The relationship between the Hunupitiya Gangaramaya Temple and Ven. Galboda Gnanissara Thera is unbreakable. The seventh-day almsgiving ceremony of Ven.
Gnanissara Thera was held at the Gangaramaya Temple, where a large number of senior bhikkhus participated. During this event, Chief Incumbent of the Paramadhammavediya Pirivena, Ratmalana, Dr. Madamme Wimalasara Nayaka Thera, and Chief Incumbent of Gangaramaya, Dr.
Kirinde Assaji Thera, along with other disciple bhikkhus, offered alms in reverence to him. Our primary objective was to meet the Chief Incumbent of Gangaramaya, Dr. Kirinde Assaji Thera, to uncover Ven.
Gnanissara Thera’s hidden aspects. Ven. Gnanissara Thera’s memories turned out to be more historical and fascinating than we had anticipated.
What was confirmed to us was that if the recollections of Ven. Gnanissara Thera were documented, they would undoubtedly form an excellent history book. Ven.
Gnanissara Thera once that the first road constructed by the British in Colombo was Sir James Peiris Mawatha. Before that, it was known as General Lake Road. A part of it, marked as General Lake Road, can still be seen near the Salvation Army Building.
Ven. Gnanissara Thera had an extraordinary ability to foresee the future. When he first arrived in Colombo, many Buddhists lived in areas like Mattakkuliya, Union Place, Stewart Street, and Slave Island.
In his later years, Ven. Gnanissara Thera expressed deep sorrow over the dwindling number of Sinhala Buddhists living in these areas. Ven.
Gnanissara Thera arrived in Colombo in 1954. During those days, he proudly said that for almsgiving and religious ceremonies, they used to go to Slave Island, Kollupitiya, Wekanda, Malay Street, Union Place, and Stewart Street, beating drums and playing cymbals.“There are no Buddhists living in those areas now.
What will happen to these temples if things continue this way? That’s why Gangaramaya was built with a plan.” Ven. Gnanissara Thera said that Gangaramaya was preserved because they acted with appropriate wisdom.
The disappearance of temples in areas like Mattakkuliya deeply saddened him. Ven. Gnanissara Thera was the first to predict the decline of the Kalutara Bodhi, even before the construction of the expressway.
He stated that after the expressway opened, the number of devotees visiting the Kalutara Bodhi would decrease. His foresight was accurate. After the expressway opened, his prediction was confirmed.
By the time Ven. Gnanissara Thera passed away, the historic Bodhi was slowly deteriorating. The Bodhi could not be saved despite the most advanced treatments being applied by tree specialists.
After circling the Kalutara Bodhi seven times, Ven. Gnanissara Thera instructed the Kalutara Bodhi Management Committee to remove all the items used for the Bodhi Pooja placed around the Bodhi. The items, including pots and flags tied to branches, were removed.
Then, the ground around the Bodhi was thoroughly cleaned. Following this, Ven. Gnanissara Thera provided the necessary treatment for the dying Kalutara Bodhi.
He instructed the Kalutara Bodhi Management Committee to bring sand from the Sri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura and the Kataragama Bodhi precincts and spread it around the Kalutara Bodhi. Ven. Gnanissara Thera’s request was immediately fulfilled.
The decline of the Kalutara Bodhi ceased. The branches of the Bodhi began to thrive, adorned with beautiful blue-green leaves that illuminated the entire area. After J.
R. Jayewardene became President, the first place he visited was Gangaramaya. J.
R. Jayewardene had a special regard for Ven. Gnanissara Thera.
Assistance Despite being a close friend of J.R., Ven.
Gnanissara Thera never sought assistance from him. Ven. Gnanissara Thera often said that J.
R. was truly a gentleman. Even though J.
R., Premadasa, Chandrika, or Ranil were State leaders, Ven. Gnanissara Thera never went to them seeking personal favours.
He relied on them in his own way. He often said that since he never sought unnecessary favours from state leaders, he could speak to any leader openly. J.
R.’s residence in Ward Place was always open to Ven. Gnanissara Thera.
Before bhikkhus were elected to Parliament, J.R. Jayewardene, the first Executive President of the country, invited Ven.
Gnanissara Thera to join his Cabinet. He invited Ven. Gnanissara Thera to take on the position of Minister of Mahaweli Development.
When J.R. was admitted to Nawaloaka Hospital for the last time, his Personal Secretary Prematilaka Mapitigama was instructed to immediately summon Ven.
