The significance of Dumbara

The people of the Polonnaruwa kingdom have strong links with Dumbara. Former MP S.B. Karalliyadde, ventures to analyse some of the most important antecedents in this short essay:

Pulathisipura is a kingdom with a long standing and unprecedented past founded by Risi Pulasthi who lived about five thousand years before the Buddha was born. When Jesus Christ was born, Dumbara had a flourishing kingdom from the Vijayaraja Dynasty and Chulabaya (34-35) was our ruler. The mighty emperor Ravana, son of Pulasthi was a ruler here.

Ravana has left the impression of his rule by place names such as Ravan-oya Ravana-elle, Seethakotuwa, Udurawana Yatirawana and many other place names in Dumbara alone. During the last colonial rule it was late W.T.B. Karalliyadda who was the Rate Mahattaya of Polonnaruwa and Tamankaduwa. He was the first member of State Council to represent Matale District and a part of Polonnaruwa, which was under Matale District.

This in short will show the links of ancient Pulathisipura or Polonnaruwa with Dumbrasta or Dumbara today and the President's visit further reinforces and strengthens our historical relations.

Polonnaruwa was our second capital and the kingdom after the fall of Anuradhapura. The animal infested jungles in Polonnaruwa were cleared for human habitation and water from the diversion from Minipe to Minneriya and Kavudulla tanks were taken by King Mahasen a native of Dumbara.

This Dumbara son is worshiped to-day as 'Minneriya Deiya' and anyone entering Polonnaruwa make it a point to pay homage at the Minneriya Devalaya.

When the kingdom was deserted for twenty one years (1215-1236) after the Maga invasion, it was again Bodhiraja from Galahitiyawa in Dumbara who chased away the Maga and restored the Polonnaruwa kingdom as Vijayabahu III.

Suffice it to mention these two incidents show the strong relationship of these two kingdoms.

There are six written historical and archaeological reasons to show how Dumbara came to be known, but I give here one simple reason that could be remembered easily by all and sundry.

Dumbara today

The area covered with mist came to be known as Dumbara. Dumbara soil had the origin and flourishing of a number of dynasties. Mehenawaras, Kshatriyas, originated from Dumbara.

President Maithripala Sirisena will attend the Nikini Poya sermon at the historic Karalliyadda temple in the Dumbara valley on August 29 He is expected to attend the event on the invitation of Ven Naranpanawa Ananda Thera, the Anunayaka of Asigiriya Chapter of the Siyam Mahanikaya and the Principal of the Asigriya Maha Pirivena, the institute of Bhikkhu education.

Others are the Lambakarna dynasty of King Wasaba of Minipe, a Kshatriya, Wijayaraja, etc. The assassination of Yasalalakatissa by his gate keeper saw the end of the Wijayaraja dynasty.

Today Dumbara is divided into four Divisional Secretaries Divisions for easy administration. They are Uda Dumbara, Patha Dumbara, Meda Dumbara and Minipe. A part of Dumbara now comes in the Kundasale Divisional Secretary's area.

In the ancient times we had the Maha Malaya kingdom with Sandagalanuwara (present day Handaganawa) as its' capital.

The ruler was King Kutakannatissa (22-44 BC) of the Vijayaraja dynasty. The kingdom covered the river basin area up to Maduru Oya and a part of Uva including Udukinda and Yatikinda. Rev. Thotagamuwe Sri Rahula Sangaraja Thera in Kavyasekaraya mentions about the kings from Dumbara thus,

"Sirisangabo Nirindu - Vikum vedi Mahasen radu

Kithsirime Nirindu - Bujas Mahanam Kumaradas radu"

It was during the reign of Kithsirimevan that the sacred tooth relic was brought to Lanka. Out of the nine Parakramabahu kings who ruled in Lanka, seven are from Dumbara Pansiya Pattu. Vijayabahu II, Vijayabahu III and Gajabahu II are from Dumbara. The majority of those who ruled under the name of Buwanekabahu are from Dumbara. Each one of them left an indelible mark and contributed to our history, a unique service which cannot be mentioned in a short eulogy.

The great gift

Dumbara gifted to the nation three of the Sangaraja Maha Theras during Sitawaka, Dedigama and Kotte eras. They are Uttaramulla Sri Rahula, his chief pupil Keragala Wanaratana, and Nephew Totagamuwe Sri Rahula. After they were elevated to the post of Sangaraja they lived in Wattala Maha Vehera, Keragala Wanaratana pirivena and Totagamuwe Pirivena.

According to Buddhist literature and belief two of the Bodhisatwa who will attain Buddhahood are from Dumbara soil. One is King Sri Sangabo (251-253 AD) from Minipe and the other is Natha, the god who was venerated by all Buddhists. He was in Dumbara until Pitiye Deiya a soil god chased him away in a battle at Yakgahapitiya.

God Natha is believed to have lived after this incident at the premises of the present Natha Devale in Senkadagala. God Natha is believed to be the Maithree Bodhisathva.

I must also mention the names of other Dumbara notables, whose names remain immortal in our history.

Buwaneka Bahu II who had a beautiful daughter - Pathmini - whose beauty was known among the Princes of India and other foreign soils committed suicide by jumping into a fire from the king's palace at Galenuwara (present Meda Mahanuwara) because she refused to be the queen of Wasthuhamy, alias Wathhimi, son of Hameershankhan, a Malay whose son the king adopted and later killed the king and became Parakrama Bahu IV alias Pandita Parakrama Bahu to rule from Kurunegala (1302-1326).

Woman of destiny

The second is the woman of destiny who fled to Mannar with her parents to escape the wrath of Rajasinghe of Sitawaka and joined the Portuguese. She became the Queen of Senkadagala in 1592. This was a period when every Sinhala prince who had a right to the Senkadagala throne joined the Portuguese. Yamasinghe Bandara Don was baptised Don Jao, Nikapitiya Bandara was baptised Don Phillip and Tammita Bandara, Don Francis Barato.

Kusumasana Devi who was also baptised Dona Catherina with Wimaladharmasuriya defeated Rajasinghe I at Balana and the Portuguese at Danture and established the Senkadagala Kingdom once again. She inaugurated a line of kings who ruled for over one and half centuries.

Kusumasana Devi brought the Tooth Relic from Delgamuvihare and deposited it in the Dalada Maligawa in Kandy. If not for her, we would have been a Portuguese colony and the Sinhala race eliminated. There would be no Buddhists, or Buddhism in this country. There would have been no Dalada Maligawa to call a world heritage building.

It is in the casket that she got cut from a single gem stone from Menikdiwela that the sacred relic was deposited and brought to Senkadagala from Sabaragamuwa.

To this day the relic lies in this casket carved out of a single gem. It was the craftsmen of Yatinuwara whose talents and craftsmanship that preserve the sacred object.