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| Sunday, 24 November 2002 |
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Where was the real Attanagalla? by Professor Abaya Aryasinghe The Indo-Aryan civilisation in the past recognised three classes of heroes, dana-vira (hero of liberality), Dharma-vira (hero of justice) and yuddha-vira (hero of war). The annals of Sinhaladvipa contain references to such heroes throughout history. The most popular among them is the dana-vira. The foremost of dana-viras in Sinhaladvipa was king Siri Sanghabodhi who ruled for a short time from 251 to 253 A.D. He was one of the three brothers of the Lambakarna clan who migrated to Anuradhapura after their education at the Mahiyangana vihara. He possessed all the qualities expected of a dana-vira. His supreme act of liberality was the offering of his head to a poor way-farer. The Mahavamsa contains a brief account of his sentimental story in Chap. XXXVI. Pali work called Hathavanagalla-vihara-vamsa deals with the same theme. Two Sinhala classics bearing the name, Elu-Attanagalu-vamsya contain this story in detail. Both are dated to 14/15th century. The two works do not show noteworthy differences in the presentation of the narration. King Siri Sanghabodhi as depicted in the Attanagalu-vamsa story was a paragon of virtue and principles. He observed a practice of offering rice and gruel to the Buddhist brotherhood. The Maha-vamsa refers to his satyagraha campaign to invoke the god of rain to ward off a severe drought. He offered clemency to thieves who were convicted. He was able to dispel terror caused by a red-eyed demon who devastated the land early in his reign. Lastly he abdicated the throne and took to forest-life to become a hermit. Ultimately circumstances led him to offer his head to a poor man. The venue of this king's head-offering has been a subject of controversy among the historians, which led to no final solution. The following paragraphs aim to make a fresh attempt to seek an answer. The commentary of the Mahavamsa, Vamsatthappakasini identifies the place of cremation of the head of the king as one situated in the direction of the Isarasamanaka vihara where Gothabhaya later built a vihara to sanctify the spot. Inscriptions It is well-known that Isarasamanaka vihara was built by king Devanampiyatissa in the third century B.C. The place known as Isurumuni vihara at present is bound to disown this claim. According to Professor S. Paranavitana the present 'Isurumuni' vihara is the last resting place of the sacred Tooth Relic before it entered the city limits of Anuradhapura. It was then known as Uttara-Meghagiri Vihara as the Dathavamsa testifies. Not very far from this place there exists a place known as 'Vessagiri'. His name, as in the case of their previous one is a misnomer. In inscriptions in this place it is named Isiramenu which may have been the Sinhala term on which the Pali term rests. These inscriptions conclusively establish that Isurumuni vihara is the place now miscalled as the Vessagiri vihara. It is therefore reasonable to hold that the head of king Siri Sanghabodhi was cremated at a place in close proximity to this vihara. According to the Attanagulu-vihara-vamsaya the headless body of the monarch was cremated at the site where offering of the head took place. To locate this spot one should trace the route along which the king left the city for the Attanagulu-vana. Literary sources agree that he left the city through the southern gate and travelled in the direction of south. Such sources also register that in order to avoid possible blood-shed he left the rebellious city-crowd for a forest habitat. It was unlikely, therefore, that he selected a place near the city as his future abode. It became urgently necessary for him to reside in an inaccessible place considerably away from the city to ensure safety. He was prudent enough to select the region of Malaya for this purpose. The traveller whom he met in his chosen abode was a resident of Malaya. The place name, Malaya is represented by the term gal-val-rata in Sinhala as the Eluattanagulu-vamsaya tesitifes. Hearing the king's fate his grief-stricken queen left the city also through the southern gate in search of him. Passing one village after another the widow unknowingly fell in to an indirect route instead of the direct one. Finally she reached Gal-val-rata otherwise known as Malaya-rata. Generally the term Malaya-rata was applied to the central mass of hills in the island. The northern tip of this hilly region extends as far as Sessaruva-kanda. Girigama of five hundred Vessas according to topography stands in this apex of the range. The present Galgiriyagama has a tank known as Galgirigama tank. Abode There runs a range of hills known as Galgiriyava bordering the two districts, Kurunegala and Anuradhapura. It starts near the 21st mile-post on the Galgomuva-Nikaveratiya road and runs for about ten miles to terminate at the Sesseruva-kanda. Girigama is probably the ancient Vessagiri situated on this range. In the time of composing the Elu-Attanagulu-vamsaya the terrain of Malaya would have been renamed as Mahale-rata as shown in this classic. The Sesseruva-kanda including Girigama answers to the features of an ideal abode for the practice of meditation. Mahakanda of the same range is dotted with a number of ruins such as viharas and stupas. The stupa at Mahakanda has circular compound without circles of pillars. Therefore it cannot be called a stupa covered with a vatadage. The Hatthavanagalla Vihara-vamsa does not speak of a vatadage built by king Gothabhaya as the place of cremation of the headless body of his brother. It however mentions a dvibhumika-vattala-bhavana, i.e. two-storyed circular mansion. This does not mean necessarily a stupa enclosed in a vatadage. King Parakramabahu II (1236-1270) of Dambadeniya is said to have developed the present Attanagalla area of Siyanekorale in the Gampaha District. One of the priorities of development was the Attanagalla vihara. On his inspection tours this king must have held his temporary court there to discuss the progress of the project which was spearheaded by his minister Devapatiraja. Ruins of an Asthanaghara (Royal Court) could be seen at this place even today. The term Asthanaghara may have given the Sinhala term, Atanagala or Attanagalla. In old Sinhala there are instances where ghara has changed to ghara or gala. King Parakramabahu II built a stupa to enshrine the ashes of his father, Vijayabahu III probably to accord him an honour of Siri Sanghabodhi prominence. This stupa is sited on the compound of the present Attanagalla vihara. The foregoing observations would prove that king Siri Sanghabodhi donated his head in the ancient Sesseruva-vana in the North-Central province and not at Attanagalla of the Western Province. |
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