Focus on historically significant places

Heritage of Sri Lanka
Author: Prof. Indrakeerthi Siriweera
Publisher: Dayawansa Jayakody Co. Ltd.
Reviwed by Satharathilaka Banda Atugoda

Prof. Indrakeerthi Siriweera has gifted a valuable intellectual work to the nation, with his work on Heritage of Sri Lanka. Being an eminent historian, his objective has been to present the academia with a descriptive compendium of ‘historically important places, cities, reservoirs, and some aspects of the heritage of Sri-Lanka.’

The author has selected 23 sites of historical, archaeological, religious, irrigational and cultural significance and the rest of the chapters deal with technology used by the nation in building industry, ranging from ports to roads. He also concentrates on fishing and facilities provided in the welfare of the people particularly in the field of healthcare.

Hence the work is a collection of varied parameters which were the hallmarks of a developed civilisation descending from the early Buddhist era to the present day. The beauty of the content selected is that most of the material portrayed in the book go also to signify the influence of the Buddhist doctrine in the whole gamut of the people’s lives.

Siriweera starts with Mihintale and goes on to discuss the significance of Bodhgaya, Sri Mahabodhi, the stupas, and the Sacred Tooth Relic. and subsequently touches on the functional aspects of cities such as Anuradhapura, Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa, Yapahuwa and Kotte. It is difficult to record all the finer details in this research work, and hence a selection has been made and four specific topics are emphasised namely, Trincomalee, Adam’s Peak, Kataragama and Gadaladeniya.

Trincomalee

On Trincomalee, the history from very early times is traced. The Mahavamasa calls it Gokanna, where the Queen of Panduvasudeva, Princess Bhaddakachchayana set foot. The chapter throws light on the functional port, where Hindu and Buddhist communities were engaged in religious rituals. Gokanna temple had been built by King Mahasena (274-301) and the Hindu temple there had been reconstructed during the Chola Rule (1017-1070), and it is called Konesvaram or Kona Parvatha in the Takshina Kailaca Puranam.

The temple was built in 1960-1963, after being destroyed by the Portuguese General Constantine De Saa. From historical times Gokanna Konesvaram was connected to Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. Tirukkonamalai, the name used from the 16th century, was anglicised to become Trincomalee. It became an important international port during the occupation by the western powers politically important due to naval base and the oil tank farms, as lucidly analysed by Prof. Siriweera.

Sri Pada or Adam’s Peak, is the Summit where the Buddha visited, met God Saman in the 8th year after His Enlightenment and the Mahavamsa describes the sacred event. Later it became Sivam adi Padam for Hindus, Adam’s Peak for Christians and Muslims and all communities visit the Peak for respective significance. Vijayabahu, Parakramabahu and Nissankamalla of Polonnaruwa and Kings of Kandy made land grants to Sri Pada. The author brings out documentary and even inscriptional evidence to show the extents of these grants and how Sri Pada became venerated by followers of other religions.

Kataragama

Similarly, he describes Kataragama as a shared heritage of Buddhists and Hindus. As the Mahavamsa records, one of the eight Bo-Saplings sprouted from the Sri Maha Bodhi one was taken by Kshatriyas of Kacharagama, indicating that Buddhist veneration of Kataragama had started since pre-Christian times, may be even during Davanampiya Tissa era (250-210 BC).

During the Chola occupation of Rajarata between 1017-1070, a chieftain Lokeswara, made Kataragama his seat of rule of some parts of Ruhuna. Later an Army Commander named Keshadatu Kashyapa, defeated him. For Hindus it is the domain of God Murukan or Katiragamaperumal; they consider God Murukan’s junior consort Valli and brother God Ganesha too are Kataragama deities. However, Prof. Siriweera contends that God Murukan or Skandha was popular only in the 13th century, and it was after the 14th century that Kataragama was popular among Hindus as a sacred place.

God Skandha, in fact, became an additional guardian deity of Lanka, the other three being, Kihireli Upulvan, Saman Boksal and Vibhishana. Hinduism became an influencing force to Buddhists, Hindu Gods too, occupying Buddhist temple precincts, as seen in Lankatilaka, or Gadaladeniya and other temples of later period. Saivaites from South India too paid homage to Kataragama as seen from hymns in Tiruppukal.The Portuguese destroyed most of the religious places or plundered their wealth, but Kataragama somehow escaped destruction. British writers, including Robert Knox mention the offerings made to God at Kataragama by people of Sri Lanka and India. However, the original Devala have not been reconstructed, may be, they are considered as sacrilegious.

Galaladeniya

The Gadaladeniya temple of the Gampola Period has been called the ’Synthesis of Buddha and God Worship’, by the author. The origin of it is traced to a Bhikkhu, Silavamsa Dharmakeerthi, who had lived in South India for a short period as a pupil of a Chola Bhikkhu. The Hindu influence of Pandya and Vijayanagar kingdoms on Gadaladeniya had come through the Bhikkhu and also through the architect of the complex named Ganeshvaracharya of South India.

The temple was also known as Dharmakeerthi Vihara, originally, and Nikayasangrahaya calls it Saddharmatilaka Vihara while, Saddharmaratnakara of the 15th century named it Gadaladeni Vihara. The shrine has been constructed of granite and the pillars around has been intricately sculptured with lotuses, dwarfs, wrestlers, flute players and dancers. The main shrine consists of a seated Buddha on a Vajrasana, a bronze statue of Nalanda-posture, and adjoining on to the south is the sanctum of God Upulvan or Varuna. The Avasa Ge surrounds a Meda Midula, an inner courtyard.

Irrigation

Turning to irrigation, Prof. Siriweera, writes on ‘Small tanks and food security’, ‘Irrigation technology’, Minneri reservoir and the colonisation schemes of Kalawewa, Padaviya, Naccadduwa, Vahalkada and analyses the highly sophisticated engineering skills of the Sinhala people. In the field of commerce and economy, he discusses the ancient ports, fishing, pearl fisheries, and roads and bridges. In the segment on people’s welfare, are essays on sanitation and health care and ancient hospitals in Rajarata. Agricultural practices are dealt with in the chapters on Kem practices in paddy culture and pot ceremony (Mutti Mangalyaya). Farmers’ friend cattle have been dealt with in the chapter on treatment of cattle diseases. In the appendix is an article on our alma mater - the University of Peradeniya. Prof. Siriweera’s work is a synthesis of the varied aspects of life of Sri Lanka and mainly our historical, archaeological and religious heritage which should be protected by generations to come. It is therefore opportune that he has wisely dedicated it to the intelligentia and the academia to think deeply on what we have inherited and how we should protect these national treasures for generations to be born in this paradise isle.

The writer is a retired Ambassador, Sri Lanka Foreign Service.