Dilrook Kannangara

Anagarika Dharmapala is undoubtedly one of the greatest strategic thinkers; certainly the best ever in his community. His ability to strategize his plans for the optimum impact baffles an inquisitive thinker even today and is at times beyond belief. None of his contemporaries seems to have understood him fully as he was light years ahead of them in intellectual ability. Though came out as brash at times, he chose his words carefully considering the impact they had. He deliberately refrained from saying the obvious at times to make room for his strategies. But considering the context, unsaid words have the greatest meaning then and today.

His most famous clarion call was Sinhalas Awake! Save Bodh Gaya”. Save it from whom?

Was it from the British, the Christians, the Muslims? None of them posed any threat to Bodh Gaya and none showed any adverse interest towards it. In fact, the shrine was reestablished to its past glory by two British persons from Christian families.

Bodh Gaya had to be saved from Hindus.

He also included all Sinhalas in his call; not just Buddhists taking into account the context of the matter. Having experienced it first hand at Christian schools, he was aware that non-Buddhist Sinhalas during British time had little regard for Hindu religious beliefs.

Anagarika Dharmapala initiated legal battles to save Bodh Gaya from Hindus. It never fully succeeded.

Hindus have a long history of animosity towards Bodh Gaya and Buddhism in general. Chinese explorer Hsuan Tsang who visited the area now known as India around 631 to 645 AD describes how Hindu ruler Shashanka (590 to 625 AD) cut down the Bodhi Tree at Bodh Gaya and removed a Buddha statue and replaced it with an object used for the worship of Shiva.

This has direct relevance to today and Hindus in the island seem to be at it again in an attempt to replace ancient well-established Buddhist shrines with Hindu shrines (e.g. Kurundi Viharaya) and the practice of phallus worship which was not practiced by ancient islanders. History records just one instance of constructing a phallus for worship during King Panduka Abhaya’s time who established Anuradhapura, named after a person named Anuradha who arrived from the area now known as north India. It was part of a series of construction of shrines for visiting foreign trade parties at a time when foreign trade was significant.