Somawathiya - Sri Lanka's second Tooth Relic, now in a national park
pilgrims on the way to the Sacred Site of Somawathiya near Polonnaruwa
Somawathiya (also spelt 'Somawathie') is situated to the northeast of Polonnaruwa. Somawathiya is both a national park and a pilgrimage site. The Somawathiya stupa is believed to be the second place in Sri Lanka enshrining a Sacred Tooth of the Buddha. Somawathiya National Park, one of four national parks designated under the Mahaweli project, is home to numerous elephants.
Somawathiya Archaeological Site
It was not until 1940 that the ruined sanctuary of Somawathiya was rediscovered. In 1964 archaeological studies revealed that there was a small stupa hidden inside the current one. Such overbuilding of earlier structures is not uncommon in South Asia. In particular, those sanctuaries held in high esteem tend to be enlarged by later rulers. Like many other historical sites, moonstones and salso tone slabs decorated with so-called footprints of the Buddha were found in situ. But only sparse foundations are preserved from other buildings in the vicinity of the stupa. Originally, there was also a wall surrounding the stupa.
Nine inscriptions were discovered at the site, too. Four are located on the Swan Rock situated 100 yards in front of the temple entrance. It is named after Eric Swan, who is said to have been killed by a raging elephant near this rock when he fired a shot at the sacred rock in an act of vandalism. The inscriptions record names of about half a dozen kings, who carried out repair work at Somawathiya in the period from the first to the fourth century. 
In fact, till the present day it can occur that wild elephants devastate the villagers' buildings. One reason is that animals search for food in the rubbish left by pilgrims. Locals now deliberately relocated dustbins, they are now found only in some distance from their small settlement to have it protected against such ravaging.
Somawathiya Stupa
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Somawathiya National Park
The Somawathiya Stupa is situated in the floodplains of the lower reaches of the Mahaweli, which is by far the largest river in Sri Lanka. 'Mahaweliganga' means 'great-sand-stream'. The stupa was namegiving to the natural reserve: Somawathiya National Park. It’s a part of the Lower Mahaweli nature conservation area consisting of several national parks and further protected areas. 'Trikonamadu Nature Reserve' adjoins Somawathi National Park in the northwest, whereas 'Flood Plains National Park' borders the south. The area is a typical meadow landscape, characterized by lush grassland along the river, which in the plains flows in many curves and has several side arms and backwaters. Natural ponds in the plains are called Villus. Villus along the Mahaweli river are watered by regular flooding, just as the nearby swamps. This lower reaches of the Mahaweli are the most important floodplain area of Sri Lanka. It was threatened by over-exploitation. But nature has recovered quickly after the designation of the abovementioned protected zones.
Wild buffalos and deer in large numbers live in the Mahaweli floodplain. Of course, there is also a colouful birdlife. In particular, this area is well known for its elephant population, the density of which is one of the highest in Sri Lanka. The roaming area of the elephants, however, is considerably larger than just the nature conservation zones. Their annual migration area is even larger, stretching till the Minneriya National Park 50 km west of Somawathiya, and Angammedilla and Wasgomwa National Parks to the southwest of Polonnaruwa, 70 km away from Somawathiya National Park, as the crow flies. Wasgomuwa by the way is also located at the river banks of Mahaweli Ganga. 
Somawathiya during civil war
Prior to 2009, Somawathiya had been part of the civil war zone for many years, as the hidden routes connecting rebel forces in the north with those in the east of the country ran through this remote wildlife area. In 1987, LTTE terrorists brutally killed a monk and seven lay people who lived near the sanctuary. The surviving monks and residents fled into the forest and then left their homeland for a decade and a half, understandably they did so out of fear of further cruel attacks. Tamil separatists damaged the stupa in search of treasures and later on attacked the village of the sanctuary's overseer, killing him and nine other civilians. One of the many tales of miraculous events surrounding this sanctuary has it, that on the same day the leader of the terrorist group died at the Somawathiya Stupa, as he accidentally fired his weapon. When the inhabitants returned in 2002, the stupa's topmost gemstone called Vhuda Manikyaya had fallen down, presumably due to erosion. It could be found in the thicket. In the same year, the access road for pilgrims was released due to a ceasefire agreement. |
Story of Giri Abha
Legend has it that Arittha, the island's first arahant (enlightened one), brought back the tooth of the Buddha from a visit to the gods who had kept it. He gave it to Prince Giri Abha and his wife Somawathiya. Somawathiya was the sister of Kakavanna Tissa, the king of Rohana in the south who became father of the later national hero Dutthagamani. Somawathiya suggested building a stupa for the heavenly relic, and her husband Giri Abha was looking for a suitable place for it. Being in search of a site worth keeping the Sacred Tooth, he met a group of monks led by Mahinda Thera, the Indian monk who had introduced Buddhism to Sri Lanka. Mahinda signaled his consent to the idea of erecting a stupa at this location which was known as Somapura those days.
Another version of the founding legend of Somawathiya reports that Giri Abha and Somawathiya themselves were rulers of Somapura and intended to build a stupa in their capital. Therefore, when Mahinda visited their city, they asked for a suitable relic for the new sanctuary, whereupon he got them a canine of the Buddha by asking the serpent king Jayasena in northern India for it. Jayasena had received that tooth after the cremation of the Buddha and kept it in a golden stupa. 60 monks then formed the entourage of Mahinda at the inauguration of the new stupa at Somawathiya. In the course of time, altogether 500 monks are said to have found enlightenment at this site, thus becoming arahants.
