then connected to one another and expanded outwards, creating a concertina-like structure. This expandable frame is subsequently pulled open by hand and shaped into a three-dimensional basic frame, which forms the skeletal structure of the lantern.
Once the frame has been completed, attention turns to the decorative covering. Eight triangular and four square pieces of coloured tissue paper are cut out using scissors. These paper shapes are then pasted onto the bamboo frame in an alternating pattern of red triangles and green sections, giving the lantern its characteristic geometric appearance. Following this, strips of tissue paper are cut with scissors to create fringed frills. In the final stage, these frills are attached around the base of the lantern, and a string is fixed to the top, allowing the completed lantern to be hung on display.