Kande Viharaya Buddhist Temple – කන්දේ විහාරය

Kande Vihara (Sinhalaː කන්දේ විහාරය) is a major Buddhist temple in Kalutara District, Sri Lanka and is striking by the height of the statue  and historical value.

 The temple name ‘Kande Vihara’ (Mountain temple) is so called because it is built on top of a hill near the Sri Lankan town of Aluthgama. 

Kande Vihara History

The temple was founded by the venerable Karapagala Dewamitta thero arround 1734, under the guidance of the venerable Udugama Chandrasara thero, the chief incumbent of Galapatha Raja Maha Vihara . The temple has been renovated and developed over time to become a major Buddhist shrine in the country, visited by many local and international visitors.

In 1904 the Kshethrarama Pirivena institution of monks became attached to the temple and the pirivena acts as a center for Buddhist education in the country.

The Stupa and the image house, together with the sacred Bodhi tree in its enclosing octagonal shaped wall are considered as very old monuments in the temple.

Kande Vihara Bodhi Tree

The Bodhi tree is believed to be more than 300 years old. The large Stupa of the temple which was erected in 1935, has been constructed as enclosing a small sized Stupa, constructed by Ven. Udugama Chandrasara Thero in 1783.

Building of Kande Vihara 

In 2002, a foundation stone for a gigantic Samadhi Buddha statue depicting the Bhoomisparsha Mudra was laid in the temple premises.The statue is 48.8 m (160 ft) in height and considered as one of tallest sitting Buddha statues in the world. The completed statue was open to the public in 2007 and has become most popular and a “must visit” on the tourism trail.

Kande Vihara Temple

The temple comprises the Stupa, Bodhi Tree, Relic Chamber, Image House, Upulvan Devalaya and the other main Devalas including Kataragama and Pattini Devalaya.

The Bodhi Tree, preaching hall and the Seema Malaka are situated outside the Vihara premises. The Stupa was built within an octagonal Shelter and is bell shaped.

The relic chamber of the temple is believed to be the oldest buildings in the temple premises. At the entrance of the chamber is sculptured with a stone moonstone and a door frame.

Inner walls and the ceiling of the chamber has been adorned with Kandyan Era Frescoes belonging to the latter part of the Kandyan period.

The image house of the temple is consist of an inner chamber and an outer chamber. Entrance to the image house is via the Thorana with three arch shaped entrances.

Three Buddha images in the standing, seated and sleeping postures can be seen inside the inner chamber . The walls and the ceilings of both chambers are decorated with moments of the Buddha’s journey of life,  Jataka tales and various types of other interesting murals.

Kataragama Mosque and timeless Shrine

Muslim or Islamic legends about Kataragama are relatively newer. According to Muslims Kataragama is referred to as al-Khidr or land of Khidr. A number of Muslim pious and holy men  migrated from India and settled down in the vicinity. The earliest known is one Hayathu, whose simple residence became the mosque. Another called Karima Nabi is believed to have discovered a source of water that when drunk provides immortality.

According to Islamic tradition our forefather Adam (alai) first descended to earth in Serendib (modern Sri Lanka) upon Adam’s Peak. From the very beginning it seems that Serendib was the nearest of all places on earth to heavenly Paradise. And a great deal of this divine endowment is still preserved in Serendib to this day.

Kathirkamam Mosque & Shrine

Islamic Kathirkamam is one of the foremost living examples. Thousands of Muslim pilgrims go there annually. locals and also from distant places far beyond the shores of blessed Serendib.

A simple yet powerful Mosque & Shrine there are intimately associated in quranic and pre-quranic lore with Hazarat Khizr, ‘The Green Man’, identified with the mysterious servant of Allah and holy teacher of prophet Musa (Moses) spoken of in the Holy Quran (Sura Khalf ‘The Cave’), is believed to be the discoverer of the Ma’ul Hayat or Water of Life.

For many years people hold this place in such reverence that a Muslim traversing the wilds in the entire Eastern Province and parts of the Northern Province shuddered to refer to Kataragama by name.

If one were to inquire from another as to where he was going the latter’s answer often was “to the Khizr region”. The surrounding hamlets were listed as places receiving the patronage and blessings of Hazarat Khizr.

Mohammadans of the Village of Hambantota and the nearby villages come in vast numbers to Kataragama in search of a secret subterranean spring, the waters of which, if drunk are said to endow a person with the blessings of perpetual immortality.

The heart of the ‘Khizr region’ of Serendib

Zikr or Remembrance
Originally a humble wattle-and-daub hut, the ‘Khizr Room’ as it was called was occupied by pious recluses who came to live a life of undisturbed prayer and poverty. They were faqirs or ‘impoverished ones’ in the genuine sense of being endowed with the ornament of spiritual poverty.

The holy month of Ramazan represents an exceptional opportunity for believers to please Almighty Allah with offerings of prayer, fasting, charity (zakat), and ‘remembrance’ or zikr.

