Memories of a black January when LTTE blasted the Maligawa

A visual of the Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Tooth) after terrorists triggered a bomb blast

Gen. Anuruddha Ratwatte

Former Diyawadana Nilame Neranjan Wijeyeratne

Ranil Wickremesinghe

Even if the LTTE had gained entrance into the inner shrine, they would have failed to locate the place where the Sacred Relic was hidden

Of course the LTTE could not have had their own way as they miscalculated the route, which was open

The 25th of January, 1998 isn’t a day for an anniversary nor remembrance. It is a day for the government to repent for not heeding the advice of religious custodians, Mahanayake of Asgiriya Ven. Palipanne Chandananda, Mahanayake of Malwatta Ven. Rambukwelle Vippassi, nor the lay custodian Neranjan Wijeyeratne that the celebrations of the 50th Anniversary of Independence should not be held at the Sacred grounds of Mahamaluwa. The Mahamaluwa (or Maha Maluwa) is the sacred ground, or open upper terrace, located in front of the Sri Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic) in Kandy.

The Sacred Tooth Relic was brought for the first and last time to this hallowed grounds.

So they went ahead with the celebrations only to be attacked by the world’s most deadliest terrorist outfit then, the LTTE.  But the terrorists could not achieve their target, but created much damage that had to be rebuilt by the people’s money. The government of the day did not give any money. However all the repairs were taken care of by the next government led by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. The new regime allocated monies at the first Cabinet meeting and the funds were used to establish the Buddhist Centre at Pallekelle; according  to the former Diyawadana Nilame Neranjan Wijeyeratne. 

So after the damage was done on that fateful January day, the entire world watched the news to find out the fate of the Sacred Tooth Relic placed at the Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy.

It was only around noon that day that the first visuals of the inner shrine room were displayed by Rupavahini and relayed the world over.  

No one was allowed to remove the photographs, but this scribe entered the inner Shrine Room with Diyawadana Nilame Neranjan Wijeyeratne for the first time after the blast. The electricity connections within the Maligawa had been disconnected due to the blast. The one bulb within the inner shrine that functioned while all others were out of order is not accounted for.

When President Chandrika Kumarathunga claimed that no photographs be allowed within the Shrine, Diyawadana Nilame Neranjan Wijeyeratne told her that the Photographs had been removed. She told Wijeyeratne not to allow anyone else to take pictures.

I knew that the Diyawadana Nilame would enter the Shrine, though closed after the morning rituals as the detonates went around 6.05 am.

This writer was with the Rupavahini and my foremost concern was to find what had happened within the inner shrine. My other colleagues from the newspapers were concerned about the damage outside and they understood that they cannot enter the shrine with the Police around. When the blast occurred there were only six policemen on duty since they did not expect a blast to be initiated by the most hated and deadly group of assailants in the world.

But even if the LTTE’s target was damaging the Sacred Tooth Relic or removing it, that could not have been done, as the Sacred Tooth Relic was not placed under the Golden Karanduwa (Casket) as it should have rested in the gold “Corn Cob” with red gems, as a hair ornament of Princess Hemamali.

In an exclusive interview with this scribe, in 2022, Former Diyawadana Nilame Wijeyeratne, said that the Sacred Tooth Relic had been removed from its normal resting place and placed in a secret place within the Shrine. He said that this information was known only by him and the Mahanayake’s of Asgiriya Ven. Palipanne Chandananda and the Mahanayake of Malwatta Ven. Rambukwela Vippassi. 

He said that this disaster took place when their advice was not heeded by the organisers of the celebrations for the 50th Anniversary.
He said that even if the LTTE had gained entrance into the inner shrine, they would never have been able to locate the place where the Sacred Relic was hidden.

This move was done akin to during the World War II of 1939.

He said that this move was made when he and both Maha Nayake’s had pleaded with the Government that the celebrations should not take place at Mahamaluwa and the Sri Dalada Maligawa Precincts.  But they would hear nothing and were determined that the celebrations would take place in this area to teach the LTTE, a lesson. They did not realise that the LTTE outfit was the most deadly outfit of the day. 

Gen. Anuruddha Ratwatte, who was in charge of the celebrations, made a Press statement in Kandy that they would teach the LTTE a lesson. 

Of course the LTTE could not have had their own way as they miscalculated the route, which was open. The terrorists banged the vehicle on the ‘Sandakada Pahana’ in front of the Great Grate (or Mahawahalkada) which was three inches above the ground as pointed out in in the Judicial proceedings at the Kandy High Court before Judge Lekamwasam.

The ‘detonate’ was packed between the driver’s cab and the body of the vehicle.  The impact of the jerk of the vehicle when colliding with the Sandakada Pahana ignited the detonate. 

The photograph, a ‘still’, was removed from the original video tape, which was handed over to SLRC around four hours after the capture of the pictures on this sad day.

It so happened that all other reporters were removing the photographs to take them to their respective office’s in Colombo. This scribe wished to know as to what had happened to the Sacred Relic. At that time even this scribe did not know that the Sacred Relic was removed from the original site, with the original “Corn Cob” shaped hair ornament of Princess Hemamali which was brought from India.