Thanthirimale: Its recent and ancient past
Unlike Anuradhapura or Mihintale, the very recent history of Thanthirimale goes back only a few decades – to 1960. Pilgrims have been visiting both Anuradhapura and Mihintale for centuries, during the reign of our kings, during Portuguese, Dutch and even British times and post-Independence, but Thanthirimale remained a mystery.
People may have been talked of Thanthirimale, but no one ventured to go there. It was jungle, inhospitable terrain. Archaeological Department officials and workers had made the occasional visit, taking records of the place but no one had taken any serious notice of this historical site. Except for the villagers, descendents who had their roots here, and who were dependent mainly on chena cultivation, there were no pilgrims and outsiders who ventured here. Hunters came though, looking for spotted deer, sambhur and wild boar.
1960s saw the re-emergence of Thanthirimale as a religious and hsitorical site. Pix by Athula Bandara
If not for Ven. Kudakongaskada Vimalagnana who had heard about this place from the time he was just a boy and who ultimately ventured there in 1960, with just a loaf of bread and a bottle of water given to him by the driver of the bus plying to Mannaram Handiya on the Vilachchiya road, Thanthirimale may have continued to be unnoticed. It is his courage and endurance that opened up this place to our nation and to the world. With his arrival the second phase in the history of Thanthirimale came about.
The ancient history of Thanthirimale goes back to beyond the 3rd century BC. A few centuries earlier Vijaya came here via Dambakola patuna and established his kingdom bordering the sea. He met Kuveni and made her his queen. Going by the ruins, we now know that a good part of their kingdom was in the Wilpattu area, now a wild life sanctuary. After the Vijaya/Kuveni era we come across many kings who ruled this land. Anuradhapura gradually became the country’s capital under them.
We also gather from history that after the arrival of Vijaya, trade between India and Sri Lanka was obviously done via the sea route, and Dambakolapatuna was practically the port of call. From this point the land route to Anuradhapura, the capital, meandered along the Malwathu Oya. This trip on elephant, horseback or on foot took two full days. When Theri Sangamitta arrived at Dambakolapatuna on that Poya day in the month of Unduwap, she was met by a distinguished group. In addition to her own brother Arahant Mahinda Thera, who had requested his father, King Asoka to send her, King Devanampiyatissa was there. The chieftain who had control of this area, Tiwakka the Brahmin too was present and villagers who were told about this arrival came in large numbers to witness this event.
King Devanampiyatissa went down from the cliff to the beach to welcome Theri Sangamitta who had not come empty-handed. Accompanied by a large group of Bhikkhunis, she carried a sapling of the sacred Bo tree under whose shade Lord Buddha had attained Enlightenment. The king we are told, submerged himself in the sea up to his neck and received the Bo sapling with great reverence. He led his distinguished guests out of the 
vessel and took them to the land.
Thivakka Brahmin who organized the events of the day led this distinguished delegation to his village Thivakka Bamunugama, a couple of kilometres away. By late evening religious ceremonies were conducted with the sacred Bo sapling being kept on the hillock of the Thivakka Bamunugama. This area was full of large rock outcrops and with the full moon coming up was well lit up. History records that miraculous events took place that day on that hill.
The arrival of Theri Sangamitta was the turning point in the history of this village Thivakka Bamunugama. The sacred Bo sapling was taken from here to Anuradhapura and planted with great veneration. It is recorded that eight shoots grew out of this plant and one of the shoots – the Ashtapalamaha bodhiya was gifted by the king to Tivakka Brahmin as a token of gratitude for the wonderful reception accorded to the royal group on their arrival. Tivakka Brahmin planted the sapling where it is now.
When Buddhism took deep root in this village, massive statues of Lord Buddha were carved in the rocky outcrops. The samadhi statue and the reclining statue of Lord Buddha are still preserved almost intact despite being open to the elements.
According to one legend it was during the period of King Dutugemunu, that the village came to be known as Thanthirimale when the king gifted a necklace in the shape of a butterfly by the name of ‘Thanthiri’ to Saliya and Asokamala who had been banished from his kingdom. Saliya was the king’s son, who when he married Asokamala, a low caste maiden was disinherited.
With the end of Dutugemunu era Chola invasions took place. Many people were killed in the Thanthirimale area, places plundered and sacred sites desecrated. The whole of Thanthirimale was deserted and remained uninhabited with the jungle and wild animals taking over.
Today when we visit Thanthirimale, it is good to remember its great history. Poson celebrates the coming of Buddhism to this island and Thanthirimale’s link to the Sri Maha Bodhi cannot be forgotten. In very hostile surroundings, with hardly any rainfall for most of the year the Ashtapalamaha Bodhi at Thanthirimale grew for centuries without any one nurturing it. How it could grow so well with hardly any soil on that solid rock is indeed a miracle! It merits all our respect and veneration.