sri_maha_bodiya1

• The occasion that lead to the creation of Mirisawetiya

It is believed that King Dutugamunu had a sceptre that contained a scared relic of the Buddha. While going to the tank “Tissawewa”, for a water festival, the King has planted the scepter in a certain place. When he came back, it is said that his men could not remove the sceptre from the place.

Witnessing the miracle, the King decided to build a dagaba enclosing the scepter. Thus was the creation of Mirisawetiya.

The significance of the sceptre is the fact that this was the king's "victory sceptre" for his battles with Elara, and by building the Dagaba around it shows the tremendous dedication that the King had for Buddhism and his spirituality.

Mirisawetiya was the first dagaba built by the great king Dutugamunu

• Why the name “Mirisawetiya” was given

There are several theories

One theory is this. It is a custom among Buddhists whenever food is partaken, some of it is symbolically offered to the holy monks. In Sinhala, “Mirisaweitiya” comes from “Miris-Wetiya”, which means a pod of Chillie. It is rumored that the King once forgot to offer a pod of chillie to the Monks before eating . As a token of apology, it is said that the King named the Dagaba “Mirisawetiya”.

Another theory is that “Mirisawetiya” is the ancient name of the village on which the dagoba was built (Ref: “Ancient Anuradhapura” by Prof. Anuradha Seneviratna”).

• An early history of “Mirisawetiya”

King Dutugemunu built it as a Dagoba of the "Mahavihara" fraternity but as the monks started living there, it sees that Mirisawetiya developed as a separate monastery. However it is believed that it would have functioned as a monastery belonging to the Mahavihara Fraternity.

Several Kings, at different intervals made renovations to the Dagaba. Among them are King Gajabahu 1 (112-134 AC), and King Voharika Tissa (214-236 AC).

King Gajabahu 1: Put a new coating on Mirisawet iya

King Voharika Tissa: Restored the umbrella of the Dagoba and rebuilt a wall around the Dagaba)

The stupa and other buildings needed restoration after the Chola invasion and it is said that King Kassapa V (914-923 AC) did the restoration.

King Kassapa V also is said to have built a massive mansion called "The Chandana Prasada", adjoining the Temple to house the scared hair relic (keshadathu), which was supposed to have been brought to Sri Lanka during the time of King Moggalana (495-513 AC)

The Dagaba was again damaged by the recurrent Chola invasions and it is said that King Parakaramabahu 1(1153-1186 AC) did a comprehensive restoration and built the stupa to a height of 120 feet.

The last recorded renovations around that period were done by King Nissankamalla (1187-1196 AC).

(A “plan” of the Mirisawetiya Dagaba believed to be made around 800 AC)

• The Dagaba's period of ruin

The next centuries saw the complete disintegration of the dry zone civilization which lead to the shifting of the Rajarata Kingdom . For the next seven hundred years, the Dagaba lay in ruins.

• Examination and renovation under the British

When the Englishman Henry Parker saw the Mirisawetiya in 1873, he saw nothing but a mound covered with large trees and tangled undergrowth. Anuradhapura's first government agent J.F Dixon , with the help of Mr Smither, first cleared the area surrounding the Dagaba. In the process Smither examined the dagaba and found a magnificent “Vahalkada”(frontpiece) and measured the dagaba at a height of 200 feet. At that time they found an image house to the west of the Dagaba. Later on Dixon became the president of the Royal Asiatic Society's Ceylon Branch and with the help of a Rs. 1000 donation from the Society, enabled excavations around the Dagaba under the supervision of Mr Burrow.

The unparallel artistic value of the "Vahalkada" is said to be the main reason that so much notice was taken of Mirisawetiya.

During the excavations they hoped to find image houses similar to what they found on the Western side, on the other three sides too . However, when they found that the image house on the eastern side was destroyed, they got discouraged and stopped the work.

Excavations started again in 1883 and at that time they found the ruins of two image houses in the northern and southern sides of the dagaba.

Using a grant obtained from the King of Siam (Now Thailand),for Rs. 12,500, a renovation was begun in 1888 but could not be completed. The construction stopped in 1896 for the lack of funds and what one would see until 1980 , as Mirisawetiya (The half Dagaba), is what that existed when work stopped in 1896.

