Deep history

At a time when many people are trying to ignore historical facts and cling on to blind faith and legends it is heartening to find a person who is willing to seek the truth. Truth when we find it may not be what we expect or what we wish to find.

Yet it is not what we can try to keep buried forever. Sometimes we are afraid to dig into the past because what is discovered may not be what we want to find or knowing that what we tell the world as the truth is not exactly the truth.

To know at least some of the truth, we have to dig into the past, excavate our historic sites, but not to look for hidden treasures. This is what the Asoka Jayathilaka Foundation has offered to fund, to carry out a survey of the ruins of the ancient stupa at the Manabharana Raja Maha Viharaya in Siyambalanduwa. If the stupa had been named after Manabharana, son of Sugala, then we could find some information about queen Sugala and her conflict with Parakramabahu, which the Mahavamsa has not provided.

A preliminary survey may not provide much data, but it could create further interest and Asoka Jayathilaka could provide more funds, or the other lay devotees of the present temple could make their own contributions for further excavations.

This project could also be an inducement for other philanthropists to get involved in the exploration, preservation, and where possible, restoration of our ancient monuments, not only among the Buddhists, but also people of other races and creeds.

One such location where we could explore is Kuragala, one of the sacred spaces which probably had been a place of veneration and meditation from the time of Balangoda Man or even earlier cultures. The human skeleton found recently at Pahiyangala is said to be 37,000 years old. These people would have roamed around here. This pre-historic Sri Lankan may have contemplated on his life and the mysteries of nature while seated on this rock ledge. He would have prayed or sought help from the forces which he did not yet understand.

Yaksha and the Naga tribes of Sri Lana would have been the next occupants of Kuragala, giving rise to the legends that this was the Indragiri mountain of Ravana. Kuragala has been identified as Thanduleiya Pabbata, by Kirielle Gnanavimala thera, and that it was occupied by the Yaksha tribe and that they cultivated all the fields in the Kaltota plains below.

A detailed archaeological investigation and excavations at Kuragala would give us all the data we need to trace its history, of probably uninterrupted use as a sacred space. The earliest available archaeological evidence we have so far are the three rock inscriptions, read by Prof. Paranavitana.

“....dataha Samudaha lene”, The cave of ...datta and Samudda.

“...Sumanaha, Parumakalu Sumaya” Chief Sumana and Chieftainess Summa

“Parumaka Sona-putasa bata-punasagutasa lene” The cave of Lord Punasaguta, son of the chief Sona.

Much later legends began to grow that the Buddha had left his footprint on Kuragala too, in the same manner as the Footprint on Sripada (Adam's Peak), which also lies within the Sabaragamuwa district. As at Sripada, the footprint is believed to have been covered with a huge rock. There is no historical evidence about this claim, except for what has been mentioned in several folk songs in the region. There is also a belief among the Hindus that the foot print is that of God Siva. It was in the 12th century that the Sufi Saint Sheike Muhitadeen Abdul Qadir Jilani, had meditated for twelve years at Kuragala. Muslims had rediscovered the site later in 1875, by Seyed Mustafa Rahuman (Periya Bawa) from Lakshadweepa who opened it for worship and began the Jailani festival from 1989. It is claimed there are hand-prints in one of the caves.

When they were placed on the cave wall could be ascertained with the technology available today. Palm-prints are found in Sri Lanka too, in many caves, including caves at the Magul Maha Viharaya in the Yala sanctuary, which are considered to be registers of mirror representations, when imprints of parts of the body were left as a means of communication or to leave a record of their presence.

A detailed archaeological study of Kuragala and the surroundings could tell us a lot more about its history. Since the Department of Archaeology has limited funds and resources, the philanthropists of all faiths could contribute for this research. In the meantime, Kuragala could be made a scared space for all faiths, but under the management of the Department of Archaeology or the Ministry of National Heritage.

The concept of the multi-faith space or multi-religious shrine is not new. In Macedonia, at the shrine of St. Nicholas, the Orthodox Christians and various Muslim denominations celebrate the birth of their respective saints, St. George and H'd'r Baba on May 6th. Closer home, we have the Dhyanalinga Temple in Coimbatore. “This meditative space does not ascribe to any particular faith or belief system nor does it require any ritual, prayer, or worship”.

“Co-existence is mankind's only alternative to mass-suicide in the Atomic Age...Ó(A. J. Toynbee, America and the World Revolution, London 1962, p. 49).

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