Reestablish Sinhala Ownership Against Hindu Invasion of Okanda Dewalaya and Okanda Kataragama Dewalaya
Posted on August 31st, 2019
Dilrook Kannangara
Attention is paid to Muhudu Maha Viharaya
thanks to untiring efforts of Buddhists. However, close by are other Sinhala
heritage sites that have been invaded and converted to South Indian shrines by
Hindus. There was no Murugan or Valli Amman kovils in this area until very
recently. Their construction is extremely recent as these lands have been
purchased by Tamils. These were Sinhala shrines dedicated to Sinhala god
Kataragama (King Mahasena immortalized as God Kataragama). There is also
evidence of Sinhala Buddhist shrines in the area. Nearby Kottadamuhela Buddhist
shrine remnants are evidence of Buddhist heritage. A large number of Buddhist
monks lived there in ancient times. There are 20 cave inscriptions in
Kottadamuhela caves and none mentions a Hindu shrine. They all attest to the
presence of a Buddhist shrine. The Buddhist shrine was in operation in a small
way until 1978. Thereafter Tamil terrorists attacked Sinhalese in this area
hacking some to death while others fled. Tamils invaded this area subsequently
and captured it. Valli Amma Dewalaya belongs to Veddhas, not Hindus.
All these must be taken over by the main
Kataragama Dewalaya and rebuilt into Sinhala heritage. God Kataragama is one of
four guardian gods of the Sinhala nation. Therefore, Kataragama shrines in the
south cannot be distanced from Sinhala heritage and ownership. Until April 27,
2002 the place was officially known as Okanda Dewalaya. Since then it has been
replaced by Murugan Kovil”.
Sadly, the European Union has financed the
construction of the Hindu temple replacing Sinhala heritage. This is malicious
and is a direct interference in domestic affairs. It also proves the extreme
recent development of Hindu shrines here.
Hindus are free to call Sinhala shrines by
whatever names but they must not convert them into South Indian shrines. There
cannot be any Murugan shrines in southern Sri Lanka in place of ancient
Kataragama shrines. The two are different gods. Murugan is a god of African
origin worshipped by South Indians. God Kataragama was a Sinhala man by the name
King Mahasena who was immortalized as a god. Tamils may find similarities
between the two gods but converging them into one is unacceptable.
Hopefully authorities will look into this
despicable act by Hindus and correct the situation.
Sinhala heritage is not just Buddhist. Introduced
only in 265BC, Buddhism has a history of 2283 years in Sri Lanka. Ancestral
worship has a longer history in Sri Lanka. Kataragama Shrine was built by King
Dutugemunu circa 161BC before he built any Buddhist shrine. It was dedicated to
his ancestral forefather for helping him eliminate Tamil invaders. Mahavamsa
identifies the place of the shrine as Kajjra Grama” which translates to desert
village”. The word Kataragama also means desert village”. Not just Buddhist
shrines but also other ancient Sinhala shrines must be protected. They cannot be
given away to Hindus.
August 31st, 2019 at 3:38 pm
Attack on Sinhala heritage is going on everywhere in Sri Lanka. I am not sure what happened to Kudumbigala Aarannyaya where Thambugala Anandasiri Thero who used to give up 4 hours continuous Dhamma Deshana on Maha Ariyawangsa Sutta. As a teenager I was amazed by his strict discipline and we used to visit those shrines including Buddhangala on the way to Kudumbigala. There was a Dagoba on top of Belumgala which was difficult to climb although no too high. Ven. Anandasiri Thero used to live in the main cave Kuti among leopards, bears and elephants, he was a living treasure full of metta to all. He had to leave later and went to Monaragala area where he was killed by an unknown party during Premadasa time.
It is the same everywhere in the country, in every jungle area you will see very old small Buddhist temples with Budugeyas in caves in the Anuradhapura towards north we used to discover during our work for Mahaweli , north of Kalaweva in the jungles.
We had this stupid clause in the constitution ( I think one whole chapter with one or two sentences) to protect Buddhism, but only destroying of all our heritage occurred since Sudda left , until now. As Dilrook said another alarming fact we misunderstood was Hindu’s claims of Murugan equaling to Kataragama Deviyo and Sooniyam Devioyo,Gambaara Deviyo and so on were also branded as Hindu and condemned using Buddhism.
I believe since before the arrival of Palaath Sabha these shrines were neglected but existed, after arrival the destruction and conversion started.
Most important demand to make NOW is to get rid of Pallath Sabha. Any candidate or party who promises this should be supported, regardless of they are NGO or have no chance of winning. This will be good start.
