Ratnapura Maha Saman Devalaya

 

Maha Saman Devalaya or the Sumana Saman Devalaya also called Great Saman Temple is a shrine dedicated to Deity Saman, situated at Rathnapura District of Sabaragamuwa Province in Sri Lanka. Who is the presiding deity of the Sri Pada Mountain (Adam’s Peak) which is also called Samanthakuta meaning the mountain of Saman which is believed to have the left foot impression of Buddha which he kept in his visit to Sri Lanka. An architecture types of Sumana Saman Devalaya is Devalaya and which was founded by King Parakramabahu Ⅱ. Every architecture task was completed in 1270.

The Saparagamuwa Maha Saman Devalaya is considered the main devalaya of deity Sri Sumana Saman except for the shrine at top of Sri Pada, who considered as one of the guardian gods of Sri Lanka, Deity Saman is deeply venerated in the region of Rathnapura and related areas in the Province of Sabaragamuwa of Sri Lanka, he is recorded to have been a district administrator of the region contemporary to Buddha who he met on the former's visit to Sri Lanka. According to the Mahavansa the chronicle of ancient Sri Lanka, it is mentioned that the Administrator Saman, attained the first level of enlightenment Sotapanna at the end of the Sermon of Buddha. After the demise of Saman, the administrator of Deva Clan he has started to be venerated as a God or a Deity.

The shrine is believed after the demise of Saman, his Clan of Deva started to venerate him by erecting a shrine for him. And it's believed there had been a Temple called Saparagama Viharaya, in the same premises in the Anuradhapura era of Sri Lanka, as it's mentioned in Mahavansa that monks from the said temple attended to the opening ceremony of Ruwanwelisaya of King Dutugamunu. Anyway, the present shrine is said to have built by a court minister is Dambadeniya era of Sri Lanka named Aryakamadeva, in the patronage of king Parakramabahu Ⅱ, in 1270 AD, as a fullfillment of his vow to erect a shrine in the name of deity Saman, if his effort to find gems is successful.

The Perahara (Procession) is during the time that Tooth Relic of Buddha was transferred to Delgamuwa Raja Maha Viharaya, in a war time, during king Parakramabahu 6's period the shrine held the Esala Perahara or the Procession of the Tooth Relic for 11 years. Later under king Rajasinghe, the Saman Perahara joined to the Esala Perahara. Since then the Maha Saman Devalaya hoists the Esala Perahara in the month of August-September annually.

 

Prior to the festival's commencement, age-old rituals like the Pirith Ceremony chanting of Buddhist sutras for protection, Kap Situveema called a symbolical wooden tower being planted are held and the smaller processions called Kumbal and Dewele Peraharas are held. After that, the main procession takeplace and it concludes with Diya Kapeema. (The symbolic water cutting ceremony) All of which are held for 13 days under the supervision of the chief incumbent called Basnayake Nilame of the shrine. So, the procession is filled with cultural items and dancing from different regions of Sri Lanka as well as features many elephants decorated in different garments. The main cultural item of the Saman Dewa Perahara in Sumana Saman Dewalaya is called "Mahababa Kolama" which is indigenous for Sabaragamuwa Province. The perahara festival is visited by thousands of people from all over the Sri Lanka as well the world, and while the final perahara is telecasted, all Perahara's are online broadcasted via You tube.

It is our absolute duty to preserve such a precious place, but it has suffered the same fate today. We heard to know that there are a lot of lands and properties belong to Dewalaya and some of the harvest of Gem obtaining from those lands should give to Dewalaya due to God Saman. But we got know that those harvest are used by Nilame positions worked in Dewalaya. It should not to be let to do so and I think those should be owned by the government. Those Nilames are living in comfortably from the gains of Dewalaya.

Beside Kalu Ganga situated behind the Dewalaya is now destroyed due to sand industry and river banks are in very dangerous situation. Due to the rubbish of Dewalaya directly added to the river, those environment had face to a so miserable situation and also devotees come to the Devalaya should responsible for that matter. The places to be repaired since some years ago, but those are not repaired yet and government offices should focus their attention to preserve such a valuable heritage to our next generation.