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Asgiriya Mahanayake’s cremation today with full State honours
The Ven. Aggramaha Panditha Udugama Buddharakitha Ratanapala Thera, Mahanayake of the Asgiriya Chapter, will be cremated today with full State honours and a 17- gun salute at the Police Grounds in Asgiriya today at 2 p.m.
The remains of the Mahanayake lie in state
The Government has declared today as a day of mourning in honour of the prelate with all liquor shops and bars being closed today.
Central Province Chief Minister Sarath Ekanayake has requested a yellow flag be hoisted in all public and private buildings in and around Kandy as a mark of respect to the late prelate.
The Buddhist Affairs Commissioner has also requested the public to display yellow flags in home and Government institutions to display the national flag at half mast to express their condolences over the passing away of the Mahanayake Thera.
President Mathiripala Sirisena paid his respects to the late prelate on Wednesday at the Asgiri Temple where the remains of the prelate lie in state. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe paid his respects yesterday.
Visiting Bhutanese Premier signs the condolence book
The thera who passed away at a private hospital at the age of 85 in Singapore was one of the prominent figures in Buddhist affairs in Kurunegala. Born on March 17, 1930 at Udugama, he was ordained as a samanera monk in 1944, under Mahanayake Ven. Udugama Buddharakitha Thera. He was appointed a member of the Asgiriya Maha Vihare Sangha Sabha in 1966 and later as the Mahanayake of the Asgiriya Maha Vihare in 1999.
Notably the Thera was actively pushing for amendments to the Buddhist Temporalities Ordinance enacted by the British. The concurrence of the Mahanayake of the Malwatta Chapter was sought to bring about improvements to the various appointments of the lay custodians of the Sri Dalada Maligawa, devales and vihares and to protect land for the sustenance of the temples He was a prime mover to bring about a’ renaissance’ within the Buddhist clergy.
The Thera was outspoken and had always stood firm as a guardian of Buddhism and contributed immensely for the development of the Sasana. He worked to safeguarding the lands that have been gifted to the temples in the country by the ancient kings.
Lay people and Buddhist monks pay their last respects. Pix by Indika Handuwala
On one occasion when the former Chief Justice Mohan Pieris was at the Kandy Courts Complex to open a separate court house for the members of the clergy to hear their cases, the Thera took the opportunity to convey his thoughts on a shortsighted policy named ‘Bim Saviya’ which was curtailing the ownership of lands by temples. He said that if this programme is implemented, soon temples would have to be closed and the clergy would be without alms. The Thera pointed out that he was referring to the small temples littered throughout the country, with only a few acres for their sustenance adding that that the temples would be left with only the viharege and nothing else. The Thera pointed out that the Survey Department was surveying temple property even without summoning the clergy who are the caretakers of the lands. As a result the ‘Bim Saviya’ concept was altered to incorporate the thera’s views.
Similarly the invaluable service and contribution made by the Thera for the development of Buddhism both within Sri Lanka and overseas has been appreciated by many. A large crowd including many of the State leaders of the country would be present at the funeral to pay their last respects to a thera who had contributed immensely to safeguard Buddhism.