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Kataragama: Domain of benevolent god Skanda
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Avenue to Kirivehera |
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Bridge over Menik Ganga |
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Fruit offerings on sale |
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Kirivehera |
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The Maha Devale |
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Tusker |
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Sella Kataragama |
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Kataragama, the domain of God Skanda (Lord Murugan Katirkaman, Kadirkamam, Subrahmanya, Kandasamy, Kadiradeva, Katiradeva, Katiravel, Karttikeya, and Tarakajith) located in the Deep South of Sri Lanka, adjoining the popular Ruhuna Yala National Park and ancient Sithulpawwa Buddhist Monastery, is a multi-religious sacred city that contains a Buddhist temple, Hindu shrine and Islamic Mosque. Kataragama, one of the solosmasthana (Sinhala: 16 principal sites of Buddhist pilgrimage), features in the history since the era of King Dutugamunu (161-137 BC), the Hero of the Nation. Mahawamsa, the great historical chronicle of Sri Lanka reveals the participation of warriors of Kshatriyas clan from Kataragama on the occasion of the arrival of the Bo sapling of Bodhi Tree, under which Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment in Bodh Gaya (Gaya district of the modern Bihar state of India) was brought to the city of Anuradhapura 2,300 years ago.
Sri Lankans are convinced of the existence of God Skanda, the deity of Kataragama and his benevolent nature. Many Sinhala Buddhists of Sri Lanka believe that Kataragama deviyo is one of the four guardian deities of the island nation and Buddhism. Among the virtuous personages who had witnessed the god Skanda, is Buddhist monk Balanagoda Ananda Maitreya. (August 23, 1896 – July 18, 1998) who is believed to have achieved a certain lower plain in enlightenment in line with Buddhism by means of two forms of Buddhist meditation called Samatha meditation and Vipassana meditation.
Distance from Colombo: Kataragama is located 283km from
Colombo.
Location
19km inland from Tissamaharama lies the small & remote town of
Kataragama. Kataragama is one of most popular & most sacred pilgrimages
sites of Sri Lanka. Like Adam's Peak, it attracts Sinhalese Buddhists as well as Hindu Tamils. The adored site is visited by Muslims & Christians too.
Town
Kataragama is a small town with clean, tree lined roads with rows of
stalls selling garlands & platters of fruit-coconut, mango watermelon.
The city, town & the wide shady roads are developed by the late
president-ever industrious workhorse-indomitable R. A. Premadasa.
The best time to visit
The town is at is best bold, bright & busiest during the Kataragama
festival, held around the Kandy Esala Perahera pageant in
Kandy - two weeks in July & August.
The Journey
Kataragama is easily visited as a day-trip from
Tissamaharama. A night's
stay at Kataragama provide the opportunity of enjoying the sight of the puja (ritual offerings) in a leisurely manner, you may also imbibe some
of the town's backwater charm & laid-back rural pace.
The setting
Kataragama town spreads out over a small grid of tranquil, leafy
streets. The town is separated by the River Menik Ganga ("Gem River")
with Sacred Precinct to the north, an area of beautiful parkland overrun
by a grey langurs.
The popular river at Kataragama, Menik Ganga (River of Gems)
A short walk from the car park takes us to popular river Menik Ganga
("River of Gems"). We cross the bridge & then steps lead us down to the
river which is quite shallow in places. It's a nice & easy river for a
leisurely bath(village style) anytime during the day. The area around
the river is very attractive with large trees on the banks providing
plenty of shade. Pilgrims enjoy their ritual bath in the middle of the
river. We cross the bridge to enter the main temple complex. The 300m
wide avenue lined with trees leads us to the Hindu temple.
The legend & the history
According to the legend, victorious King Dutugamunu (161-137 BC) built
the original shrine following his series of long battles against the
mighty forces of Dravidian invader, Elara, at
Anuradhapura. The legend
is God Kataragama helped King Dutugamunu's formidable Sinhalese army to
cross the River Menik, which would have been an unassailable mighty
river a couple of millennium ago. The history is (Mahawamsa) King
Dutugamunu's army was commanded by ten mighty warriors, Nandhimitta,
Suranimala, Mahasona, Gothaimbara, Theraputtabhaya (formerly a Buddhist
monk, he gave up the Buddhist order for the sole purpose of saving the
Sinhalese & Buddhism from the marauding Dravidian invaders), Bharana,
Velusumana, Khanjadeva, Phussadeva & Labhiyavasaba, all of them of
superhuman strength & courage sans Achilles heel. Those ten mighty
ambidextrous warriors of great strength & courage were ably assisted by
great battle elephants. Foremost in strength, beauty, shape & the
qualities of courage & swiftness & of mighty size of body was the royal
elephant Kandula, who broke open the mighty door of impregnable
Dravidian fortress at Vijithapura (city of victory),
Anuradhapura.
