The 30 years long war against brutal terrorism will go down in history as a diabolical war which turned the whole country upside down economically, culturally, ethnically and ethically while causing irreparable damage to national harmony, co-existence and peace among Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim communities. It is a tragedy that around 29,000 Army, Navy, Air Force, Police and Civil Security Department (CSD) personnel sacrificed their lives for liberating the Motherland from the grip of LTTE terrorism. In fighting bravely for curbing terrorism, around 60,000 soldiers have been heavily injured and rendered disabled.
In commemoration of these War Heroes who symbolised bravery and patriotism at the best, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa launched a historic project to erect a huge Stupa close to the Anuradhapura Atamasthana. (The Eight Main Places of Worship) in Mahamegha Udyanaya (Garden). The Chethiya was named as the “Ranaviru Seya” initially and later changed as the Sandahiru Seya subsequently with the intention that the dagaba would remain intact as a place of worship and a sign of respect to the fallen and critically injured War Heroes for as long as the sun, the moon and the gleaming stars remain. The Sandahiru Seya is now ready to be vested in the Buddha Sasana and Maha Sangha following the placing of the Crest Gem or the Chuda Manikyaya on the top of the Pinnacle of the Stupa on November 8. Once this particular commemorative Buddhist Stupa is declared open on November 18, it will be an addition to the present row of the Eight Main Places of Worship (Atamasthana) – the Jetawanaramaya, Lankaramaya, Thuparamaya, Abhayagiriya, Lovamahapaya, Sri Maha Bodhi, Mirisawetiya and the Maha Seya (Ruwanweli Seya) constructed by the great King Dutugemunu after winning the war against King Elara.
According to Mahavamsa, as a symbol of granting the Mahamegha Park (Mahamevuna Uyana), King Devanampiyatissa poured water over the hands of Arahat Mahinda and when that water fell on the ground, the Earth awoke. In the case of the other seven places, the Earth quaked when Arahat Mahinda scattered flowers over them. Furthermore, according to tradition, Gautama Buddha as well as Gautama Buddha’s three predecessors within the existing Kalpa (aeon) namely Kakusanda, Konagama and Kassapa had visited these particular eight places where similar religious monuments or institutions were erected during those periods of which the remnants would be hidden deep in the Earth of Mahamevuna Udyanaya. The city of Anuradhapura and the surrounding area were subjected to gradual decline under the foreign rulers and the meagre population of the area could keep only a very few shrines clear of the thick jungle for the purpose of general worship.
The archaeological reports indicate that in the 1860–70 period, there had been only two temples in Anuradhapura Sacred City; one at Sri Maha Bodhi (Uda Maluwa) and the other at the Ruwanweliseya. It is learnt that Buddhist revival took place during the Kandyan times under King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe who gave an impetus to Buddhist activities in Anuradhapura. It appears that perhaps under the Government of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa this same concept is being adopted as the long existing concept of Atamasthana may be subject to a new interpretation with the emergence of Sandahiru Seya, making it the ninth place of worship. It could then be known as the Nawamasthanaya.
The construction of the Sandahiru Seya in the Sacred City of Anuradhapura was commenced in November 2010 by the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the present President Gotabaya Rajapaksa who was the country’s Defence Secretary at that time. During his tenure as the Defence Secretary, he worked hard for initiating the construction of this classic cultural and religious monument in the old kingdom of Anuradhapura as a wholehearted tribute for our War Heroes. The auspicious placement of the first brick on the Hathares Kotuwa or the high pavilion of the giant Stupa was done on May 25, 2020 amidst traditional religious observances.
The sophisticated creation included the erection of the square chamber, assembly of sacred rings, minaret setting of the conical spire, the placement of the Crystal and the stone inscriptions to narrate the Sandahiru Seya chronicle in line with the art of Stupa construction by ancient kings. The specially-designed bricks were manufactured at Ampara, Elayapatthua, Tantirimale, and Bogoda and sand was supplied from Kanagarayamkulam and Chilawathurai Kalaru Oya. The lime was processed at the Elayapaththuwa brick manufacturing site with limestone transported from Serudandapola in the Naula area. Also, the firewood in bulk was obtained from Moragahakanda and Thabbowa in Puttalam.
The Sandahiru Seya is the largest Stupa in the last 1,700 years since the construction of the Jetawanaramaya Stupa by King Mahasen in 303 A.D. The emerging Seya is close to the Ruwanweli Maha Seya while the Abhayagiriya, Jetawanaramaya and Mirisawetiya Stupas are situated on the northern, eastern and the western sides of the Sanda Hiru Seya respectively.
The square chamber of the Seya is 39 feet in height while the Devatha Kotuwa is 25 feet in height and on the top of it appears the pinnacle or the Koth Kerella which is a further 72 feet tall. Above the Koth Kerella, the Koth Wahanse or the Crest Gem (the Chuda Manikyaya) is placed. The Crest Gem which is 3’6” in height was fixed on the summit of the Stupa recently amidst rituals in the presence of the Maha Sangha and Defence Secretary General (Rtd) Kamal Gunaratne. The Seya is 85 m in height (282 feet, second only to the Ruwanweli Seya) with a circumference of 244 m.
The base of the Sandahiru Seya runs around 28 feet below the ground level. For nearly 11 years, the soldiers of the Tri-Forces and the Civil Security Department engaged in the realisation of this miraculous creation with utmost dedication and determination. Not only that, the required funds were provided by the War Heroes in the form of a part of their salary in addition to other donations by the members of the public.
It is learnt that some devotees who visited the construction site had removed their jewellery including wedding rings etc. to be deposited in the Stupa.
The Gem and Jewellery Authority donated two containers of gems valued at around Rs. 30 million received from gem businessmen in the country.
It is reported that in addition to a large quantity of metals, 2.5 million specially-manufactured bricks, 175,000 bags of cement (50 kg) 10,100,895 kg of lime, and 157,500 cubes of sand were required for the completion of the massive religious monument. General Kamal Gunaratne during his recent visit to the Sandahiru Seya construction site for an extensive inspection told the Daily News that our ancient kings built giant reservoirs using their hydraulic wizardry to gain self-sufficiency in food while pioneering the creation of dagobas for moulding a righteous and virtuous society.
The President has extended the concept as a great tribute to the War Heroes of our time to remember their bravery and sacrifices in saving the country from disaster, he stressed. Pilgrims and worshippers flocking to the Sacred City of Anuradhapura will be able to venerate this massive dagoba from the Il Full Moon Poya Day which falls on Thursday.
– Daily News Sri Lanka
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