Seelawathi Rajamaha Viharaya | AmazingLanka.com

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Stupa at the summit - Seelawathi Rajamaha Viharaya — Stupa at the summit – Seelawathi Rajamaha Viharaya
photo by lakshitha arunajith

Seelawathi Viharaya and the Mulgirigala mountains are located about a kilometer apart near Modarawana. While not as tall as Mulgirigala, Seelawathi Hill covers a larger area. Three sides of the mountain have steep cliffs, while the remaining side provides access to the summit.

Though the Seelawathi Rajamaha Viharaya is ancient, its origins remain unclear. A description of this monastery was published in 1926 by a British national, F. Lewis, in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society. This provides a glimpse into the condition of the site in the early 20th century. At that time, he reported seeing a stupa and a unique mini-tower on the mountain summit when viewed from below.

The following information is based on that report. At that time, the monks of Mulkirigala and Seelawathi Viharaya belonged to two different Nikayas (sects), resulting in frequent conflicts between the two monasteries. Ultimately, these conflicts had a greater impact on the Seelawathi Viharaya, leading to its gradual decline and eventual abandonment. The site, overtaken by the jungle, persisted only because local villagers continued to perform customary rituals at the ruined stupa.

Revival of Seelawathi Viharaya

When Lewis visited Seelawathi Viharaya, it was occupied by a monk from Siam (modern-day Thailand). He had come to Sri Lanka as a lay pilgrim, visiting Buddhist holy cities like Anuradhapura. Upon learning about the abandoned monastery on Seelawathi Mountain, he chose it as his residence. Despite not knowing a single Sinhala word, he learned to speak, read, and write the language on his own. Moreover, he sought out various pious donors and worked tirelessly to restore the ancient glory of the monastery.

Unique Mini-Tower

Lewis recounts that the unique mini-tower he saw was personally designed and built by this Siamese monk. He described it as a spectacular mini-tower with various carvings, adorned with colorful plates. Known locally as the Siam Hamuduruwo (Siamese monk), he likely incorporated Siamese influences into the mini-tower’s design. This tower, over a century later, can still be seen near the stupa today.

Artifacts and Relics

The Siamese monk also showed Lewis numerous artifacts he had found at the site. One that impressed Lewis was a silver dagaba relic casket. When opened, it revealed a golden lotus flower within a glass hemisphere. At the center of the lotus was a wire with an upper loop, resembling a relic chamber similar to the casket that holds the Tooth Relic in Kandy. A replica of the Tooth Relic, placed within the loop, was housed in another relic casket made of ivory. The Siamese monk had created this ivory replica himself, having precisely scaled down a model of the Kandy Tooth Relic.

The most precious artifact the monk possessed, he then showed Lewis. It was an ivory casket containing a gem about half an inch long. Lewis described it as a translucent gem of red and yellow hues, shimmering with various colors, its surface resembling a pearl. This casket was discovered within the ancient stupa. When the Siamese monk arrived, the stupa had been vandalized by treasure hunters. However, this “casket” had been hidden in a cavity carved into the bedrock beneath the stupa’s foundation. This cavity was then sealed with a stone slab of the same size, making it inconspicuous. While rebuilding the stupa, the monk discovered this sealed cavity.

He also mentioned finding an inscription at the site, but the characters were too eroded to decipher.

Finally, the Siamese monk gifted Lewis a bronze statue with burnt feet. He explained that when a fire engulfed the monastery buildings, this statue fell into a crevice and was preserved. He described the finely crafted statue as possibly belonging to a king, noting its resemblance to the Weligama Kustaraja statue. He did not explain how he came to possess the statue.

When Lewis revisited Seelawathi Viharaya in 1920, the monastery was once again deserted. He learned from the villagers that the Siamese monk had spent 17 years developing Seelawathi Mountain and lived there for about 45 years before passing away.

The bronze statue with burnt feet, gifted by the Siamese monk to F. Lewis. - Seelawathi Rajamaha Viharaya — The bronze statue with burnt feet, gifted by the Siamese monk to F. Lewis. – Seelawathi Rajamaha Viharaya

Recent inscriptions at Seelawathi Rajamaha Viharaya

Drip ledge caves at Seelawathi Rajamaha Viharaya

Steps to the summit - Seelawathi Rajamaha Viharaya

සියම් හාමුදුරුවෝ පුද්ගලිකව නිර්මාණය කල අදටත් පවතින අපූර්ව කුලුණ - සීලවතී රජමහා විහාරය

At the top of the Seelawathi Rajamaha Viharaya

References

Lewis, J. P. (1926). Note on an Image Obtained at Silavatiparvata Temple. The Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain & Ireland, 30(79), 280–285.

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