The sacred pilgrimage site of the benevolent god
To Buddhists, this forest sanctuary is where the Buddha planted a
sapling of the Sacred Śrī Maha Bodhi tree of Anuradhapura, sanctifying
the spot. To Hindus, Kataragama is the domain of the Hindu war god
Skanda. Both Hindu & Buddhist communities believe that Hindu war god
Kataragama (Skanda) has the power to intervene benevolently in their
affairs & thousands, convinced of the deity's benign influence, journey,
to Kataragama for a puja (offering) at the time of embarking on a new
venture. But then again it is said "the god help those who help
themselves" you better have the moral courage & will to realize your
dreams. Those who have the will would find a way. May god also go with
those who toil in the High Noon for a Few Dollars More without the
lady-luck of McCanna's Gold. And may the adored, benevolent god have
mercy on all those Good, Bad and Ugly too. And may the god bless the good
guy who wrote this. Amen!
![]() Kiri Vehera |
![]() The bo tree |
![]() Kataragama Devala |
![]() Entrance to the Devalaya |
![]() The place where coconuts are dashed. |
Devale shrines located in other parts of Sri Lanka associated with God Skanda, the deity of Kataragama
Vallahagoda The ancient devale shrine located at 3km from the Gampola railway station at the village of Vallahagoda of Ganga –ihala Korale, Udapalata, Gampola, Kandy district is dedicated to Skanda, the god of Kataragama. It is believed that the shrine was built by King Bhuvanaikabahu the fourth. According to a narration of the book Ceylon by H. W. Cave, the figure of mythological beast Gajasimha (Sinhala: Elephant lion) brought to the shrine from the palace of the King Bhuvanaikabahu the fourth.
Vagama Raja-Maha-Vihara Vagama Raja-Maha-Vihara is located at 5 km off Upper Hevahata, in the area of Rahatungoda, Gannava Korale, Uda Hevahata, Gampola, Kandy district. Vagama Raja-Maha-Vihara is associated with the legends of Skanda, the god of Kataragama.
During the reign of King Vikramabahu the third, a drummer at the village of Ramagama of Gampola of Kandy district, having reached old age found it impossible to pay further visits in homage to the shrine of god Skanda at the village of Kataragama of the Deep South of Sri Lanka and prayed in search of a solution. It is said the God Skanda revealed himself in a dream intimating a miracle would take place in the village of Amnakka guiding him to solution. The miracle took place at the Ambakka flower garden of the Queen Henakanda Biso, the queen of King Vikramabahu the third (1356-1371 AD). While clearing up thorny bushes in the flower garden, the gardener found a Kaduru tree (Botanical name: Dogsbane apocynaccae) pouring blood at a stroke of his axe. The drummer arriving at the garden revealed his dream. The story of the Kaduru tree pouring blood and the dream of the drummer spread like wild fire all over the kingdom of Gampola to reach the ears of King Vikramabahu the third. The king having arrived at the garden had a shrine built on the location in veneration of the God Skanda, the deity at Kataragama.
The legend of opapatika birth (Sinhala: birth of a human without human parentage); the exceedingly great beauty; the ascendance to royalty; the untimely death at the hands of God Skanda, the deity of Kataragama; the elevation to divinity of Queen Henakanda Biso Bandara consists of extraordinary episodes.
During the period of the kingdom of Gampola, the incumbent at the Buddhist temple at the village of Beligala ( Sinhala: Rock of Beli trees) of the Gampola was intimated in a dream that a human infant was born with no human parentage, in fact in a Beli fruit, and it was his destiny to bring up the child. Beli (Aegle marmelos), a sacred tree in Hinduism, is used in Hindu rituals in worshipping God Shiva. Having taken the dream with due reverence, a Beli fruit of great proportions was removed from a Beli tree in the premises of the Beligala Temple and deposited in a safe chamber of the Beligala Buddhist temple. One night a great noise as of thunder was heard within the temple itself. Following an inquiry, it was found that the Beli fruit had burst open. A female infant of immense radiance and beauty was seen inside the Beli fruit: The infant Venus brought onto the earth in the Beli fruit accompanied by the sound of thunder, was named Henakanda (Sinhala: sound of the thunder). The infant grew up to be a maiden of supreme beauty. Having rejected all her suitors, she finally became the Biso (Sinhala: Queen) of King Vikramabahu the third. Henakanda Biso also became a devotee of God Skanda, the deity of Kataragama. Kataragama deviyo (Sinhala: god Kataragama or God Skanda), in spite of his divinity, being tempted (he couldn't resist the temptation, this time) by the exceedingly supreme beauty of her sultry serene Queen Henakanda Biso, would have no patience to see through the human life of hers and definite ascendance to the divinity in virtue of her merits. God Skanda had her killed by strangling in her palanquin at the village of Pusulpitiya. The God made her one of his goddesses. Following her death and ascendance to divinity, she was known by the name Henakanda Biso Bandara, Bandara being a title conferred on the local deities.
Taking the life of any being, in spite of conferring the divinity on the victim, being a sin, there is no gainsay in the fact that non other than God Skanda himself committed a sin herein. That is over and above the sin of coveting thy neighbor's or rather our king's wife. Over to you, God Skanda! By the way, I like your style, you have to get what you desire, at any cost. With due respect, love and devotion, my lord, the great warrior God King, your worship and warship wouldn't let bunpeiris ever take a step a back in his humble endeavors. Grant me what's my due plus, my lord. Amen.
Courtesy: www.mysrilankaholidays.com