(The Dagaba, as it was before the 1980 renovation attempt)

• The famous collapse of the 1980 renovation

Another restoration attempt was made in 1980 through a construction enclosing the old structure. This construction suddenly collapsed even destroying the famous “Vahalkada". The collapse followed wide media coverage and a public outcry which even embarrassed the then government of Sri Lanka . There were even theories that this was a “sign” displaying the “Non-Buddhist governance” of the then government.

The famous collapse occurred the day before the Poson Poya Day in June 1987. The day before the scheduled opening ceremony. The collapse occurred immediately as the Pirith chanting started in the all night Pirith Ceremony leading to the opening ceremony triggering theories of a "curse of the gods".

• The successful restoration in the 1990s.

Restoration was again started under the leadership of former President R Premadasa. The successful completion of the renovation was noted in 1993 and the Dagaba was ceremonially opened on Poson Poya Day in 1993.

• Mirisawetiya Today

Under the dynamic leadership of the head monk Ven. Eathalwetunawewe Gnathilake Thera, who was responsible for many of the developments in the last 10 years, Mirisawetiya today, is a must to see for any traveler to Anuradhapura.

How to come

he road the writer usually follows is this:

(It is a bit difficult to find your way around Anuradhapura (which is rumored to have the largest number of roundabouts in the country and they all look alike!), and the fact that some roads are now closed for security reasons does not make it any easier)

From Colombo , take the Kandy Road up to Abeypussa: turn to Kurunegala Road : go past Kurunegala, past Dambulla to Anuradhapura and enter the Main street. Right now, with the security measures closing roads, the best way to go is keep going down main street untill you come to "D.S roundabout" (next to the police). Take a right turn at this roundabout and keep going . At some point the road will fork and the left turn goes to isurumuniya so take the right fork. As you keep going, you will pass the turnoff to the Sri Maha Bodhi. Keep going straight and you will come to another junction. Keep going straight and eventually you will see the Mirisawetiya dagaba on your right.

You will see the house of the high priest and other priests on your left. Visitors are requested to pay a visit to the high priest whom you will find very approachable and dynamic.

Where to stay:

The writer always stays either at the “Nuwarawewa” Rest House, or at the Tissawewa resthouse both of which provide decent and comfortable lodging at a reasonable price. Tissawewa , in aprticular has a colonial atmospshere which is calm and soothing. Suits me fine, since I always go to Anuradhapura for a pilgrim visit and not to have a “holiday in luxury”. However, Tissawewa does have a new set of luxury rooms which are priced higher.

Nuwarawewa Rest House is located in the New Town area and is some distance away from the sacred city while Tissa Wewa rest House is located inside the sacred city ,within a short walk to Mirisawetiya and 5 minutes drive to Sri Maha Bodhi and Ruwanweliseya.

Mirisavetiya

Another theory is that “Mirisawetiya” is the ancient name of the village on which the dagoba was built (Ref: “Ancient Anuradhapura” by Prof. Anuradha Seneviratna”).

Dutugemunu (162-137 A.D) who captured the kingdom of Anuradhapura from the Tamil invadar Elara, had take part in an aquatic festival held at Tissawewa. This appears to be a customany festival held at the coronation ceremony of a king in that period.. The king after bathing wanted to return in the evening found that the royal sceptre with relies of the Buddha could not be moved from the place where it had been struct in the earth. That the king caused a dagaba to be built enshring this sceptre41 with this dagaba which took three years to complete, the king built a monastory too for the Bikkus.This dagaba was called mirisawetiya because as mentiied in the Mahavamsa the king had built this dagaba as an act of explanation for the partaking of dried chillies without giving a share to the sangha42 The king from the start of the war against king Elara carried with him the sceptre referred to above after encasing relics in it42 and its power is believed to have made him win the battle fought against the Tamils.

This was the first cetiya built by king Dutugemunu who later built the famous Ruwanweliseya. According to the Mahavamsa king Gajaba (114-136) made a mantle to the cetiya and gave land for the maintenance of the viharaya which King Voharikatissa (209-231) restored the umbrella of the cetiya and built a wall, too.44 This cetiya too was damaged by the Chola invaders and king Parakramabahu renovated it to a height of 120 feet 45.At the time of the present renovation the diameter of the base was 168 feet.

