Bellanwila Esala perahera in full swing

By Premasara EPASINGHE

In the good all days, some new born Buddhist babies were taken to the Bellanwila Rajamaha Vihara premises and kept under the Sacred Bodhi Tree, one of the saplings of the Most Sacred Jayashrimaha Bodhi to invoke the blessings of the Triple Gem. I too was one of the children to receive this blessings of the Triple Gem way back at the foot of Bellanwila Bodhi. New born Buddhist babies are blessed by Bhikkhus by chanting Pirith.

The Bellanwila Bodhi is considered one of the off-shoots of Jayasirimaha Bodhi in India. History records that during the Parakramabahu VI era, Bellanwila Temple became the epicentre of Buddhist activities. With the arrival of the Portuguese, Dutch and British, the great seat of learning gradually fell into oblivion. According to Vilgammula Thera's Bodhivansa, Bellanwila was one of the few places where the sapling of the Jayasirimaha Bodhi was planted.

Golden era

It was in mid 19th century, under the stewardship of Ven. Tengodagedera Thera of Attidiya that Bellanwila Bodhi was re-discovered. He set up the monastery by the bo-tree at Bellanwila.

The golden era of the renaissance of Bellanwila Temple dawned in the 1940s during Ven. Bellanwila Somaratana Nayaka Thera's period when he was the chief incumbent of the Bellanwila Raja Maha Vihara. The other past chief incumbents were Ven. Udugampola Ratanapala, Ven. Udugampola Dhammakande, Ven. Weboda Sangaratana and Ven. Asgiriye Devarakkita.

Today Bellanwila Raja Maha Vihara is one of the most venerated Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka. Thousands of devotees flock to Bellanwila Vihara premises daily. They believe that the Sacred Bodhi possesses miraculous powers.

In the premises of the Bodhi, one finds Kataragama, Easvara, Ganadevi and Vishnu Devalas. Many devotees offer Bodhi Poojas.The annual Bellanwila Rajamaha Vihara annual Esala perahera began on August 9. It will conclude on August 26.

The Mal Perahera will be held from August 19 to 22. On August 23 Pawada Perahera will be held. The Ransivili Perahera will take place on August 24 and the great Randoli Perahera will be held on August 25. On August 26, according to ancient tradition, the perahera will parade the streets leading to the water-cutting ceremony. It will take place at the Boralesgamuwa ferry. The ceremony will end after the alms giving to the deities.

This will be the 62nd annual Bellanwila Esala Perahera. It is one of the most sought after cultural pageants in Sri Lanka. The colourful perahera will comprise drummers, dancers from low-country and upcountry with trumpeters parading the neighbourhood of the Bellanwila temple premises. Thousands will gather to witness the beautiful panorama. The number of elephants including the majestic tusker that carries the Dhatu Karanduwa will be the cynosure of all eyes.

The Randoli perahera will be the centre of attraction. There will be thousands of devotees who will flock to see the great cultural panorama. The perahera will begin from the Bellanwila temple premises and parade the streets of Dehiwala-Maharagama Road and proceed to Nedimala junction. From there it will proceed along Nadimala-Dehiwala Road, Bellanwila Road and then Sri Somaratana Road and back to Bellanwila Rajamaha Vihara Mawatha.

Elephants

Prior to the commencement of the perahera the annual seven-days Pirith ceremony will be held. The pirith will be chanted invoking the blessings on the devotees who participate in the event. The week-long Pirith ceremony will conclude with the Dorakada Asna.Bellanwila premises were declared as a heritage site by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The erudite scholar monk, Most Ven. Prof. Bellanwila Wimalaratana Nayaka Thera, the Chancellor of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, the chief incumbent of the Bellanwila Rajamaha Vihara and Bellanwila Dhammaratana Nayaka Thera who is residing abroad and other resident Bhikkhus and the Dayaka Sabha are in charge of holding the annual cultural pageant.

[Perahera culture]

The Sacred Tooth Relic was brought to Sri Lanka during the reign of King Srimeghavanna (301-328 C.E.), nine years after he ascended the throne. Wilhelm Geiger (1882-1945) who translated Chulawamsa into English throws light on the beginning of the perahera culture:“In the ninth year of king Sirimeghevanna, a Brahamin woman brought hither to Anuradhapura from the Kalinga Country (India) the Tooth Relic of the Great Sage – Buddha. In the manner set forth in the chronicle, the Tooth Relic was received with reverence.

It was brought to Dhammechakka, built by Devanampiyatissa on the royal territory. The king with tears swelling with joy spent 900,000 Kahetanas and arranged a festival of Tooth Relic.

He declared that it should be brought every year to the Abhayuttara Vihara and that the same sacrificial ceremonial should be conserved.” This was the beginning of the perahera culture in Sri Lanka. Most of the peraheras are held in Esala. The Bellanwila perahera is one of them.