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| Monday, 26 April 2004 |
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Kandy, the final abode of the Sacred Tooth Relic by Godwin Witane The Sacred Tooth Relic, the invaluable gift of the King of Kalinga (Orissa in India) to the then reigning monarch of Lanka, Kitsirimevan (362-409) in the year 371 AD has at last found its final abode in Kandy. After vicissitudes of various fortunes Buddha' tooth was taken to several places in Lanka after it was brought here stealthily across the seas by Prince Datta and Princess Hemamali securely but reverently hidden in her locks.
Thereupon Prince Datta, although he was a Brahamin took the Relic and along with his wife Hemamali arrived in Lanka across the seas carrying with them the Sacred Tooth Relic in the year 371 AD and handed it over to the king who ruled at Anuradhapura. The King enshrined it in a pure cryptal bowl and placed it at Abayagiri Viharaya embellished with costly jewels for public worship. The Sacred Tooth Relic was never enshrined in a Dagoba unlike other relics but always remained a movable revered object devoutly venerated by the Buddhists all over the world. However, it had to be buried in the earth once at Kotmale to save it from the enemies. History records that with the Dravidian conquests the country was unstable and the fate of the Sacred Tooth Relic rested on the devout Buddhist monks who guarded the Relic with warm affection. King Udaya IV (946-954) AD had to flee the capital with the Tooth Relic for safety on the face of the Cholian invasion but they were unsuccessful in capturing it. It was removed to Polonnaruwa. But when Polonnaruwa was stormed by the Cholians the Sacred Relic was removed to Ruhuna. It was brought back by Parakramabahu I (1153-1186) AD. It was safe in the hands of King Nissanka Malla. (1186-1196 AD). When the Cholians captured Polonnaruwa the Buddhist monks removed the Relic to the hill country including Kotmale. King Vijayabahu III (1232-1236 AD) who ascended the throne at Dambadeniya brought it from Beligale in Kotmale to Dambadeniya. When King Parakramabahu II (1272-1293 AD) was reigning at Yapahuwa the Sacred Tooth Relic was seized by Mitta, a vicious general and was taken to India by another Dravidian general called Chakravarti. However, King Parakramabahu IV (1303-1333 AD) who reigned at Kurunegala managed to persuade the Dravidians and bring the Sacred Tooth Relic to Kurunegala. During the reign of nearly 150 kings in Lanka the Sacred Tooth Relic had to undergo many a travail taking refuge in numerous secret places to ensure its safety from invaders for it is said that whoever possessed the Tooth Relic had the divine power to govern the country. The Sacred Relic was taken from Kurunegala to Gampola by Pandit King Parakramabahu. From Gampola the Sacred Tooth Relic was brought to Sri Jayawardenapura, Kotte by Vijabahu II and guarded in a special Mandapaya for safety. When the Portuguese captured Kotte the Portuguese Bishop of Goa in India got it down with the purpose of destroying it to facilitate the proselytizing of the people to Catholicism thus preventing the 'heathens' from worshipping an idol. But when the Buddhist monks got wind of this threat they secretly prepared a duplicate tooth out of ivory and replaced it in the relic house after removing the original Tooth Relic to safety. Thereby the Sacred Tooth Relic was saved from the vandals. Once the Dutch captured Ceylon they found the Sacred Tooth Relic was a hindrance for their propagation of the Christian religion and in the process destroyed the Palace at Kundasale but failed to lay their hands on the Tooth Relic. The apostate Rajasinghe I, when he embraced Hinduism, the people removed the Tooth Relic to Delgamuwa Viharaya. When Wimaladharmasuriya I (1592-1604 AD) ascended the throne of Kandy he brought the Tooth Relic to Kandy and placed it in a two storied edifice. During the reign of King Senerath (1611 AD) the king's palace was burnt and the King fled to Hanguranketha with the Tooth Relic and hid it there for safety. King Wimaladharmasuriya II (1689-1707 AD) again brought it to Kandy and enshrined it in a golden casket. The present Dalada Maligawa is the work of King Narendrasinghe (1707-1739 AD). This was later rebursed by King Kirtisri Rajasinghe (1747-1781 AD). The octagon and the Kandy Lake were the work of King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe (1798-1815 AD). It is a known fact that for about 15 centuries the Sacred Tooth Relic had no fixed shelter unlike other relics enshrined in Dagobas. However, the Tooth Relic has remained in Kandy for over 3 centuries. The Relic is covered in seven caskets and the Sacred Relic takes abode in the bottommost and smallest of them. The Tooth Relic has now stood the test of time for over 25 centuries. When the British led by Major Davy invaded Kandy in 1803 the Sacred Dalada was taken to Meda Maha Nuwara. Lastly it was taken to Mahiyangana Viharaya. The Sinhalese Kings guarded the Tooth Relic from falling into the hands of enemies. Before the British invaded Kandy the Tooth Relic was removed to Pusulpitiya Viharaya by Hulangamuwa Thera. When it was again brought back to Kandy there was great rejoicing. King Sri Wickrema himself paraded in a Royal Carriage in the Kandy Perahera. After the fall of Kandy in 1815 Governor Brownrigg held a procession in a great splendour carrying the Tooth Relic. Thereafter the Tooth Relic was guarded by British soldiers. In 1828 Governor Barnes held a perahera according to the ancient customs and rituals to hand over the custody of the Sacred Tooth Relic to the Kandyan Chiefs. In this perahera the deposed Chief Adigar Ehelepola rode on horse back deputising the King. Once D'Oily was appointed Commissioner of Kandy he knew the importance of the Tooth Relic in the interest of the British. They now had the authority to rule the country and were aware of the belief of the natives that possession of the Tooth Relic had the authority to rule the country. He achieved his object with the consent of the monks of Asgiriya and Malwatta temples and the co-operation of the Kandyan Chiefs. During the Uva-Vellassa rebellion headed by the Chief Adigar Keppitipola the Tooth Relic was fraudulently removed by Wariapola Sumangala Thera to Kivlegedera in Uva where the people flocked to worship it. Once the leaders of the Uva Rebellion were captured in 1818 Wariapola Sumangala Thera hid the Danta Datuwa in a bundle of robes and was hiding but the British soldiers captured him and the Sacred Tooth Relic fell into the hands of the British once again and their rule was firmly established. The Sacred Tooth Relic is now under the Sri Lankan Government safely secured under the custody of the Diyawadana Nilame Neranjan Wijayaratna. |
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Produced by Lake House |
The Sacred Tooth Relic will shine in Sri Lanka as long as the devoted
Sinhalese nation thrives on this earth. Among the world's relics the
Sacred Tooth of the Buddha has taken a unique position. The left tooth of
the Supreme Being was removed from the pyre at Kusinarama in India. In
ancient days there was religious rivalry to possess the Sacred Tooth Relic
as it was the Royal Palladium of the kings. But in Kalinga the Brahamins
raised protests against this 'idol worship' as they called it and waged
war with the king Guhasiva to capture it with the sole purpose of
destroying it. In this war the king was killed.
