The holy city from Buddha’s time

By D.C. Ranatunga

“A long set of steps, like logical arguments to a great principle, leads to the Kelaniya Temple from the red road below. A dagoba, shaped like a thought of devotion in the mind of a pilgrim, dominates the precincts above.

“One Sunday morning in late January 1937, as I watched the devotees ascending the steps to the great shrine, I thought of the symbolic grandeur of the easy climb from the world of men to a region far removed from them.”

These observations by eminent writer, D.B. Dhanapala in the opening paragraphs on the chapter on Soliyas Mendis, the renowned artist in ‘Among those present’, relate to a significant event in the modern history of the Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara. He was referring to the day when the modern section of the shrine was being handed over to the Sangha by the donor Helena Wijewardene.

Kelaniya Vihare has a chequered history from the time of the Buddha. Being one of the 16 places (Solosmasthāna) hallowed by the visits of the Buddha, Kelaniya figures prominently among Buddhist places of worship in Sri Lanka. The Buddha’s visit eight years after attaining Enlightenment was to Kelaniya. That was the Buddha’s third and final visit to the island. The Mahavamsa records the visit thus:

“In the eighth year after he had attained buddhahood, when the Vanquisher was dwelling at Jetavana, the Master set forth surrounded by five hundred bhisskhus, on the second day of the beautiful month of Vesākha, at the full moon, and when the hour of the meal was announced, the Vanquisher, the prince of the wise, forthwith putting on his robe and taking his alms-bowl went to the Kalyāni country, the habitation of Maniakkhika.  

“Under a canopy decked with gems, raised upon the spot where (afterwards) the Kalyani cetiya was built, he took his place, together with the brotherhood of bhikkhus, upon a precious throne-seat.  And, greatly rejoicing, the nāga-king with his following served celestial food, both hard and soft, to the king of truth, the Conqueror, with his followers.  “When the Teacher, compassionate to the whole world, had preached the doctrine there, he rose, the Master, and left the traces of his footsteps plain to sight on Sumanakūta.” (Translation by Wlhelm Geiger)

Thus, the original dagoba at Kelaniya enshrined a gem studded throne on which the Buddha sat and preached. It is also said that the Buddha bathed in the Kelani Ganga, which flows close to the temple. The construction of the original dagoba is credited to the nāga king Maniakkhika on whose invitation the Buddha came to Kelaniya.

Kelaniya is mentioned during the Anuradhapura period when one of the two younger brothers of King Devanampiyatissa, Uttiya was the sub-king of Maya Rata with his capital at Kelaniya. (The other brother Mahanaga was ruler of Ruhuna). Prince Uttiya and one of Prince Mahanaga’s sons, Yatalatissa have been patrons of the Kelani vhara which they renovated. Thus the vihara became a ‘Raja Maha Vihara’ (temple that receives royal patronage) from ancient times.

The well-known story of how King Kelani Tissa sent his daughter, Viharadevi adrift in a boat to appease the gods of the sea and protect his kingdom being swallowed up by the waves as retribution for his killing of an arahat brings Kelaniya into focus.

The princess was cast ashore close to Mahāgāma in th deep south where Kakavanna or Kavantissa was ruling. He espoused her as his consort. She became the mother of Abhaya, surnamed Dutthagamani and Tissa. The former was to unify the country and rule from Anuradhapura and the sovereign of Sri Lanka.

Kelaniya has been a military outpost during the time of King Parakramabahu I (12th century AC) and there is mention of the other Polonnaruwa king, Nissanka Malla visiting the Kelaniya Vihara. Time and again, Tamil invaders had attacked the temple until King Vijayabahu III (13th century) built a new city and restored the temple. It was ravaged once again after the Portuguese landed in 1505.

Kelaniya temple is famous for its murals which are of different styles. The set of medieval frescoes in the old Budu-ge dates back to the Kandyan period. They are well preserved. They depict mostly Jataka stories. There are also wall paintings of the ‘Mara Yudde’, the Buddha’s battle with Mara – defiling factors. The ‘Solosmasthana’ is also featured.

In the other hall are the modern ones by Soliyas Mendis.  Dhanapala considers them as the best work done in Sri Lanka since the Polonnaruwa period, if not Sigiriya.

He describes them as “a throw back in easy bit masterful handling of mass compositions of the original ASjanta Art, while keeping to the regular rectangular panels of Kandyan Art, in the picturisation of incidents in a story.”

Mendis introduced a new feature to the traditions of temple painting at Kelaniya temple. Whereas the earlier ones were confined to events associated with the Buddha or Jataka stories, he painted a series of panels dealing with history.