The abovementioned stories are not found in the ancient chronicles, Dipavansa and Mahavansa. For sure, Mahinda and Arittha are well known to them as earliest leaders of the monastic order on the island. But the chronicles do not mention the place Somapura by name. Though they may well have designated a shrine at the place of today's Somawathiya by other names, significant details of the story remain absent from the ancient writings: A royal couple Giri Abha and Somawathiya and their devout foundation of a stupa are not known to the chronicles, though they otherwise retell each step on the path of each relic procured by Mahinda and other early Buddhists. They actually do this down to the very last details of the laying of the cornerstone ceremony. The history of the relics is a main focus of interest of Sri Lanka’s ancient chronicles. The silence of the Dipavansa and the Mahavansa concerning the Somawathiya Tooth Relic should not come as a surprise to the reader, as the Cult of the Tooth Relic was introduced in Sri Lanka as late as in the early 4th century AD, more than 500 years after the arrival of Mahinda. That significant event of the relic's transfer from Kalinga in India to Sri Lanka is reported in the second part of the Mahavansa, a later sequel sometimes called Chulavansa. But this chronicle and later Buddhist writings stress the significance of just one tooth relic in Sri Lanka. Undoubtedly, a much later legend has spun around the "second" Tooth Relic, the right canine of the Buddha. The first Sacred Tooth now kept in Kandy has been held in highest esteem for centuries. The dignity of the alleged second canine was then magnified by legends associating it with those events that allegedly had already taken place in the early period of introduction of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. This is to say: The new legends declare the new relic to have an even longer history in Sri Lanka than the more famous one that is mentioned in the chronicles.
A wife named Somawathiya is also attributed to King Vattagamani Abhaya. Her jewelry is kept in a stupa in Dambulla. The surname 'Abhaya' recalls that this king had built the Abhayagiri monastery in Anuradhapura. The name 'Giri Abha' could be derived from 'Abhayagiri'. However, Vatthagamani Abhaya reigned about two centuries after the arrival of Mahinda.
Another confusing element of the story can be resolved more easily. According to the Somawathiya legend, the stupa was on the right side of the Mahaweli river, although today's Somawathiya Stupa is situated to the left of the Mahaweli. However, this may well be the result of a change in the course of the river, which can easily occur in the plains of Somawathiya. It is not unlikely that in the thirteenth century there was such a shift of the course of the Mahaweli Ganga. By the way, this incident may have contribuited to the collapse of the irrigation system at that time.
Another version of the founding legend of Somawathiya reports that Giri Abha and Somawathiya themselves were rulers of Somapura and intended to build a stupa in their capital. Therefore, when Mahinda visited their city, they asked for a suitable relic for the new sanctuary, whereupon he got them a canine of the Buddha by asking the serpent king Jayasena in northern India for it. Jayasena had received that tooth after the cremation of the Buddha and kept it in a golden stupa. 60 monks then formed the entourage of Mahinda at the inauguration of the new stupa at Somawathiya. In the course of time, altogether 500 monks are said to have found enlightenment at this site, thus becoming arahants.
The abovementioned stories are not found in the ancient chronicles, Dipavansa and Mahavansa. For sure, Mahinda and Arittha are well known to them as earliest leaders of the monastic order on the island. But the chronicles do not mention the place Somapura by name. Though they may well have designated a shrine at the place of today's Somawathiya by other names, significant details of the story remain absent from the ancient writings: A royal couple Giri Abha and Somawathiya and their devout foundation of a stupa are not known to the chronicles, though they otherwise retell each step on the path of each relic procured by Mahinda and other early Buddhists. They actually do this down to the very last details of the laying of the cornerstone ceremony. The history of the relics is a main focus of interest of Sri Lanka’s ancient chronicles. The silence of the Dipavansa and the Mahavansa concerning the Somawathiya Tooth Relic should not come as a surprise to the reader, as the Cult of the Tooth Relic was introduced in Sri Lanka as late as in the early 4th century AD, more than 500 years after the arrival of Mahinda. That significant event of the relic's transfer from Kalinga in India to Sri Lanka is reported in the second part of the Mahavansa, a later sequel sometimes called Chulavansa. But this chronicle and later Buddhist writings stress the significance of just one tooth relic in Sri Lanka. Undoubtedly, a much later legend has spun around the "second" Tooth Relic, the right canine of the Buddha. The first Sacred Tooth now kept in Kandy has been held in highest esteem for centuries. The dignity of the alleged second canine was then magnified by legends associating it with those events that allegedly had already taken place in the early period of introduction of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. This is to say: The new legends declare the new relic to have an even longer history in Sri Lanka than the more famous one that is mentioned in the chronicles.
A wife named Somawathiya is also attributed to King Vattagamani Abhaya. Her jewelry is kept in a stupa in Dambulla. The surname 'Abhaya' recalls that this king had built the Abhayagiri monastery in Anuradhapura. The name 'Giri Abha' could be derived from 'Abhayagiri'. However, Vatthagamani Abhaya reigned about two centuries after the arrival of Mahinda.
Another confusing element of the story can be resolved more easily. According to the Somawathiya legend, the stupa was on the right side of the Mahaweli river, although today's Somawathiya Stupa is situated to the left of the Mahaweli. However, this may well be the result of a change in the course of the river, which can easily occur in the plains of Somawathiya. It is not unlikely that in the thirteenth century there was such a shift of the course of the Mahaweli Ganga. By the way, this incident may have contribuited to the collapse of the irrigation system at that time.
