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The History of Mirisawetiya Mirisawetiya is one of the most ancient Dagabas in Sri Lanka , more than 2100 years old!
Mirisawetiya was built by the great King Dutugamunu who reigned during the time (161-137 BC) and united Sri Lanka under a single flag.
It is believed that King Dutugamunu had a sceptre that contained a scared relic of the Buddha. While going to the tank “Tissawewa”, for a water festival, the King has planted the scepter in a certain place. When he came back, it is said that his men could not remove the sceptre from the place. Witnessing the miracle, the King decided to build a dagaba enclosing the scepter. Thus was the creation of Mirisawetiya. The significance of the sceptre is the fact that this was the king's "victory sceptre" for his battles with Elara, and by building the Dagaba around it shows the tremendous dedication that the King had for Buddhism and his spirituality. Mirisawetiya was the first dagaba built by the great king Dutugamunu
There are several theories One theory is this. It is a custom among Buddhists whenever food is partaken, some of it is symbolically offered to the holy monks. In Sinhala, “Mirisaweitiya” comes from “Miris-Wetiya”, which means a pod of Chillie. It is rumored that the King once forgot to offer a pod of chillie to the Monks before eating . As a token of apology, it is said that the King named the Dagaba “Mirisawetiya”. Another theory is that “Mirisawetiya” is the ancient name of the village on which the dagoba was built (Ref: “Ancient Anuradhapura” by Prof. Anuradha Seneviratna”).
King Dutugemunu built it as a Dagoba of the "Mahavihara" fraternity but as the monks started living there, it sees that Mirisawetiya developed as a separate monastery. However it is believed that it would have functioned as a monastery belonging to the Mahavihara Fraternity. Several Kings, at different intervals made renovations to the Dagaba. Among them are King Gajabahu 1 (112-134 AC), and King Voharika Tissa (214-236 AC). King Gajabahu 1: Put a new coating on Mirisawet iya King Voharika Tissa: Restored the umbrella of the Dagoba and rebuilt a wall around the Dagaba) The stupa and other buildings needed restoration after the Chola invasion and it is said that King Kassapa V (914-923 AC) did the restoration. King Kassapa V also is said to have built a massive mansion called "The Chandana Prasada", adjoining the Temple to house the scared hair relic (keshadathu), which was supposed to have been brought to Sri Lanka during the time of King Moggalana (495-513 AC) The Dagaba was again damaged by the recurrent Chola invasions and it is said that King Parakaramabahu 1(1153-1186 AC) did a comprehensive restoration and built the stupa to a height of 120 feet. The last recorded renovations around that period were done by King Nissankamalla (1187-1196 AC).
(A “plan” of the Mirisawetiya Dagaba believed to be made around 800 AC)
The next centuries saw the complete disintegration of the dry zone civilization which lead to the shifting of the Rajarata Kingdom . For the next seven hundred years, the Dagaba lay in ruins.
When the Englishman Henry Parker saw the Mirisawetiya in 1873, he saw nothing but a mound covered with large trees and tangled undergrowth. Anuradhapura's first government agent J.F Dixon , with the help of Mr Smither, first cleared the area surrounding the Dagaba. In the process Smither examined the dagaba and found a magnificent “Vahalkada”(frontpiece) and measured the dagaba at a height of 200 feet. At that time they found an image house to the west of the Dagaba. Later on Dixon became the president of the Royal Asiatic Society's Ceylon Branch and with the help of a Rs. 1000 donation from the Society, enabled excavations around the Dagaba under the supervision of Mr Burrow. The unparallel artistic value of the "Vahalkada" is said to be the main reason that so much notice was taken of Mirisawetiya. During the excavations they hoped to find image houses similar to what they found on the Western side, on the other three sides too . However, when they found that the image house on the eastern side was destroyed, they got discouraged and stopped the work. Excavations started again in 1883 and at that time they found the ruins of two image houses in the northern and southern sides of the dagaba.
Using a grant obtained from the King of Siam (Now Thailand),for Rs. 12,500, a renovation was begun in 1888 but could not be completed. The construction stopped in 1896 for the lack of funds and what one would see until 1980 , as Mirisawetiya (The half Dagaba), is what that existed when work stopped in 1896.
(The Dagaba, as it was before the 1980 renovation attempt)
Another restoration attempt was made in 1980 through a construction enclosing the old structure. This construction suddenly collapsed even destroying the famous “Vahalkada". The collapse followed wide media coverage and a public outcry which even embarrassed the then government of Sri Lanka . There were even theories that this was a “sign” displaying the “Non-Buddhist governance” of the then government. The famous collapse occurred the day before the Poson Poya Day in June 1987. The day before the scheduled opening ceremony. The collapse occurred immediately as the Pirith chanting started in the all night Pirith Ceremony leading to the opening ceremony triggering theories of a "curse of the gods".
Restoration was again started under the leadership of former President R Premadasa. The successful completion of the renovation was noted in 1993 and the Dagaba was ceremonially opened on Poson Poya Day in 1993.
Under the dynamic leadership of the head monk Ven. Eathalwetunawewe Gnathilake Thera, who was responsible for many of the developments in the last 10 years, Mirisawetiya today, is a must to see for any traveler to Anuradhapura.
Ven. Eathalwetunawewe Gnathilake Thero, the current high priest |
