The forgotten abode
Today the birthplace of Weliwita Sangharaja, Watte Walauwwa, Weliwita of the Sangharaja is in a dilapidated state. S.B. Weliwita, an eighth generation member of the Weliwita family lamented that the authorities are not taking much interest in renovating the house where Weliwita samanera lived.
In 1969, then Minister of Cultural Affairs E.L.B. Hurulle had discussed with his father P.B. Weliwita and constructed the Weliwita Memorial Conference Hall and the Bhikkhu Hostel in Weliwita . At present the Bhikkhu hostel does not house the samaneras and is used only as a Cultural Centre to teach Kandyan dancing and conduct English language classes, losing the main purpose for which this building was built. Mr. Weliwita hopes that the authorities will take some interest to re-establish the Bhikkhu hostel.
There is a Weliwita Sangharaja Museum at the Malwatte Maha Vihara in Kandy. The late Weliwita Dharmakeerthi Thera set up this museum collecting items used by the Sangharaja Thera and his valuable ola leaf manuscripts. On March 4, 1995, the museum was opened by Ven. Kirinde Sri Dhammananda Maha Thera, Chief Sangha Nayaka of Malaysia and Singapore.
The vatapata (bhikkhu fan) with an exquisitely carved ivory handle offered to the Weliwita Asarana Saranankara on his appointment as the Sangharaja by King Kirthi Sri Rajasinha is displayed at this museum.
At the entrance is a statue of the Sangharaja. There are many items including a kunama (palanquin) which was gifted by King Weera Parakrama Narendra Sinha, a Randoliya , palanquin used by queens and princes, a pallekkiya, entirely built of wood used by chiefs of provinces, ridi poth kamba (silver book wrappers) a gift to the Sangharaja from an aunt of Keerthi Sri Rajasinha, the dandasanaya (wooden rest), a collapsible device with woven cloth where puskolapoth (ola leaf manuscripts) were placed for reading, stones used for polishing and glazing the Ola leaves and the bed used by the Sangharaja which was gifted by King Kirthi Sri Raja Sinha. The chair is an unusual triangular shape.
There is also Mukkali Bankuwa, a three legged bench where the King sat when he visited the Sangharaja. Some robes are placed in a glass case as well as a patraya(begging bowl) a gift from the king of Siam which the Sangharaja used
King Narendra Sinha had banishedWeliwita Saranankara to Laggala due to the complaints of the Ganinnanses that he was trying to oust the king, a baseless allegation.
Later, the king realized his mistake and sent his own palanquin and invited him back. on his Pindapatha(alms round). Books of the Sinhala alphabet, alphabets of six other languages (the Sangharaja had a knowledge of six languages), Visuddhi Magga (Path of Purity), Jataka stories and many other manuscripts on Ola leaf are preserved in the museum as well as other items.
At the temple, we met Upadyaya Durandara Agramaha Panditha, the Most Venerable Aluthgama Sri Dhammarakkita Piyadassi Dhammananda Maha Thera of the Malwatu Maha Viharaya. Born on November 22, 1915 in Thumpane, he is now 100 years old.
To honour the Ven. Weliwita Sangharaja, every Esala (July) Poya day a Sangharaja Perahera is conducted since 1947 through the city of Kandy and finally returns to the Thumpane Temple in the Malwatte Viharaya. The Maha Thera explaining further said that as the Sangharaja passed away on a day after an Esala Poya, irrespective of the exact date, an alms giving is arranged every year on the day following Esala Poya, to bestow merit on Weliwita Sangharaja. This year too the Maha Thera is making arrangements for an almsgiving for 50 members of the Sangha on July 20, the day after Esala Poya.
The Thera requested the King to set up a Pirivena (monastic educational institute). The King ordered his officials to build this pirivena in Niyamakanda near Embekke Devale in Udunuwara.