Ran Viyana renovation in progress at Sri Dalada Maligawa

The “Ran Viyana” of the Sri Dalada Maligawa or the Canopy over the Sacred Tooth Relic is being renovated at a cost of forty three million rupees. The work is now in progress, handled by the State Engineering Corporation. The work was entrusted on a contract signed between the District Secretary and the State Engineering Corporation.   

In the midst of heavy rain, the work is been continued to meet the deadline.   

The renovation is the result of this massive donation by President Maithripala Sirisena at the request of the Mahanayake’s of Asgiri, Malwatu and also Diyawadana Nilame as the lay custodian.   

The Golden Canopy or the Ran Viyana was the grant of former President Ranasinghe Premadasa, where a controversy arose as it is built over the oldest wattle and daub building known as ‘Vadihististanaya’ or the place where resides the Sacred Tooth Relic, but the Diyawadana Nilame Neeranjan Wijeyratne and the Mahanayake’s saw nothing wrong in building a canopy over the oldest building of the Maligawa Complex, They pointed out that it would grant protection for the old building and would also ward off the monkeys who gather over this old building and damage the tiles.   

The renovation is the result of this massive donation by President Maithripala Sirisena at the request of the Mahanayake’s of Asgiri, Malwatu and also Diyawadana Nilame as the lay custodians

However, it was again the State Enineering Corporation who undertook this construction, taking care not to disturb the foundation of either the new building or the old building. In the recent period the present Diyawadana Nilame Pradeep Nilanga Dela had it renovated with gold strips. But, it needed a repair and the custodians had to call on the President for this purpose.   

President Maithripala Sirisena magnanimously gave an outright donation for this purpose and now the work is being carried out.