PULINATHALARAMAYA Perahera to add colour on Friday night

Since Buddhism was introduced to Sri Lanka during the reign of King Devanampiyatissa by the Most Ven. Mihindu Thera of India, the culture, lifestyles and traditions were based on noble Buddhism. In addition, the invention of the Bikkhu “Sasanaya” started along with this noble charity with the arrival of ‘Sangamitta Threrani' daughter of King Dharmasoka. Starting from “Mihintale” this message of truth gradually spread to all parts of Sri Lanka.

On September 21st in 1921 well known businessman Baranadura Abraham De Silva donated a land in Ratmalana to the Maha Sangha of ‘Amarapura' Nikaya under the guidance of Most Ven. ‘Abidhamikacharya Seenawathe Gunalankaratissa Nayake Thera'. This land was called ‘Alubogahamulla Kurunduwatte' but as this was filled with white sand the Monks who attended this ceremony that day decided to change the name to ‘Pulinathalaramaya' which means a sand pressed temple. The shrine room of the temple and the ‘Dharmashalawa' were also done by Abraham De Silva. Adjoining the shrine room B. Hendrick De Silva built the ‘Vishnu' Temple at that time. And today it's a complete Maha Viharaya.

For the first time in the history of this temple, ASP Senaka Kumarasinghe was appointed as the the Viharaya's Chief Basnayake Nilame

in 2010. Since then the chief incumbent of the temple and the ‘Basnayake Nilame' decided to revive the traditional ‘perahera' procession which was stalled 32 years ago. In order to streamline the process, the chief ‘Basnayake Nilame' and the chief incumbent appointed six ‘Devale Nilames' for each ‘Devala' : Kithsiri De Silva – Natha Devala , T Piyadasa Silva – Vishnu Devala , Erick De Alwis – Katharagama Devala , Thomsan Wijesiri – Samman Devala , Tom Silva – Gnapathi Devala and Chinthaka De Silva – Paththini Devala. This is now an annual event organized on a grand scale with more than 10 Tuskers and Elephants carrying the casket of Holy relics and statues of Gods of the respective Devalas. It's pageant will also be spiced with multi-cultural dance items depicting various cultural groups in Sri Lanka dancing to the tunes played by the drummers. The colourful perahera will parade the streets through Ratmalana and Moratuwa on November 9 at 8 pm.

Background

The Sanghawasa was done by the daughter of B. Abraham De Silva in 1938. In the meantime she gifted some other lands adjoining the ‘Sangawas'. On one part of the land the Salina De Silva School is situated and the toilets and the washrooms were done by M David Silva and Mr. Magris Silva. The ‘Seemamandhiraya' was completed in 1958 by Mrs. Cecilia De Silva in memory of her husband the late Thomas De Silva. The ‘Sahithyodaya privena' was initiated by Ven. Gunalankara Thera who understood the value of education and began the

‘Sahithyodaya Pirivena' on 2nd March 1937, but it did not last long. In 1953 the new chief incumbent of the temple Ven. Kalutra Hemalokatissa Thera started the Sahithyodhaya College instead of the pirivena. Mrs. Salina De Silva constructed buildings to the school and also it was situated in a land which she had donated to the temple. The ‘Sahithyodaya Dhahampasala' was started on 23rd of August 1923 by Ven. Seenawatte Gunalankaratissa Thera and today it's a well-known Sunday School in the Western province. Mrs. Salina De Silva started to build this 50 ft. ‘Dagoba' in memory of her son T Rukes De Silva. Ten relics of Lord Buddha and a piece from Lord Buddha's ‘Pathra Dhathu' in addition to gold and silver Buddha statues were placed in it. The bell post was donated by Y Karolis Silva from Moratuwa. The erection of the wall for the Bo Tree was done by Ebert Appuhamy. The ‘Mal Asanaya'(flower offering place) was done by P. Gunawardena.

The Maha Viharaya also comprises the 'Satharamaha Devalaya' and the Dathu Mandiraya (Shrine of Lord Buddha's relics).