Ceremony to commemorate Sangharaja Thera

An artist’s impression of  Ven. Welivita Sri Saranankara Sangharaja Thero 

This ceremony will be followed by the 72nd Sri Sangharaja Perahera

Saranankara Samanera could not obtain the help of the king to foster Buddhism

Ven. Saranankara Samanera Thera did not like the ways of Ganinnanses

Ven. Welivita Sri Saranankara Sangharaja Thero will be commemorated at a ceremony to be held at Malwatte Maha Viharaya in Kandy on July 27 (Friday), which is marked as Esala Poya in the Buddhist calendar. Ven. Thibbotuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Maha Nayake Thera is expected to preside over the ceremony, which is scheduled to begin at 2.30 pm.   

This ceremony will be followed by the 72nd Sri Sangharaja Perahera which will parade the streets of Kandy. This ceremony is patronized by the Mahanayake Thero. Assistance will be provided by the senior members of the Karaka Sabha, Ven. Mahopadyaya Agga Maha Panditha Aluthgama Dhammananda Nayake Thero and his pupil Ven. Ketayapathane Piyadassi Nayake Thero, Karaka Sabha member P.B. Dissanayake, Governor Central Provincial Council Tikiri Kobbekaduwa, L.H. Harischandra, President Sri Sangharaja Gunanusmarana Sangamaya Sarath Perera, Secretary Chapa Weeraratne, Treasurer of the Sangamaya Kusuma Weeraratne, President of the Kantha Sangamaya, Secretary to the Governor Kesara Senanayake, Major H.M.T. Hitisekara, District Secretary Palitha Bandara, Divisional Secretary Parakrama Jayawardena, Commissioner of Buddhist Affairs and representatives of various Buddhist societies in Kandy, Kandy Municipal Council, Sri Sangharaja Daham Pasala and Sri Dalada Maligawa.   

Ven. Welivita Saranankara Sangharaja Thera was born in a village called Welivita near Thumpane in Kandy District on 18th June 1698. 

His father was Mudlier Kulatunga. He was given the name Kulatunga Banda. He was ordained at the Swiyapoda Raja Maha Viharaya by the Viharadhipathi Kithsirimevan Rajasundera Gurunnanse who was also the Viharadhipathi of Poya Malu Viharaya of Malwatte Maha Viharaya.   

There were monks who received higher ordination during this time. Only novices were in-change of Viharayas. As king Veera Parakrama Narendrasighe (1707-1739), who ruled the country during this period, was in close association with Rev. Jacome Gonsalves, the missionary from Goa to Sri Lanka. The Catholic literature of the Catholic Church predicted the complete eradication of Buddhist doctrine within few years. Saranankara Samanera could not obtain the help of the king to foster Buddhism, but he was successful in getting the help of the king to inaugurate the first pirivena at Niyamakanda in Udunuwara.   

Decline in the Buddhist order 

Ven. Saranankara Samanera Thera did not like the ways of Ganinnanses, priests who were ordained, but had wives and children in Viharayas. He organised a separate Bhikku clan called ‘Silvath Samagama’. The church did not like this Silvath Samagama and went on a murder spree by poisoning many Samaneras of this samagama. A conspiracy hatched by the chief priest of the Christian Church to poison the Sangharaja through Kaffirs was exposed and information was sent to the Dutch Governor who ruled the coastal areas. He deported the Christian chief priest to his homeland. This was narrated in the book Mandaram Puwatha.   

The first Sri Sangharaja Perahera was held on July 25, 1947, starting from Daluggolla Raja Maha Viharaya, Ampitiya, where the remains of Sangharaja were cremated

All aspirations of Ven. Saranankara Thera were fulfilled after King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe (1747–1782 AC) ascended the throne.   

The king was able to obtain the help of the Dutch to provide the ship ‘Tharka’ for the emissaries to travel to Siam (Thailand) to bring Bhikkhus for higher ordination.   
King Dharmika of Siam sent 21 Bhikkhus, eight novices and three Siamese ministers by a Siamese ship which landed at the Trincomalee harbour on Esala Poya Day in 1746 AC. Sri Lankan Ministers returned to Colombo by the Dutch ship. The historic ‘Upasampadawa’ was held at the ‘Visumgrama Seema Malakaya Uposathagaraya’ of Malwatte Maha Viharaya in 1753 by Upali Maha Thera of Siam. These efforts helped establish a clan of Bhikkus called ‘Shiamopali Maha Nikaya’, (combination of two words “Shiam” and “Upali” became ‘Shiamopali’).   

Annual pageant 

Ven. Aluthgama Dhammananda Thera of Malwatte Maha Viharaya inaugurated the ‘Sri Sangharaja Gunanusmarana Sangamaya, Kandy on 15th May 1947, at a meeting held at Sri Pushpadana Society Hall. This ceremony was presided over by Ven. Rambukwelle Sri Sobitha Maha Nayake Thera of the Malwatte Chapter. The monk decided to hold an annual perahera (Pageant) to commemorate Sangharaja along with other activists.   

The first Sri Sangharaja Perahera was held on July 25, 1947, starting from Daluggolla Raja Maha Viharaya, Ampitiya, where the remains of Sangharaja were cremated. Here a Chaithya was constructed by King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe enshrining the ashes a Sangharaja along with the sacred relics the Gautama Buddha.   
The Sangharaja statue was unveiled by Pananwala Basnayaka Nilame of Srimath Upulwan Devalaya while a pageant organised by C.B Nugawela, Diyawadena Nilame paraded the streets of Kandy and concluded at Mawatte Maha Viharaya.