August 31st, 2019 at 5:54 pm
Hindu extremists are far worse than Muslim extremists. Although they have damaged some ancient non-functioning Buddhist shrines (which is bad but not the worst), Muslims have not permanently damaged functioning Buddhist shrines or built mosques on top of Buddhist or other Sinhala shrines. Hindus have unfortunately done so and keep building kovils on top of Buddhist shrines. This makes it very difficult to reestablish the original shrine.
e.g. Okanda, Kinniya
Strangely, most have missed this point and focus only on Muslim invasions.
The biggest problem here is provincial councils. The PC system is not working. Ampara and Trincomalee districts (and the eastern provincial council) must be split into Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim majority PS divisions and new districts and provinces must be created. Lahugala PS must be separated from Ampara district and Eastern province. It must be merged with other Sinhala PSs in the area. This must happen soon. Otherwise Tamils will invade into Yala and beyond.
Buddhist and other Sinhala heritage of the area must be reestablished. All Hindu Murugan kovils in the area must be dismantled. They are very new and were built on top of Sinhala shrines. This is criminal. Valli Amma shrine must be handed to Veddhas as it belongs to them, not to Hindus.
If Sinhalese cannot protect the shrines of their four guardian gods, who will protect them?
August 31st, 2019 at 11:13 pm
The entire HISTORY of Sri Lanka can be summed up in one sentence: RESISTANCE TO BEING ABSORBED BY HINDUISM. That is what the MAHAVAMSA is all about. That is what THERAVADA is all about. That is what the compilation of the TRIPITHAKA is all about.
The pressure of such absorption is so great, that even the Lord Buddha has gone down in history and belief as making concessions to Hinduism. This is by the ‘appointment’ of Vishnu, as being the guardian deity of the Island. This was also the background influence in the choice of the NILMANEL as the national flower. Why the NILmanel? Because NIL is the colour of VISHNU.
The colour that most befits Buddhism is WHITE because it alone symbolizes the openness of the mind to the SUN of ENLIGHTENMENT. It is indeed clothed in white that Buddhists attend to their religious duties. The Anagarika Dharmapala was always clothed in WHITE. But it is dressed in white that Buddhists unashamedly also pay their homage to Kataragama deviyo.
This absorptive influence of Hinduism on the very fabric of Sri Lanka Buddhism has left an indelible mark in the worship of gods baptized as Buddhist guardian deities. The most nefarious in this regard is the worship of the KATARAGAMS DEVIYO. And these SINHALA IDIOTS calling themselves BUDDHISTS keep on flocking to Kataragama to worship SKANDA SURINDU. They even implore his protection over Sri Lanka!!The great Clarence Wijewardene’s famous song with that heading illustrates my argument. He implores PIHITA for Lanka and hopes that this worship of Skanda Surindu will fill this country ‘SAUSIRIYEN’.
Soma Hamuduruwo laboured during his entire life to open the eyes of these ‘Buddhists’ as regards this heresy which is the worship of Hindu gods in their Buddhist version. But he FAILED. This in-seated belief in gods is the REFLUX of Buddhism that emerged out of the SEA of Hinduism towards absorption into that mighty inflexible ocean. Sri Lankan Buddhism is essentially flawed thus making the reflux into the ocean of Hinduism stronger than the flux that freed it from that all absorptive mass.
The unique liberation of Sri Lanka, of the SINHALA Dvipa was performed by the Buddha walking the four corners of this land. That is what made this land the thrice blessed land. The unique liberation of both country and its people will only come by the veneration of the VAHAMSE (which means the SEVANA offered by the sandals of his feet). Instead of this one and only way, the idiotic Srilankan Buddhists are playing into the hands of the Hindus by not bending their heads to bask in the SHADE of liberation offered by the Buddha’s feet, but by LOOKING UP for protection from Hindu gods.
The liberator-Saviour the Sinhala should be waiting for is a reborn Soma Thera. Perhaps will he do in his next life what he tried in vain to do in his previous life.
Mario Perera, Kadawata
August 31st, 2019 at 11:28 pm
The self-evident overwhelming conclusion:
The greatest enemies of the Sinhala nation are the Sinhala themselves. Our history is staring into our eyes as proof.
Mario Perera, Kadawata
September 1st, 2019 at 2:22 pm
“The greatest enemies of the Sinhala nation are the Sinhala themselves.”
True. A total inability to learn from history is at the centre of it.
September 8th, 2019 at 2:30 pm
We have one time Tamils disguised as Sinhalese, thanks to the colonials. Going to devales are a tamil/hindu practice.
I am happy that I am true Sinhalese descendant from the South and our people were propelled to Dravidian lands by the last colonials.sadly our ambuda Sinhalese keep going back to their historical links in south India.They are para Sinhalayas but not me.