The Water of Life in other words. Prophet Moses (alai), commanded by God to learn of the higher mysteries from this servant of Allah, found Khizr (alai) ‘at the place where two currents meet and merge into the sea (majma’ul-bahrain). Local tradition maintains that the two currents are the visible Menik Ganga or River of Gems and the hidden or underground current of grace (Tamil: arul) and wisdom that issues from this site on the left bank of the Menik Ganga — al-Khidr’s Fountain of Life.

Even prophet Moses himself, however, could not bear patiently with Khizr’s baffling lessons into the paradoxes of life. With his third failure, Moses was obliged to part company with his strange teacher.

The principal Khizr shrine at Kathirkamam is situated a scant three hundred meters from that of the ancient war god Skanda or Iskandar deified. The two — Iskandar and Khidr — are said to have come together in search of the Fountain of Life; Khizr (alai) alone discovered and tasted the divine elixir. What Iskandar doggedly sought, Khidr found without seeking, they say.

Since the sixteenth century, many mainland Sufis continued to cross by way of Jaffna en route to Kathirkamam.

The old Jaffna pilgrimage route sees many Sufi descendants still carry on the tradition of pilgrimage to Kathirkamam.

Saints
In 1845 Seyed Jabbar Ali Shah came from Bakhara in central Asia to Kathirkamam in response to a divine summons. The saint lived a long life of solitude, prayer, remembrance, and voluntary poverty in Kathirkamam. His mausoleum today is a prominent feature of the sacred premises that are said to contain at least sixty unmarked graves of Muslim pilgrims.

The annual 15-day Kataragama festival in July is a spirited occasion for Muslims. The colourful festival, dating from antiquity, officially begins only with the kodi-yetrum or ritual hoisting of an Islamic flag at the mosque, signifying to Muslims the primacy or preeminent position of Islam.

Kataragama Mosque & Shrine is open to all humble seekers of truth and admits pilgrims of every confession.

Kataragama, it is rightly said, is a place where every pilgrim is respected and people of all religions may mingle openly, sharing freely with others the spiritual food of their respective traditions.

Anticipating a growing stream of Muslim pilgrims to Kataragama, the Mosque & Shrine under the even-handed stewardship of M.H.A. Gaffar of Galle has undertaken an ambitious and well thought-out programme of building restoration and expansion.

Under al-Haj Gaffar’s personal direction, the old mosque has been restored and improved to meet the needs of pilgrims while also preserving and protecting the sacred character of the site. A separate Muslim pilgrims’ rest house with spacious facilities is also under construction in the New Town with the support of many Muslim donors.

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 tradition, Kataragama is Khidr-gama, the home of al-Khidr, ‘The Green Man’. We call him al-Khidr, because he is always fresh and young and green, like tender grass. Everywhere al-Khidr goes, that place is fresh and green, like Kataragama, which is cool and green in the midst of dry, hot jungle.

At Kataragama, the Khidr Shrine is open to all, Muslim believers and non-believers alike. Everone is welcome to come and experience the peace and sanctity of this shrine, which is like no other.

Visitors to the Mosque & Shrine have included Presidents, Prime Ministers, Ministers and foreign dignitaries. Every year international photographers and television crews come to document the Shrine’s traditions.

Many saints and awliya have visited and prayed here, including Hayat Nabi, al-Khidr himself.

The Dambana Veddas always visit during Esala

Muslims who visit Kataragama have opportunity to deepen their faith through association with religious-minded people of all faiths. Those people of other faiths also benefit.

Tradition says that Kataragama, or Khidr-gama, is the place where Hayat Nabi found and tasted the Water of Life that gave him knowledge coming from Allah Almighty.

Kataragama is one of only few places in the world do people of three religions worship together. Kataragama belongs to all the people of the world, not only to Sri Lankans.

Kataragama is renowned among pious Muslims the world over as Khidr-gama, ‘the home of al-Khidr’. In Islamic lore, al-Khidr ‘the Green Man’ was the companion of Alexander the Great who discovered the ma’ul hayat or Water of Life.

Al-Khidr will live until the end of the world and whatever place he visits remains fresh and green. He is also known as Hayat Nabi ‘the living prophet’.

During the Esala Festival, Maulood is recited in the name of Hayat Nabi (Khidr alai) every morning. The final Thamam recital after which Buddhists and Hindus celebrate the Water-cutting Ceremony at the Menik Ganga. Following Thamam, a great feast is offered and the flag is lowered to end the festival.

Throughout the Esala festival, bawas or faqirs of the Refai Sufi Order perform Ratheeb ceremony every evening at the Mosque. The dramatic ritual of self-mortification in the Name of Allah attracts hundreds of Muslims and non-Muslims.

“Muslims call him Hayat Nabi,” al-Haj Gaffar told the assembled crowd. “To Hindus he is Murugan. Buddhists call him Kataragama Deviyo.”

You know you’re from Sri Lanka when you measure the size of a block of land in perches, not square metres (or acres, for that matter). So, if you’re new to Sri Lanka and somewhat baffled by all this perch land measurement, here is a guide and some quick and easy conversions for you:

• 1 square perch = 25.29285264 square metres -w heich is an odd number

however, 1 acre = 160 perches, os in old money, a farmers allotment of 4 perch by 40 perch, good for arable agriculture. 

