Somawathiya Chaitya is a Buddhist Stupa situated approximately 45 minutes away from the ancient city of Polonnaruwa. Chaitya premises is called the Somawathiya Rajamaha Viharaya. Surrounded by Somawathiya forest reserve, the stupa is located on the left bank of the Mahaweli River. This wonderful stupa is believed to have been built in the reign of King Kavantissa - Dutugemunu’s father - who ruled Magama. It’s said to enshrine the right canine tooth relic of the Buddha, one of the four tooth relics - which are considered the most sacred relics by Buddhists. Somawathiya is therefore much older than Ruwanveli seya, Mirisaveti Vihara or Jetawanaramaya.

Decadence and Restoration.

The Stupa and the temple fell into decay after the Polonnaruwa Period and it is believed that this happened due to the incursion of Chandrabanu (13th century). After that, the temple didnit receive the attention of Buddhists until the 20th century. A gazette published on 29 August 1947 declared the entrust of the custody of Somawathi Stupa and its environs to Ven. Sirimalvatte Sri Piyaratana Nayaka Thera by the then British Governor Sir Henry Monck-Mason Moore (Wikramagamage, 2004). The repaired Stupa was opened for public veneration in 1948 (Wikramagamage, 2004).

The construction of roads and colonization works were begun around the Somawathiya after 1949 and by 1963 the construction work of the access road to the Somawathiya was completed (Wikramagamage, 2004). In 1966, the renovation works of the Stupa was commenced with the participation of the then Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake (Wikramagamage, 2004). The ceremony of enshrining the relics inside the Stupa was held in 1974 and the pinnacle-placing ceremony was held in 1981 under the patronage of the then President J. R. Jayawardena (Wikramagamage, 2004). Presently, a vertical opening has been left on the dome of the renovated Stupa to observe the different phases of construction.

LTTE Attack

In 1987, Somawathiya was attacked by LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam), a rebel group designated as a terrorist organization by a number of countries including Sri Lanka, India, the USA, and the EU. They had tried to remove the crestjewel of the Stupa but abandoned the attempt for some reason (Wikramagamage, 2004).

Inscriptions

A number of inscriptions have been found from the temple premises. Of them, the majority are found on a large boulder at Minvila near the Somawathi Stupa.

Minvila rock inscription 01

This inscription records a channel that was done by Gamani Abhaya [(2nd century A.D.) Dias, 1991].

‘Somawathi Stupa slab inscription of Mahanaga

This slab inscription was discovered from the terrace of Somawathi Stupa by W.E. Femando in 1940 (Paranavitana, 1983). It records the foundation of a monastery named Pajina-Naka-Araba (Pacina Nagarama) by a prince named Nakela, a son of King Mahadatika Mahanaga [(9-21 A.D.) Paranavitana, 1983].

Minvila rock inscription 02

The purport of this inscription to record the grant of a village by King Naka Maharaja (Mahadatika Mahanaga) to the monastic establishment founded by his son Nakala (Paranavitana, 1983).

Minvila rock inscription 03

The inscription is fragmentary and therefore, itis not possible to ascertain the purport of the record (Paranavitana, 1983).

Minvila rock inscription 04

The inscription records a donation by a king named Gamani Abhaya who is probably King Gajabahu | (114-136 A.D.) Paranavitana, 1983].

Minvila rock inscription 05

This inscription has recorded the foundation of a monastic grove in a lake at Raja-alivitiya and attachment of it to the Abhayagiri fraternity by Kanittha Tissa [(2nd century AD) Paranavitana, 2001].

Minvila rock inscription 06

This is the longest inscription found on the Minvila rock. It contains the same details engraved on the Somawathi Stupa slab inscription of Kanittha Tiss [(see below) Paranavitana, 2001].

‘Somawathi Stupa slab inscription of Kanittha Tissa

This inscription was discovered at a location near Somawathi Stupa in 1954 by the Assistant Archaeological Commissioner for Epigraphy W.S. Karunaratna (Paranavitana, 2001). It records the foundation of a sacred grove and the grant of land made for its maintenance by Kanittha Tissa (Paranavitana, 2001)

Besides the above-mentioned inscriptions, two more lithic records have been found on the rock boulder called Eric Swan (Wikramagamage, 2004). It has got its name because of a photographer (Eric Swan) who was killed in 1952 by a wild elephant near this boulder (Wikramagamage, 2004)

A protected site

The Somawathi Stupa in the No.11 last Bu-akshana Pumbura land situated in Minvillu village in the Divisional Secretary's Division, Aralaganwila is an archaeological protected monument, declared by a government Gazette notification published on 7 July 1967.

References

1) Dias, M., 1991. Epigraphical notes (Nos 1-18). Colombo: Department of Archaeology. pp.29,31.

2) Dias, M, 2001. The growth of Buddhist monastic institutions in Sri Lanka from Brahmi inscriptions. Epigraphia Zeylanica, Vol. Vill. Department of Archaeology Survey. ISBN: 955-9264-04-4. p.49.

3) Nicholas, C. W, 1963. Historical topography of ancient and medieval Ceylon. Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, New Series (Vol VI). Special Number: Colombo. Royal Asiatic Society (Ceylon Branch). p.42.

4) Paranavitana, S., 1983. Inscriptions of Ceylon: Vol. I. Part I. Department of Archaeology, Sri Lanka. pp.1-2,39-40,48,102.

5) Paranavitana, S, 2001 (Edited by Dias, M.). Inscriptions of Ceylon: Vol. Il. Part Il. Archaeological Survey Department, Sri Lanka. pp.131-136.

6) Ranawella, S., 2005. Inscription of Ceylon. Volume V, Part ll. Department of Archaeology. ISBN: 955-91-59-57-7. p.85.

7) The Gazette notification. no: 14756. 7 July 1967. 2004. Heritage of Rajarata: Major natural, cultural, and historic sites. Colombo. Central Bank of Sri Lanka. pp.254-256.

8) Wikramagamage, C., 2004. Heritage of Rajarata: major natural, cultural, and historic sites. Colombo. Central Bank of Sri Lanka. pp.254-256.