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Aluthsahal Mangalya offering at the Dalada Maligawa
The annual ‘Aluthsahal Mangalya‘, (Offering of new rice) took place on Duruthu poya day (Friday). The offering of freshly harvested rice to the Sacred Tooth Relic from the rice fields of the Sri Dalada Maligawa, takes place every year.
The procession bringing the rice
The ceremony was first conducted by King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe, to present an offering of ‘new rice’ to the Sacred Tooth Relic.
The King ordered ‘new rice’ to be offered to the devala and royal temples of the Kandyan Kingdom as well. Even today this ceremony takes place at the Gurudeniya attuwa, now at Pallekella, opposite Gurudeniya where the Maligawa’s paddy fields once stood.
The 25-acre paddy fields once owned by the King, later came under the Victoria Project. President J.R. Jayawardene requested 25 acres of land in Dehiyatthakandiya to be given to the temple for ‘new rice’ to be cultivated for the offering on Duruthu poya. The rice from these fields is especially for this offering.
Ten other villages around Kandy cultivate rice for the other offerings at the temple. Preparations begin a week before Duruthu poya at the attuwa or barn of the Maligawa.
The dewala Basnayake Nilama and the raja maha vihara representatives participate in the offering while the Maligawa lekaam or Secretary read out the names for distribution.
Then each recipient including those from the Maligawa takes the ‘new rice’ to the respective cooking places.
It is a significant ritual at the temple. The Diyawadna Nilame, presently Nilanga Pradeep Dela, fills the cooked rice into a patharaua or bowl which holds 80 measures of rice, and the Service Nayake Thera, presently Venerable Tibbotuwawe Medankara Thera, offers the rice to the Sacred Tooth Relic.
The old attuwa was in the middle of Gurudeniya’s paddy fields. When Victoria tank waters were released, the then Diyawadana Nilame Neranjam Wijeyearatne dismantled it and the Archaeological Department rebuilt it at the present site, using the same timber.
Since then current Diyawadana Nilame Nilanga Pradeep Dela has renovated the attuwa, keeping it like it was in the days of the King.
The Diyawadana Nilame Pradeep Nilanga Dela conducting the ritual