But what, exactly, IS a perch?

A square perch (often shortened to just a perch) is a unit of measurement and is equal to 25.29285264 square metres.

Confusingly, a perch (not the squared variety) is also called a rod or pole because it’s based on a surveyor’s tool measuring exactly 5½ yards or 16½ feet or ¼ of a surveyor’s chain.

The perch or rod was helpful tool and measurement for a surveyor because it could be used to create a ‘perfect’ acre of 40 perches by 4 perches – remember 160 perches equals an acre.

A number of different units of measurement were used in Sri Lanka to measure quantities like length, mass and capacity from very ancient times. Under the British Empire, imperial units became the official units of measurement and remained so until Sri Lanka adopted the metric system in the 1970s.

Traditional units

Various units were used in Sri Lanka at different times and some only in certain regions. Some of these remained in use well into the colonial period. The following is only a partial list.

Length

One cubit was equal to 0.464 m (18.5 in). The Bam̆ba (Fathom), still in use as of 2016, is the distance between a man’s outstretched arms. It is roughly 6 feet in length. “Bam̆ba” is usually used to measure depth in wells and pits. Units used in measuring long distances included the “Gavuva”, “Yoduna”, and “Usaba” (plurals Gavu and Yodun – a Yoduna was 4 Gavu) and the “hoo kiyana dura”, which was the audible distance of a shout of ‘hoo’ by a person. Base of these system of measuring length was the human body.

• වියත ( Viyatha = Span ) Length of a spread hand
• රියන ( Riyana = Cubit ) Length from the elbow to middle finger
• බඹ (Bamba = Fathom ) Length of two hands spread

King Nisshankamalla have established milestones called “Gaavutha Kanu” from a Gavu to another. Two of such have been found in Katugahagalge and Valigaththa in Southern Province.

The smallest unit was known as “Paramaanuwa”, which was equal to 3.306×10¹¹ m (1.302×10⁹ in). A typical span was taken roughly equal to 22.86 cm (9 in). These small units of measurement were used in making of statues and buildings. Following are the relationships between the units used in ancient times.

Area

Measurements of area used in ancient Sri Lanka was a system derived from paddy agriculture. Area was often measured in terms of the land that could be sown with a specific amount of seed or rice, including the Pǣla, Amuna, Kiriya (4 amunas), and the Riyana. In one region, a Kiriya was about 8 acres. Following are relationships between some typical measures of area.

In a stone inscription written by King Bhathikabhaya Abhaya at Dunumadalakanda in Anuradhapura District, it is stated that he offered a land of 1 Kareesa to a temple in the area. In another stone inscription written by King Kutakannabhaya Thissa at Horiwila in Anuradhapura District, it is stated that he offered a land of 8 Kareesa to a temple named ‘Thissa’ in the area.

James Prinsep, writing in 1840, stated that “at … Ceylon … English measures only are used, or at least a cubit based on the English measure of 18 inches.

 

Badulla Pillar Inscription, in which prohibition of frauds in weighing is stated

 

Madatiya ( Adenanthera pavonina ), which was a base unit used to measure small weights.

Weight

One candy, or one bahar, was equal to 226.8 kg, or 500 lbs, or according to The Indian Trader’s Guide 480 Dutch pounds or 520 pounds Avoirdupois. Small weights could be measured in seeds, such as the Thala (Sesame), Amu, Vee (Rice) (3 Amu), Madati (8 Vee), Majadi, Maditi, Kalanda, and Manjadi. In ancient times, there have been an accurate system to measure weights. Following are some such weight measuring units used. Units like Madati ( Adenanthera pavonina ), Vee (Rice) are based on weights of those seeds.

It is stated that frauds in weighing was a punishable offence and only weights approved by the government should be used in weighing, in Sorabora Wewa Pillar Inscription (Badulla Pillar Inscription) which was written by King Udaya IV.

Capacity

Different units were used for liquid and dry capacity.

Liquid

One seer was equal to 1.2 quarts and one parrah was equal to 6.75 gallons. Another source suggests that a seer was equal to 1.86 imperial pints or 1.06 litres. These were mostly introduced in the period which coastal areas were governed by Portuguese and Dutch.

Dry

Units to measure dry capacities were mainly used in agriculture. Some of them are as following:

* capacity of Kuruni varies from area to area

One ammonam was equal to 203.4 L. One parrah = 1⁄8 ammonam, oneseer = 1⁄288 ammonam and the chundoo was equal to nearly half a pint.

Maccauly stated in 1818 that to the north of Colombo an Ammonam contained 16 Parahs, and 2+1⁄2 Ammonams equalled one Acre, but that to the south there were 8 Parahs to the Ammonam. He describes the Parah as a measure 16.7 inches wide and 5.6 inches deep.

Montgomery, writing in 1835, described the interior measurement of a Parrah as a perfect cube of 11.571 inches, and the seer as a cylinder of depth 4.35 inches and diameter 4.35 inches.