THE HISTORIC PANADURA RANKOTH VIHARAYA

Rankoth Viharaya is a temple deeply embedded in the past. Located in the centre of the city of Panadura, its history goes back 210 years. After its establishment in 1810, it was originally called Galkanda Viharaya, Galwala Viharaya, and Galwale Viharaya due to the rock quarry on which it had been constructed. Owing to the golden pinnacle placed atop its stupa in 1879, the name was later changed to Rankoth Viharaya.
The story behind the Viharaya transports us an era when Buddhism was on the cusp of a revival and renaissance, especially in Panadura. The Venerable Bhadantha Sri Kathaluwe Gunarathna Thero, founder of the Amarapura Nikaya, together with his principal student Venerable Batapola Kalyanatissa Thera, had visited the area when, upon a request by the locals, he decided to oversee the establishment of a temple. Having given instructions to Venerable Batapola Thera, he got locals to build a small hut near a rocky outcrop, adjacent to a quarry. Overnight the hut would transform into a place of worship.
The walls of the temple would be constructed on the remnants of the rock quarry. Folklore has it that devotees transported sand from the sea, lining up one after the other to fill the temple compound, a symbol of their unwavering devotion.
The Sthupa, the Vihara Geya, the Bodhi Tree, the Atavisi Budu Medura, the Sri Pada Mandiraya, the Sapthamaha Devalaya, the Old Potgula, and the Bell Tower are all located in the temple’s upper courtyard. Upon entering it the devotee feels overwhelmed by the air of sanctity and comfort that greets him or her, akin to embarking on a spiritual pilgrimage.
The architecture of Rankoth Viharaya adds to this religious ambiance: a testament, no doubt, to the foresight and ingenuity of those who had a hand in its construction.

VENERABLE KAHAPOLA SUGATHARATHANA RAJAKEEYA PANDITHA THERO

CHIEF INCUMBENT (1981-PRESENT)

Venerable Kahapola Sugarathana Panditha Thera was born in Kahapola in the village of Kesbewa in the Colombo District. He received his primary education at a rural school. He was ordained as a monk at the age of 11 under the tutelage and guidance of the Venerable Moratuwe Sansanaratana Anunayake Thera, the Head of the Department of Philosophy at the University of Kelaniya. He initially received his ecclesiastical education at the Sri Saugata Vidyalaya Pirivena at Rankoth Viharaya and obtained the Rajakeeya Pandiya title in 1974, undergoing his “upasampadawa” or higher ordination in July 1975. Largely self-taught, the Thera learnt Sinhala, Pali, and Sanskrit under Venerable Sasanaratana Thera.Having completed his Bachelor’s Degree in 1980 at the University of Kelaniya, Venerable Kahapola Sugarathana Panditha Thera entered Delhi University to do a Master’s Degree in Philosophy. He authored his dissertation, “A critical study of the Arya Salistabustra with reference to the Pali Abidhamma”, not long afterwards. It would be published much later as “Causality: Eastern and Western Thoughts.” In 1990 the University of Kelaniya appointed him as a lecturer, and in 2000 he was promoted as the Head of the Department of Sanskrit Studies. The Thera’s contributions to scholarship speak for themselves.With the passing away of his teacher, the mantle of the position of the Chief Incumbent of Rankoth Viharaya passed over to him. He endeavoured to promote interest in the temple, and through his efforts succeeded in bringing more devotees as well as scholars. The Sri Sasanaratana New Memorial Library, the Bodhi Wall, the Saptamaha Devalaya, and the Sri Pada Mandiraya are some of the landmarks in the compound which continue to interest followers of the faith and academics alike.
The service rendered by the Venerable Thera for over 15 years as the Registrar of the Amarapura Nikaya did not go unnoticed, when he was conferred with the title of Anunayaka and “Sri Sasanaratana Vamsavathansa Tripitaka Vagishwara Vidyavisharada Chandrakeerthi Sri.” It was nothing less than a confirmation of his commitment to the ideals of his faith. Confirming it further, in 2020 he was appointed as Mahanayaka of the Amarapura Chapter of the Amarapura Nikaya.The Thera’s contributions to society speak for themselves. The Sri Sasanarathana Dhamma School, established on April 22, 1903, continues to enrich the spiritual lives of children in the region. The Venerable Sugarathana Thera’s support in spreading the message of the faith among local children, and uplifting their spiritual lives, has been inescapable and profound.Moreover, his patronage of institutions such as the Prajapati Gotami Upasika Society, the Panadura Buddhist Association, the Bodu Pubudu Foundation, and the Panadura Memorial Council continues to be appreciated highly by locals and has contributed significantly to not just the religious, but also the economic and social welfare of the region.He has also sought to take his message to the world beyond home. Through radio and on television, he has gained a wide following with a series of sermons, published in book form as “Ama Dahama.” This anthology lucidly discusses how modern scientific theories can be applied to the teachings of the Dhamma to solve the problems of mankind.

වල්පිට ගුණරතන මහානායක ස්වාමීන්ද්‍රයාණෝ

VENERABLE PROFESSOR SASANARATANA ANUNAYAKA THERA OF MORATUWA

Born on June 30, 1909 at Korawella in the town of Moratuwa, the Venerable Sasanaratana Anunayaka Thera obtained his primary education at St Peter’s College in Colombo. Ordained as a novice monk on August 3, 1924 and an upasampada monk on June 10, 1930, he was appointed as a lecturer at the Department of Pali Studies and Philosophy at the University of Colombo. He would head the Department for several years.

Language, philosophy, religion, archaeology, and linguistics were some of the fields of study and research which interested him. His main interest was in Mahayanism, a subject that was to occupy his life. His research enabled him to make certain discoveries on the topic. The enthusiasm with which he delivered his lectures on them endeared him to his students, who not surprisingly listened to them with rapt attention.
Among the books he published on these topics were Sinhala Prakurthi, Lakdiva Mahayana Adahas, Vinayakoshaya, Abidhammakoshaya, Kusa Jataka Vivaranaya, Bodhicharyavatara, Mulamadyamika Karikawa, Madyamika Dharshana, and Panadura Vadaya. He succeeded in introducing tenets of Mahayana philosophy to contemporary society through these works, especially to the contemporary Buddhist intelligentsia. Lakdiva Mahayana Adahas arguably marked the crest of these efforts. The book helped considerably in addressing and resolving several archaeological, philosophical, and historical issues.

In 1970 the Cultural Board recognised his work, Madyamika Dharshana, with a Special Prize for the Best Book of that year. Not that the Thera’s efforts were limited to books alone: from his pen flowed seemingly endless periodical, academic journal, and newspaper articles and essays on the subjects, inter alia, of language, history, comparative religion, grammar,philosophy, society, the Buddhist Sasana, and Buddhism in South Asia. Moving away from conventional wisdoms, the Thera adopted novel, innovative modes of literary criticism when disseminating his knowledge of topics, which he felt should be open to discussion and debate by the wider public.
In addition to these pursuits the Thera also served as the Registrar and the Patron of the Amarapura Nikaya. He was a member of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, the Founding Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Martin Wickramasinghe Trust, an Observer aboard the Mahavamsa Compilation Board and the Sinhala Dictionary Board, and a Patron of the Panadura Buddhist Association, All Ceylon Buddhist Students’ Federation, and Prajapati Gothami Upasika Society.

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