Senanayake Aramaya: Where Buddha's Hair Relics are enshrined

Most of you may remember the photograph of the Buddha's Hair Relics, which appeared in the Junior Observer of May 7. It is a rare picture, which was taken from the Ceylon Daily News Vesak Annual of 1962.

Would you like to know the present residence of this Sacred Hair Relics? A temple known as the Senanayake Aramaya, which is situated by the Chilaw-Anuradhapura Main Road, at Madampe. This temple was built by the late Gate Mudliyar L. M. W. Senanayake and late D. M. W. Senanayake.

Now, the Senanayake family has their own trust fund to maintain the temple complex. "This is the only temple which is not funded by any other person or organisation", says Chairman of the Trust Fund of the temple, Kirthi Senanayake.

According to him, the stupa here was built to commemorate the 2500th Buddha Jayanthi.

The Sacred Hair Relics of the Buddha were received from East Pakistan, which is now known as Bangladesh. Enshrining a large amount of sacred relics and artifacts, in a stupa especially built for the purpose, was a unique event at that time in Sri Lanka.

Not only the event, the temple itself is a unique creation. This stupa, which took nearly 10 years to build, is made of solid granite. It had been made piece by piece. "It is the only one of its kind in the world", added Senanayake.

Even the shrine room is different from the shrine rooms we see all around the country. It is not covered with murals, as seen usually, but contains a few murals done by the famous artist Solias Mendis, the person who is responsible for the wonderful murals at the Kelaniya temple.

Not only that, even the belfry or the 'Gantara' as it's called in Sinhala, looks different from the usual. According to Senanayake, this was imported from Germany.

There is a sapling of the sacred Sri Maha Bodhi, planted in the premises that enhances the value of the temple.

"Though this temple is not an ancient place like Anuradhapura or Polonnaruwa, the history of this temple goes beyond 200 years", says Senanayake.

Apart from the Hair Relics offered by the living Buddha, to the two brothers Tapassu and Bhalluka, these are the other items enshrined in the stupa:

* Sacred Buddha relics obtained from a stupa in the Swat Valley.

* Sacred Buddha relics obtained from the Dharma Kalavan stupa at Gandhara.

* Sacred ash relics obtained from the funeral pyre of the Buddha, wrapped in a gold plate.

* Two sacred relics of Arhants Majjhima and Kantipura, who participated in the 3rd Council held during the reign of King Asoka.

* A few sacred Buddha relics obtained from Mir Pur Khas Stupa, which belongs to the Kanishka period.

* Two caskets containing sacred relics.

* A pure gold Buddha statue about one foot in height resembling the sedate Buddha seated on the crystal throne at the foot of the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi.

* A similar Samadhi Buddha statue of the Buddha seated on a crystal throne.

* Gold plates with Paticca Samuppada (dependent origination) and Dhamma Chakka (the wheat of truth) Suttas inscribed on them.

* Numerous precious offerings such as pearls and jewels.

Janani Amarasekara

****

Bronze Buddha statue from Medawachchiya

There are various iconic representations of the Buddha. The bodhi tree, parasols (chatthra), the sacred footprint (Siripada) and Buddha statues are some of them. We find seated, standing and reclining

Buddha statues in our temples. Buddha statues are different in the style, the Mudra they have and the material from which they have been carved.

Today, we feature the 'Bronze Buddha Statue' from Medawachchiya.

Medawachchiya, where this statue was discovered, is situated near Anuradhapura. The statue still bears the traces of its gilt (gold plated) origins. The right-hand of the statue is in the Abhaya-Mudra and the bent left-hand holds up the gathered folds of the robe. This is well proportioned, and the front side is very cleverly modelled.

The rear, though showing the robe in its details, has not received much attention, obviously because this side was not intended for direct viewing. There is a noticeable similarity between this statue and the Avukana Buddha Statue. The Medawachchiya statue is now kept at the Anuradhapura Archaeological Museum.

J.A