Sri Lanka’s Sacred Kelaniya Temple: Journey with the Worshipped Shakyamuni Buddha (vegan), Part 2 of 2

In 520 BC, eight years after achieving enlightenment, the Worshipped Shakyamuni Buddha (vegan) went to Kelaniya in his third and final visit to Sri Lanka. It was the first time that Lord Buddha had come stepping on Sri Lankan ground; in the two previous visits, Buddha was in the air. To commemorate this auspicious event, the king built a stupa on the spot where the Buddha taught the Dharma, and this became the repository for the gem-studded throne on which the Buddha had sat and preached. In the course of this visit, it’s said that the Buddha flew from Kelaniya to Sri Pada, imprinting His foot on the summit of Adam’s Peak. This sacred mark has become an important pilgrimage site for Buddhists.

The original Kelaniya Temple flourished during the period of the Kingdom of Kotte (1412 to 1551) but was damaged in 1510 and in the 18th century. In 1888, under the British administration, progressive refurbishing works were carried out with the help of Helena Wijewardene, who donated 250 acres (1 square kilometer) of land as a lasting gift. The Kelaniya Temple is also famous for a statue of the reclining Gautama Buddha and paintings depicting important events in the life of Buddha. It took Solias Mendis 20 years to complete the Kelaniya Temple murals. The Kandyan era was the last empire of Sri Lanka. There is a good collection of Kandyan-era murals in the temple. Most of the colors used were naturally extracted from trees, flowers, and vegetables. Therefore, the wall murals in this section of the temple feature only natural pigments.

One of the largest Buddhist processions, known as the Duruthu Maha Perahera procession, is held annually from Kelaniya Temple, every January. There is a popular saying that Sri Lanka rose as the Kelaniya Temple rose, and as it fell, the country and its administration fell, which illustrates the deep association of the temple with the political power of the country. The temple’s Sri Kalyani Dharma School, established in 1953, has grown from an initial 30 students to currently having 4,000 pupils, with about 100 teachers. It is certainly heartening to note that CSR, or “corporate social responsibility,” is being incorporated as part of the temple’s noble endeavors to benefit the people of Sri Lanka.