The monastery at the beginning, appears to have been affiliated to the mahavihara and had gradually developed into a monastery of its own. But it continued as part of the Mahavihara and had gradually developed into a monastery of its own. But it continued as part of the Mahavihara fratenity.The chronicle do not give any light as to the nature of the relations that had existed between the Mahavihara and other monasteries like the Thuparama and the Mirisawetiya which belonged to the same fraternity. The Mahavamsa mentiones that king Dutugamunu after building the cetiya built an Uposatha hall and caused the Sangha to reside there 46 Another massive prasada was erected by the side of the Mirisawetiya by king Kasayapall(650-59)and caused a “Mahathera” to live there and granted a village for the supply of necessities47 king Kasayapa(914-23) had restored the vihara which had been destroyed with its various buildings and granted villages for the maintenance of the Bhikku residing there48 king Mahinda(956-72) had built a prasada called Chandana Prasada to house the keshadatu or hair relic49 As mentioned elsewhere this keshadatu was brought to Sri Lanka during the time of king Moggalana(495-513) and was kept in a house close to the king’s place and annual festivals were conduct in honour of it after conducting the hair reli to Jetavanarama. It is clear by the time of king Mahinda that a separate mansion at the monastery of the Mirisawetiya was constructed to house mis relic.lt is not yet clear as to when this relic was brought under the preview of the Mirisawetiya of the Mahavihara fraternity from the Jetavana faternity.

The ruins found around the cetiya indicate that the Mirisawetiya monastery may have spread over an area of over 50 acres. Among the ruins, the most important are ,except for the cetiya itself ,14 groups of buildings used as residence of the monks in the monastery which situated on the three sides of the cetiya except for the North.49

Mirisawetiya is highly valued by archeologists because of its Vahalkada. As indicated by Paranavithana the western Vahalkada of this cetiya was till recently “the most complete example of this type of structure “50 The Vahalkada of the tree other large stapas of Anuradhapura are in a ruined state. The Vahalkada “are from and architechtural point of new, among the most important features of Ceylon stupas and supply the earliest examples of plastic art of the Island”60 The Vahalkada of the three stupas at Anuradhapura in their present from appear to be later in date than the stupas themselves61 For instance the Vahalkadas of the Abayagiriya as epigraphical evidence shows appear to have been added to the cetiya after its enlargement in the reigin of Gagaba I and during the time of king Kanitthatissa. The flight of steps ascending the terraces at the Mirasawetiya are not placed behind the Vahalkadas as they are at the Ruwanwelisaya and other Dagabas . 62 The Rankothvehara and Kirivehara at Polonnaruwa have each eight small shrines with images of the Buddha. These image houses were built against me basement of the stupa. Among the Anuradhapura Stupas similar shrines are found only at the Mirisawetiya but they are arranged differently from those of Polonnaruwa .It is believed therefore that the shrines at the Mirasawetiya were added later ,probably .during the Polonnaruwa period63 When the Chola invaders pllundered and damaged the cetiya,king Parakramabahu I of Polonnaruwa had it restored. The chronicles mention the restoration of the Mirisawetiya again by king Parakramabahu n who came to power after the defeate of Magha a well known devastator of religious sites in Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa.

Henry Parker report that when in 1873, he visited Anuradhapura, the Mirisawetiya was merely a mound of earth covered with trees and schrub jungle64 J.F.Dickson, the first Govt. Agent of the province with the assistance of Smither had cleared the cetiya as well as the sourrounding jungle. During the clearence they had come across the ruins of an old image house on the western site of the cetiya65 When J.F.Dickson became the president of the Royal Asiate sociely(Ceylon Branch) he managed with the assistance of Governer Gregory to allocate Rs.lOOO/= from the funds of the sociely for excavation purposes of the cetiya Accordingly, excavations were commenced in 1885 under the guidence of Burrows. The exacavators expected to find three similar image houses like the one found on the western side in the three other directions as well When they found that the image house on the east had been destroyed, they gave up any further attempts66 Again in 1888 Burrows recommendenced the exacavations. At this time he would find only the ruins of two image houses in the northen and the southern sides.

Meanwhile Governer Gorden started the reconsrructions of the cetiya with bricks through a donation of Rs 1000/= by a Sames price in 1888. The construction plan was prepared by the Provincial Engineer Murray, according to the measure ments of the Rankothvehera of Polonnaruwa. The construction had to be stopped due to lack of funds.up to the commencement of the modern reconstruction work What we could see were the remains of the work carried out by Burrows. Owing to a crack in the brick wall the government made no further attempts to complete the work.67