Thanthirimale Aloka Pooja brings showers of blessings
The Thanthirimale Raja Maha Viharaya lit by WNL during the Poson Aloka Pooja in a previous year
As the bright Poson moon glows in the night sky of Thanthirimale, Wijeya Newspapers Limited (WNL) will once again hold its annual Aloka Pooja at the Raja Maha Viharaya.
The three-day Aloka Pooja will be on June 27, 28 and 29, completing 15 years of this tradition.
Initiated in 2004, under the guidance of the WNL Management, the Aloka Pooja has continued without a break, overcoming many a challenge. The journey has not been smooth for the management and the staff of WNL.
As the lights are switched on during the Poson celebrations this year, it is with gratitude that WNL will remember all those who provided unstinting support throughout the past 15 years. They include Ven. Thanthirimale Chandrarathana Thero or the beloved ‘Loku Hamuduruwo’ and his former assistant Ivan, who initially cooked the WNL team’s meals and took care of them. Now retired, Ivan is battling the dreaded kidney disease, like so many others in that area.
‘Loku Hamuduruwo’ continues to be the guiding light and oversees even the minutest detail of this annual event. When LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) terror was at its height, he arranged protection by the Police and the Armed Forces not only for his devotees, but also for the WNL staff. He made sure that army personnel guarded the temporary quarters of the team and the points at which they worked, day and night.
A particularly difficult year was 2007. The LTTE had taken control of many of the border villages and a large part of the Wilpattu National Park. We could see LTTE cadres walking about nonchalantly just across the Malwathu Oya, the northern boundary of Thanthirimale, during the day.
Not wanting the staff to take unnecessary risks, all arrangements including the physical lighting up of the viharaya which had been carried out by the WNL staff up to that time had to be handed over to a contractor, albeit reluctantly by the management.
The Aloka Pooja was limited to two days and on the first day, standing atop the Thanthirimale rock outcrop we could hear gunfire in the distance. But we were not deterred and despite these threats, a large crowd gathered for the pooja which commenced with the lighting up taking place at 6.30 p.m., accompanied by the recital of pirith by the Chief Incumbent and his assistants.
Along with the Aloka Pooja, WNL staff also donates uniform material and stationery to children in the area, which continues even today.
By conducting this Aloka Pooja, year in, year out, WNL has indirectly contributed to the development of this area. As everyone agrees today, the Aloka Pooja has opened up this area to the whole wide world. From 2004, the roads have been repaired and rehabilitated. The journey from Anuradhapura to Thanthirimale which took several hours now takes less than 45 minutes. With more vehicles plying this road, villagers have begun small roadside businesses to sell food and also produce from their fields.
The living conditions at Thanthirimale have improved with time. The principal means of livelihood of the villagers used to be chena cultivations but now they engage in more permanent agricultural activity and connected trades.
Earlier, many children living in the area did not complete their full schooling, but today they get through the Advanced Level, enter university and pass out as graduates, with the numbers increasing each year. Some of these graduates travel to Anuradhapura or even to far off Mannar to work, as the road network is good.
The annual Poson Aloka Pooja is indeed a great blessing to Thanthirimale and hopefully will continue to help not only the temple but the surrounding villages to develop more in the years to come.