Tissamaharamaya - the modernised monument of Magama
The Maha Aramaya and the Mahacetiya in Magama in the deep South of Ruhunu
Rata was built by King Kavantissa’s father of the heroic king Dutugemunu
and his younger brother Saddhatissa.
When the Thuparama and other Buddhist monasteries had been built in
the Rajarata, many a similar Vihararama and Dagaba were built in Magama
in the capital of Ruhuna. However, the first ruler to have begun the construction
of sacred places of Buddhist worship in Ruhuna was Mahanaga.
He is credited with the Sandagiri Seya, the Yatala Cetiya, Velipiti
Viharaya, Kudorapavu Vihara and the Menik Dagaba. However, Henry Parker,
an irrigation officer of the British Administration in his ‘Archaeology
of Tissamaharama - Report on Archaeological discoveries at Tissamaharama,
1884,” opines the Yatala Cetiya to have been built by Yatthalakatissa,
the son of Mahanaga and the Maharamaya at Tissa to have been built by
Mahanaga.
With the spread of the message of the Buddha and the establishment of
the order of Bhikkhus by Arhat Mahinda and the Order of Bhikkunis by Arhat
Theri Sanghamitta - both historic events - with the patronage and sponsorship
of the king, court and commoner alike followed an earnest and devoted
endeavour to spread the new message of peace and harmony and the simple
way of life with intense activity in building construction.
The credit for this inaugural monumental venture goes to one family
- the Royal family of King Devanampiyatissa in Rajarata and his brother
Mahanaga at Ruhunu Rata. They led and their successors followed.
Tissamaharama - like all other Dagabas and Viharas - was repaired, reconstructed,
restored and further developed by successive kings.
The Sinhala Buddhist kings were benevolent rulers who not only had their
Purohitas (advisors) but they also were learned and intelligent and were
themselves visionaries who could not be fooled by unscrupulous advisors.
Besides, during the Sinhala kings, there were neither archaeological
departments nor Cultural Triangle projects.
The ancient rulers knew that Dagabas and Bodhigharas, monasteries and
meditation kutis were built for the benefit of the laity and the Sangha.
Those must continue to be maintained as they flourished as centres of
daily worship in order that the country should march forward in peace,
progress and prosperity, so that the ruler and the ruled may live righteously.
And successive rulers embarked on repairing and causing improvements of
the monuments put up by their predecessors.
Had it not been so, the ancient and medieval monuments would have been
reduced to piles of bricks and mounds of rubble. From such ancient times
as the second century after the Common Era (165 A.C.E.) according to inscriptional
evidence, King Kanitthatissa repaired the Maharama.
King Ilanaga enlarged the Maha Vihara to the extent of a hundred lengths
of his unstrung bow (600 feet in length).
The Mahavamsa mentions that King Voharaka Tissa “caused improvements
to be made with paid labour to Mahagama and Mahanaga Viharas and Dagabas.”
King Dappula II king at Magama (690 ACE) had “caused the Dagaba
of Runa to be rebuilt” state the Rajavaliya.
King Mahinda III who ruled from 997 to 1013 “repaired the Mahavihara
and refers to the Uda Tissa monastery”.
Up to the end of the 13th century kings like Parakramabahu I, Nissankamalla
and Pandita Parakramabahu had in some way or other shown devoted interest
in the edifices of Ruhuna including the great tanks built by the Ruhuna
rulers.
During the time of Kalinga Nagha the invader and his successors who
ruled the country for a number of years, invaders were settled at Magama.
The tanks falling into disrepair, the religious centres, the majestic
monasteries and Dagabas and Bodhigharas abandoned, and Sangha-laity deserting
the abodes, none was there to prevent the jungle enveloping these place
of Buddhist worship.
Tissamaharama also faced the same fate. Nearly 100 years ago, the edifice
was restored by a local committee and the people rejoiced that Tissamaharamaya
had come into being once again as a centre of homage with olden-day serenity.
The re-construction faced no problem whatsoever until a few years ago
when cracks began to appear in the dome of the Dagaba.
Certain schools of thought adduce two reasons for the present situation
- one a remote cause and the other the immediate cause. The remote cause
is water seepage and the immediate cause being the transportation of heavy
rock stones along the road in front of the dagaba for the construction
of the Kirinda harbour, resulting in the cracking of the dagaba.
After a series of tests, the Archaeological Department entrusted the
job of preventing further cracks of the dagaba to Mechanical Engineering
Unit of the State Engineering Corporation.
by Nemsiri MUTUKUMARA
Daily News - 24 November 2007
See also other sites in the area
Created March 21, 2009
Updated
March 21, 2009
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