Importance of Il full moon Poya

By Udumbara Udugama

Il Full Moon Poya falls on Sunday, November 26. From ancient times there have been fire offerings as pooja by people and some of these practices are  continued at present.

The Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy has four main festivals for the year. In the first month of January, the Aluth Sahal Mangalya is celebrated. In April, the New Year festival and  in July/August the Sri Dalada Esala perahera. The fourth is the Karthika Aloka Poojava in November, on Il Poya which falls this year on Sunday, the 26^th November.

Il Full Moon Poya is also important for Buddhists for many reasons.

The first Dharma Dhutha – messengers of the Dhamma of 60 Arahants were sent by the Buddha on a mission to teach the Buddha Dhamma.

The Buddha proceeded to Uruvela on the banks of the river Neranjana to meet the Jatila brothers Uruvel Kashyapa, Nadee Kashyapa and Gaya Kashyapa. After listening to the Dhamma they wished to be ordained in the Buddha sasana.

Buddha’s chief disciple Arahant Sariputta Maha Thera went to Nalaka, his birth place to explain the Dhamma to his mother, Sari Bemini. Thereafter the Arahant Maha Thera passed away on an Il Full Moon Poya.

The Buddha granted a definite futuristic fulfilment of Buddhahood to Maithree Bodhisattva when he visited  Buddha on an Il Poya.

It is said that King Devanampiyatissa constructed the first stupa in Lanka, the Thuparama chaitya and placed Buddha relics on an Il poya.

Il Poya also signifies the end of the month-long Katina cheevara pooja.

This year too, continuing  the tradition of the Karthika Aloka pooja, on the 25^th the day before the poya, the Sri Dalada Maligawa will  take oil in a perahera participated by the Kariyakarawana Korale to the Natha Devalaya. From there, it will be distributed to Natha, Vishnu, Kataragama and Pattini devalas and the Raja Maha Vihara in Kandy. These in turn will distribute oil to the pitisara (in and around Kandy) Raja Maha Vihara and devala.   

On the 26^th, the day of Il Poya, all these devala and viharas will offer the Aloka Poojava by lighting pahanas (clay oil lamps) at the auspicious time of 6.03 p.m. facing East.

The Karthika Aloka Pooja has been popularized by the Nayakkar kings of Kandy who were originally Hindus.