Today is the Full Moon Poya Day of Duruthu in the year 2552 as per the Buddhist calendar and it is the 10 the day of January in the year 2009 as per the Gregorian calendar. This day marks the epoch making event of the Buddha visiting Mahiyangana in the 8th month after attaining enlightenment, foreseeing dissension between two factions in this island.

The author of the Mahavamsa, Venerable Mahanama Thera describes this first visit of the Sakyamuni Siddartha Gauthama Buddha to Sri Lanka very vividly thus:

"The Master’ s great personality, dignified conduct, refined manners and soft courteous speech made the two opposing armies seem petrified with awe and admiration. Some were frightened and ran away whilst others for the time being, forgot for what purpose they had gathered and listened to the Master’s mature words of advice with great respect and veneration."

Rev. Mahanama Thera further describes the dramatic events that occurred on the Mahaveli plain at Mahiyangana on that epoch-making Duruthu Poya day as that vast surging crowd of humanity listened to the Master’s message of peace and goodwill. They lay down their weapons of war, stripped off their armour, renounced the evil and hatred in their minds and became followers of the tolerant, rational and scientific teaching of Gauthama the Buddha. That multitude comprising thousands underwent a complete volte-face and transformed themselves into followers of the Blessed One’s way of life.

The most remarkable event that took place at the visit of the Buddha was the presence of the god Sumana Saman, the guardian God of Sri-Pada who attained the State of Sothapanna after listening to the preachings of the Buddha.

In accordance with the ancient chronicles, the Buddha had handed over the God Sumana Saman a hair relic when he begged Thathagatha to give something to worship on His first visit to the island.

The Buddha’s second visit to this island was to Nagadipa in the fifth year of His Buddhahood, to resolve a dispute over a gem set throne between two Naga Kings, Mahodara and Chulodara.

Kelaniya is the third place visited by the Thathagatha on a Full Moon Poya Day of Vesak in the eighth year of his Buddhahood. On this visit, he also visited "Samantha Kuta’ (Sri Pada Kanda), ‘Dheegavapi’, ‘Mahamegavanarama’, the place where later the ‘Thuparama’ was built at Anuradhapura, the place where the stone-cetiya now ‘Selacaitya’ has been built in Anuradhapura from where he returned to Jethavanaramaya’.

The King Yatalatissa in the third century, as per the early history, built the city of Kelaniya along with the Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya (Kelaniya temple). It was during the reign of the King Voharikatissa that the original paintings on the shrine walls were added. In accordance with the text of the Mahawamsa (ch. 85, 64-72) the King Panditha Parakramabahu II (1236-1271) carried out extensive renovations at this temple. These renovations were so effected as an invasion from South India in the year 1213 led by Kalinga-Magha resulted in the destruction of several shrines and temples in the country including the kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya. King Vijayabahu III also renovated the viharaya as the invading Tamils destroyed it.

In the year 1505 the Portuguese after invading the Maritime Provinces destroyed this temple and several others under the influence of the church. The King Kirthi Sri Rajasinghe who again rebuilt the Viharaya in the year 1767, after it had been abandoned for 200 years. The Dutch who followed the Portuguese persecuted Buddhists who came to worship there, sometime later after the mysterious death of King Bhuvanakabhahu VII, his grand-son Dharmapala ascended to the throne of Kotte in 1551. He was a very weak and treacherous King who after having embraced the Catholic faith baptised himself under the name of Don Juan Dharmapala and issued a proclamation in 1555 handing over the Kelaniya Temple revenue lavishly for the maintenance of Catholic Schools. Portuguese had demolished the temple statues and also done immense destruction to the Kelaniya Dageba.

In the year 1930, this Viharaya received the attention of Mrs. Helena Wijewardena who commissioned the famous temple artiste Solius Mendis to restore the interior of the Viharaya to its former glory, who devoted 20 long years to beautifying the place with fascinating paintings depicting the life of Buddha, history of Buddhism and the history of Kalaniya with its enriched culture the history of the existing paintings here.

First of all Mrs. Helena Wijewardena sent Solius Mendis to the Ajantha, Ellora and Bagh caves to study the paintings and gain inspiration. He came back inspired and fired by the masterpieces in these Buddhist caves. However there is nothing to witness them. There is not even a photograph of them.

Finally it is better to state here how Mahanama Thera in his work, the Mahavamsa describes the visit of the Buddha at Kelaniya "In the 8th year after he had attained the Buddhahood, when the Vanquisher was dwelling in Jethavana, the Master, set forth surrounded by five hundred Bhikkhus on the second day of the Beautiful month of Vishakha on the Full Moon and when the hour of meal was announced the Vanquisher, Prince of Wise, forthwith putting on his robe and taking his alms-bowl went to the Kelani country, the habitation of maniakkhika" (Chapter 1 Notes 72 - 77).

The first ever the Kelaniya Duruthu Perahera commenced in the year 1927. This year the Duruthu Poya dawns today at 12.37 PM and concludes at 08.56 a.m. tomorrow. the day set apart for the observance of sil is today.

Upan da sita karapu paw natha warak wandoth Kelaniye.