Gnanissara Thera for chanting Pirith. Ven. Gnanissara Thera performed the chanting until J.
R. fell asleep. The main donors of Gangaramaya during Ven.
Gnanissara Thera’s time were the country’s leading political figures. Although many politicians recognised the importance of Gangaramaya, it is believed that in the early days, President Ranasinghe Premadasa did not fully understand its significance. “Many people think that I was very close to Premadasa, but that’s not the case.
In the beginning, Premadasa showed quite a bit of arrogance towards Ven. Gnanissara Thera. There were several occasions when we clashed.
There were huts around the Beira Lake. In 1979, just when I finished building the school, those houses were set on fire. People said I had caused the fire because of the school.
I told Premadasa about the incident. At that time, he was the Prime Minister. He said, ‘That’s not my electorate.
’ After some time, there was an opening ceremony at Sucharitha for a new building. J.R.
came to the ceremony, and five other bhikkhus, including Ven. Malewana Thera, attended. I was one of them.
When I went, Premadasa sarcastically asked me if I had finished building the houses. I had built huts with coconut leaves using my money. By the end of the ceremony, J.
R.’s security came and told me that the President had asked me to join him. When I got into J.
R.’s car, Premadasa was furious. He didn’t know about our relationship until then.
From that day onward, Premadasa became one of my closest associates. He sent Sajith to study and learn from me. Ven.
Gnanissara Thera played a significant role in bringing peace during the impeachment motion against Premadasa. Advisor During the tenure of Minister W.J.
M Lokubandara as the Minister of Education, the Ven. Podi Hamuduruwo served as an advisor at the Ministry of Education. Later, Lalith Athulathmudali was appointed as the Minister of Education.
Subsequently, President Premadasa took over the position of Minister of Education. It was the Ven. Podi Hamuduruwo who proposed the idea of providing school uniforms to children similar to those in Singapore.
It was also he who suggested providing midday meals to schoolchildren. One of the most sensitive incidents was when the Ministry of Education was moved to Isurupaya. Since there wasn’t a proper bus service to Pelawatta at that time, the Ven.
Podi Hamuduruwo supported this move by providing a bus from Gangaramaya for the purpose. The bus of Podi Hamuduruwo transported Ministry of Education officials from Maradana Station to Isurupaya and back to Maradana Station. It was the Ven.
Podi Hamuduruwo who persuaded J.R. Jayewardene to appoint Ranil Wickremesinghe, the current President, as the Minister of Education.
At that time, the Minister of Education was Nissanka Wijeyeratne. There was a rumor that either the Minister or the Secretary was taking a bribe of Rs. 8,000 to give someone a job.
When the Ven. Podi Hamuduruwo informed J.R.
about this, he was asked to provide proof. The Ven. Podi Hamuduruwo then gave 8,000 rupees to a student from Jinarathana Vidyalaya.
As expected, the Jinarathana student received a job recommendation chit. The Ven. Podi Hamuduruwo immediately presented the chit to President J.
R. Jayewardene. As a result, J.
R. promptly removed Nissanka Wijeyeratne from the Minister of Education position and appointed him Minister of Justice instead. Thereafter, in response to the Ven.
Podi Hamuduruwo’s request, J.R. Jayewardene appointed Ranil Wickremesinghe, the current President, as the Minister of Education.
A fact that many people do not know is that the U.S. Government granted American citizenship to the Ven.
Podi Hamuduruwo. He never told anyone about it. He was also appointed as the Chief bhikkhu of a Buddhist temple in America.
There were many occasions when the Ven. Podi Hamuduruwo mentioned how much he had learned from America. The Ven.
Podi Hamuduruwo also informed President Ranasinghe Premadasa about VAT (Value Added Tax). It is an American tax system. However, in his later years, the Ven.
Podi Hamuduruwo said that the VAT system he brought from America was being misused, and as a result, a bunch of thieves had multiplied. As we bid farewell to the Gangaramaya, the religious creations he had built caught our attention. Today, Gangaramaya is filled with foreigners because of its beauty.
In the shrine room located at the entrance of Gangaramaya, which the Ven. Podi Hamuduruwo built, there are now two large portraits of him. As we left Gangaramaya, those two photographs of the Ven.
Podi Hamuduruwo were lovingly watching over us. Translated by Dinuli Francisco.
