It is common to see worshippers going to pay homage to Lord Buddha at Gangaramaya at dusk. There sits the Podi Hamuduruwo near the gate to the Viharage, sipping gilan pasa. Now 66, Galaboda Gnanisssara Thera who celebrated 55 years as a monk this Monday has been acclaimed for his social work and is synonymous with the Gangaramaya temple.
Born on December 14, 1943 in Galaboda, he entered religious life on November 8, 1954. " I was the third in a family of seven and my parents were farmers. Rice coconut, jak and even jaggery all these were our produce. We had everything and only salt was bought from outside. I studied up to Std. 5. I had to walk three miles to school," he reminisces.
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| Galaboda Gnanisssara Thera with Speaker W.J. M. Lokubandara |
At 11, he entered the Gangarama temple. “My guru was Sri Vachissar Thera and his pupil Devundera Sri Vachissara Thera was also my teacher,” he says. Gangaramaya has a long history and all the bana texts were printed here, in Sinhala Pali & Sanskrit, including the 550 Jathakaya with 1700 pages. The temple has many artefacts, including five pairs of tusks, Burmese and Thai Tripitaka texts and other ancient texts.
"I remember Gangaramaya's Bhikku Training School was started on the day I became a monk," Podi Hamuduruwo recalls. That was the first of its kind. It was Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Nayake Thera who took on that task. Gangarama had its start at the Beira. H L. de Mel and his family had gifted a part of the land for the temple and other Buddhists helped to build Seemamalakaya.
The Gangaramaya then was different to what it is today. The change is due to the Podihamuduruwa's efforts. "Those days Slave Island was a bad area. There were lot of thugs whom I controlled. Some said that I had a pistol inside my saffron robe but I did not fear them and was sincere and it was nothing for me to control them. I had the strength of my mother's milk and the rice produced in my village," he says.
"My close associate was Sir Cyril Soyza. When I first met him he did not even read a gatha. It was I who taught him . Governor General William Gopallawa had a close connection with us and he observed sil on all poya days. He put up a Buduge at the President's House and his first visit as Governor General was to the temple here to see our guru Sadhu. Following him everyone started to observe sil."
"I think Buddhists and non Buddhists wear the Pirith thread without any reservation and the ritual proliferated because of the Gangaramaya. We helped the workers when the Gangarama vocational training centre was being built. Like the monks even the lay youth behaved well. I was strict when the occasion demanded. We trained many young men and women."
The political influence the Venerable Thera has wielded is legendary. "At the 1982 presidential election Vijaya Kumaratunga was arrested and I was informed by a Dayakaya how he was treated in prison. I felt sorry and called JR (Jayewardene) and asked if it is ok not to allow a prisoner to sleep. He asked why and I explained and requested JR to release him. The prisoner was released one hour later."
The Venerable Thera has been true to his convictions at all times. He recalls, "When in '87 when the Indo Lanka agitation was on, it was I who started the protest with black flags. We did not have meals as a mark of protest that day. During the time the pact was signed the then Prime Minister R. Premadasa was in China and the opposition thought it was the best time to break up the UNP. I told him not to resign from the party when I saw him at the airport. JR told me to organise a protest . But after one week JR decided to sign the pact and bring the Indian army here. Some thugs came to attack us but we did not stop.”
The Gangaramaya temple is famed also for the Navam Perahera started by Podi Hamuduruwo. It too has had its challenges. "When all processions were banned we still held the perahera. One night I had a dream that someone asked how I wanted to have the perahera sans dancers. In the morning I learnt that the dancers had got letters that they would be killed if they took part in the perahera. Once an elephant rampaged during the perahera which made other animals also panic. Even the mahout deserted the animals. There was chaos and added to that President Premadasa was also there, but did not move. I somehow managed to calm them down and restart the perahera," he says.
"I was the one who named the first paper printed by Lake House called Sathuta, a picture story tabloid. It was I who removed the word Sri from the word Sri Lankadipa. And it was I who removed the Sri from the vehicle number plates. I told Mr. Premadasa not to have Sri on his vehicle as it is a holy word. He was one man who obeyed the Sangha. We compiled a book taking stories from the Tripitaka on 24 subjects and gave 20,000 copies free."
He was also the one behind President Premadasa's offer of free uniforms to schools, he says. "Once Mrs Premadasa asked me whether the temple can help their campaign for the poor. When I mentioned that to a Korean monk he gave us one lakh of metres of cloth which were distributed at the Gam Udawa exhibition. I was happy that I could take part in it."
Podi Hamuduruvo has a deep concern for the environment, promoting the growing of teak and mahogany all round the country. And despite his immense service to the country, he has not accepted the many titles offered to him.
Podi Hamuduruwo has faced many challenges, taken the correct decisions and spread his authority due to the humane qualities he possesses. Today those reaping benefits due to the Gangaramaya are many. |
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