Nagadeepa Purana Viharaya

Nagadeepa Purana Viharaya is an ancient Buddhist temple situated in Jaffna district of Northern Province, which is among the sixteen or seventeen holiest Buddhist shrines Solosmasthana in Sri Lanka. The history believes that the Gautama Buddha has visited the site after five years attaining Enlightenment, to settle down the dispute between two warring Naga kings, Chulodara and Mahodara.

The ancient history according to chronicles Mahavamsa and Tamil Buddhist epic Manimekalai mentions a gem studded throne and a stone with the Buddha’s footprint at the island Nainativu, also known as Nagadeepa which pilgrims from India used to come and worship.^[1]

History and development

The site where Lord Buddha during the second visit to Sri Lanka after five years attaining Enlightenment intervened and mediated in settling a dispute over the possession of a gem-studded throne.

When Buddha's arrival upon seeing the Naga Kings prepared for fighting, Budhha used psychic powers to appeared above, in the sky performing miracles which made the Nagas astonished and happy. After having listened to the Dhamma sermons displaying the masterly knowledge of unity and harmony, meththa and compassion Naga's pay homage to Budhha with overwhelming faith and then the throne was offered to him in unison and became pious devotees thereafter.

Also the Naga King Maniakkitha, the ruler of Kelaniya who had become a follower of the Buddha during his first visit to Mahiyangana, while on his way to help Chulodara Mahodara in the battle ground, moved by the compassion of the Buddha thanked him profusely for settling the dispute.

He further pleaded for a souvenir to worship and consequently the Buddha offered him the Kiripalu tree and the throne. A deity named Samiddhi Sumana who had made the above banyan tree his abode, in Jetavanarama accompanied Thathagatha holding the uprooted tree as an umbrella to him.

History records that it was developed and reconstructed by pious kings like Devanampiyatissa, Dutugemunu and converted into a fully accomplished sacred place. According to the golden Sannasa Wallipuram, committed to writing during the reign of king Vasabha.^[2]

See also

• List of Archaeological Protected Monuments in Sri Lanka
• Ancient constructions of Sri Lanka
• Solosmasthana

Further reading

The first translation of Manimekalai by R. B. K. Aiyangar, was published in Maṇimekhalai in its Historical Setting.^[3] Extracts of this were republished in Hisselle Dhammaratana's Buddhism in South India ^[4] A more recent translation of the poem was done by Alain Daniélou with the collaboration of T.V. Gopala Iyer ^[5] There is also a Japanese translation by Shuzo Matsunaga, published in 1991.

References

1. ^ "Sacred Island, Nagadipa". Buddha Dharma Education Association Inc / BuddhaNet. http://www.buddhanet.net/sacred-island/nagadipa.html. Retrieved 2011-09-13. 
2. ^ "Tathagatha’s visit to Nagadeepa". Daily News - The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd, Sri Lanka. 2009-03-25. http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/03/25/fea29.asp. 
3. ^ Rao Bahadur Krishnaswāmi Aiyangar, Maṇimekhalai in its Historical Setting, London, 1928. Available at www.archive.org [1]
4. ^ Hisselle Dhammaratana, Buddhism in South India, Kandy, 1964. Available online at Buddhist Publication Society Online Library Buddhism in South India.
5. ^ Alain Daniélou & Iyer, Manimekhalai: the Dancer with the Magic Bowl by Shattan, New York, 1989.

External links

• Official Website - Ministry of Culture and the Arts, Sri Lanka