Chaos in Kandy becomes pilgrims’ nightmare

By Dilrukshi Handunnetti and Shane Seneviratne

“I gave up in sheer disgust, because only the able-bodied people who could push their way through could get in. I felt that my son should have been a policeman so that I could have entered the Temple,” she said, saddened that she might never get another chance to view the Sacred Relic in her lifetime. 

The much awaited exposition of the Sacred Tooth held recently evoked religious fervour among Buddhists. But their enthusiasm was sadly dampened when the authorities failed to provide adequately for the huge throng of devotees, numbering over four million who flocked to Kandy.

Public amenities were shockingly inadequate, turning the religious ritual into a virtual nightmare for many, while chief custodian of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Diyawadana Nilame Neranjan Wijeyaratne complained that he did not receive the required support to ensure the success of the event. 

In keeping with the traditions of yore, of rulers facilitating the ceremonies associated with the Temple of the Tooth, the Cabinet undertook to assist the Temple to organize the 17-day exposition which was held to invoke blessings on the nation at a time of drought. The Buddha Sasana Ministry was to support the event.

The two high priests of the Malwatte and Asgiriya Chapters along with the Diyawadana Nilame were in charge of organizing the religious part of the exposition, with the Government Agent of Kandy, Chief Minister of the Central Province, the Kandy Police and the Kandy Municipal Council forming the rest of the organizing committee handling the ‘project’. In addition, several government institutions like the Ceylon Electricity Board and Water Supply and Drainage Board and the Central Provincial Council were also instructed to assist.

Accordingly, temporary shelters were put up by the State Engineering Corporation to protect the queues of people from the sun and tents to allow the crowds to rest or spend the night, with ‘dansal’ being organized to provide food and beverages. The Temple had also invited the St. John’s Ambulance Brigade, the Sri Lanka Red Cross, Sri Lanka Scouts’ Association and other volunteers to help them.

Security measures were meticulously planned with the Police. Four routes were identified for the four queues, three for the general public and the other exclusively for VIPs, special invitees and clergy. Kandy sources explained that special barricades were erected and over 3,000 policemen deployed in the sacred city area to enhance security and man the long queues. 

But despite all the planning, the crowds were frequently unmanageable. During the time of the exposition two deaths occurred; one of an elderly man and the other of an infant.

Kandy Police sources said that an elderly devotee who was walking towards the railway station after paying homage to the Tooth Relic had been run over by a train. The infant, however, did not die due to suffocation as alleged, a senior Kandy Police officer said, but had been ill for some time. Parents should try not to bring very small children and feeble persons for events such as this, due to the practical difficulties, he advised.

But, many mothers who spoke to us like Sumana Gamlathge, 41, thought otherwise.

“My child is just two. I braved the showers because I needed to get my baby blessed. Many parents keep their children on the floor near the ‘mal asana’ to invoke the blessings of the Tooth. It is a religious practice,” she said. 

The deaths notwithstanding, the biggest grouse the devotees had was the lack of public toilets. R.M. Sugunaratne (67), a resident of Asgiriya, said he had viewed the Relic twice before, and joined the queue one morning at 6 a.m. full of hope that he could see it for the third time. “The heat was unbearable, so I picked up a soft drink and continued in the queue. An hour later, we had advanced at snail’s pace, and I needed to go to the toilet. But there was none and I had to go home,” he said.

Sugunaratne said there were no mobile toilets in sight. “ I am lucky because my home was close by and I could join the queue the following day as well. But what about those who had travelled miles and miles?” he queried. 

With the security measures being tightened, those in the queues were not allowed to leave and rejoin later. The ‘dansal’ operated on either side of the road providing refreshments to the crowds. But most people opted to starve rather than accept the free food for fear of having to answer a call of nature, as that may have prevented them from paying homage to the Tooth. With many not willing to leave the queues in search of toilets, the Kandy roads were transformed into public lavatories.

“If they give us food and drink, they must also think that we would want to make use of a toilet,” said Piyananda Thero, who had come all the way from Panduwasnuwara to view the Tooth Relic.

Several starving devotees fainted in the hot sun- and had to be given first aid by volunteers. 

The toilets were mainly at the Asgiriya foothills and near the Kandy railway station, too far away, said devotees. The Sunday Times learns that 12 mobile toilet units had been available for use in the Asgiriya area, but were not sent closer to the Maligawa as there had been no formal request by the Kandy MC. 

Mrs. Kumari Gunawardene from Kelaniya went to Kandy with her entire family and stayed in the queue for eight hours before giving up. The crowds got unruly when they felt they were not advancing, even an inch, she said.

“The police were the worst. Sometimes they used abusive language on devotees, and occasionally manhandled people. The worst was when they pushed us to allow their kith and kin jump the queue. This happened regularly when the final date approached,” complained young Thushari Damayanthi, a university student from Colombo. 

The shoving and pushing were so intense that often the temporary barriers were pushed off the roads- and sometimes into the Bogambara Lake. 

Another sore point in the eyes of the public was the VIP queue. Many felt it was unfair, though they agreed that the authorities might view this as being essential. “When we brave the weather and stay in queues for days, a few drive through in their plush Prados and Pajeros. There cannot be double standards in religious worship. All devotees, despite their wealth and status should be treated equally,” said an angry devotee who failed to enter the Temple. The only exception should be the head of state and diplomats, he said. 

Admitting that devotees were greatly inconvenienced during the exposition as facilities were inadequate, Diyawadana Nilame Neranjan Wijeyaratne said that his biggest worry had been the security of the Temple and the Tooth, his fears being heightened by an often inadequate power supply.

“For such a massive event, one needs to keep the entire area illuminated. Some of the security equipment I requested for, also came rather late. For years I have been requesting the installation of superior security equipment to no avail,” he said.

Weeks before the exposi- tion, the Diyawadana Nilame appealed to the public to refrain from bringing unnecessary paraphernalia and polythene into the city. Obviously, the appeals fell on deaf ears. Kandy is now a massive garbage dump with polythene floating on the scenic Bogambara Lake which was dredged at great cost recently. 

“ We estimated that at least 100,000 would enter the city and requested for logistical support. I am truly sorry that worshippers were inconvenienced, but the state had a huge role to play in the entire operation,” said the Diyawadana Nilame. There was an acute shortage of electricity, toilet facilities, garbage bins and even personnel manning the queues, he added

So this momentous occasion for Buddhists was marred by the lack of co-operation among authorities. It is indeed sad that the pinnacle of Buddhist worship did not receive the basic facilities provided for cricket matches or musical extravaganzas, for its most significant religious event.