27 September 2023 12:00 am Views - 1588
Kurundi Viharaya
The recently established task force for the survey and preservation of archaeological sites in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka is a worthwhile endeavour as the preservation of a people’s cultural heritage is an important one.
However, the implementation of this project requires a proper understanding of the historical background in which these structures i.e. Buddhist stupas viharas and Hindu temples were built.
It must be kept in mind that Buddhism was prevalent in South India and Tamil Nadu, especially in the period from the 2nd Century AD to the 14th Century AD. Hence we can infer that Tamils living in the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka could also been largely Buddhists, and many of the archaeological sites would have been Tamil Buddhist sites.
There is ample evidence from stone inscriptions around Sri Lanka which confirm this fact. Today the Vikkirama Calemekan Perumpalli, in the Eastern Province also known as the Velgam Vihare/Natanar Kovil by the present-day Tamils, stands out as an example of a Tamil Vihara or Palli (As they were called in Tamil).
Dr Paranavithane describes it as an ancient Buddhist shrine of the Tamil people. The Tamil inscriptions at the site record donations made to the shrine and are dated in the reign of the Chola kings Raja Raja Chola and Rajendra Chola, who ruled Sri Lanka, during the period of Chola rule from 993-1070 A.D, i.e. almost three-quarters of a Century. It was the view of Dr Paranavithana that the date of the original foundation was considerably earlier.
In the historical context, we have to keep in mind that Buddhism came to South India before the 3rd Sangam period, in the 2nd century BC as also mentioned by Pandit Hissele Dharmaratne Maha Thera in his book Buddhism in South India.
This is confirmed by stone inscriptions of the Emperor Asoka which refer to Buddhist missionaries going to the Chola and Pandya (Tamil) countries along with Tambapanni (Sri Lanka).
The Mahathera also states that there is evidence that the Ven Mahinda Thera, Emperor Asoka’s son also spread the Dhamma in Tamil Nadu. Buddhism continued in South India through the early years of the Christian era and up to the 14th century when it died out.
During the period of the Palava kings 400-650 A.D. in South India, Buddhism flourished. The Chinese monk scholar Hsuan Tsang who visited the city of Kancheepuram in the 7th century states that most of its population was Buddhist, with about 100 monasteries and thousands of monks, among whom he mentions monks from Sri Lanka.
He states that Emperor Asoka had many centuries earlier erected a stupa in Kancheepuram, which was still existent in his day.
Kanchipuram was also the native city of the Rev. Dharmapala the Rector of the famed Nalanda University. It appears that the merchants and traders were the main supporters of Buddhism and hence cities such as Urraiyur, the home of the Rev Buddhadutta and Nagapattinam were among the centres of Buddhism. In the 7th/ 8th century, there was a Hindu revival, and commentators have noted Tamil Buddhist monks fleeing to Sri Lanka.
During the Chola period from the mid-9th century to the early 14th century Buddhism continued to be prevalent but royal patronage was not evident.
The Mahavamsa mentions that in the 13th century, King Parakramabahu of Dambedeniya got down monks and scriptures from the Chola (Tamil) country to revive Buddhism in Sri Lanka.
Chief among these monks was the Rev Dhammakitti who wrote the continuation of the Mahavamsa from the time of King Srimevan up to his time. Pandit Hisselle Dharmaratna Maha Thera concludes that this points to the presence of monasteries and centres of learning still existent in Tamil Nadu even up to the 14th Century.
Golden threads between the Buddhists in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka were the learned Tamil Buddhist monks who came to Sri Lanka among them Rev Bhuddhadatta, Rev Buddhagosha and Rev. Dharmapala.
They lived and wrote their works such as the Visudhimagga of Rev Buddhagosha, at the Mahavihare in Anuradhapura. This is mentioned by Dr Shu Hikosake, Director and Professor, of the Institute of Asian Studies at the University of Madras, in his book Buddhism in Tamil Nadu A New Perspective, citing these exchanges as the golden threads between Buddhists in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka.
However, in this article, I would like to concentrate on another aspect and that is the role played by Tamil traders and Merchant Guilds in supporting and propagating Buddhism in Sri Lanka as well as in the countries of Indo-China and Indonesia.
This fact is evidenced in the inscriptions found in Thailand, West Sumatra, Myanmar, South China and Sri Lanka.
The earliest reference to the association of Tamil merchants with Buddhist institutions comes from Sri Lanka. The label inscription of Brahmi characters dated to the 2nd Century BC was carved on a boulder in the area to the northwest of the ancient Abhayagiri Dagoba at Anuradhapura.
The label inscription states “Dameda vanija ga (pa) ti-Visakahaline” which translates as “The cave of the householder Visaka the Tamil merchant.”
Among the merchant guilds, the names we see in the inscriptions were the Ainurruvar, and the, Nanadesi. The Ainurruvar (The 500) were the most prominent. There are inscriptions with donations to Buddhist temples in different r parts of the country as Matale, Kurunegala District, Anuradhapura, and Polonnaruwa.
The Anuradhapura slab inscription of Queen Lilavati 1197-1212 one of the consorts of Parakramabahu1 provides information about the link between the Tamil merchant communities in Anuradhapura the Nanadesis, and the Buddhist establishment.
The Lankatilleke temple inscription in Tamil records an endowment made by a Tamil merchant community to the temple and similarly at the Jetawanarama site.
Inscriptions of the Ainurruvar are found at Padaviya which mention that they were building Buddhist shrines and Hindu temples Another Tamil inscription from morakavelai in Tampankatavai area adjoining Trincomalee District, dated 28th year of Jayabahu 1, c 1138 AD, states that the donor was giving land to the Buddha, and threatens that violators would be destroyed by the Munru Koyil (Tri Ratna and by the Munru Kai (Three Arms) of the Army ie the Velaikkaras.
The Polonnaruwa inscription states that the temple of the sacred Tooth relic at Polonnaruwa was guarded by the Velaikkara (Tamil) army employed by the Sinhalese kings.
At Mayilankulam about 58 kilometres to the north of Trincomalee a Tamil inscription states that the king Sri Jayabahu summoned the Velaikkarar of the Vikkirama Calemekan and placed the Vikkirima Calemecan Perumpalli (Temple) under their protection.
The Polonnaruwa slab inscription reveals the involvement of the Velaikkarars in the protection of Buddhist institutions and a possible relationship between the Merchant Guilds and the Royal Army.
In this inscription, the Velaikkarars took an oath to protect faithfully the great Buddhist temple of the Tooth Relic in Polonnaruwa. I am indebted to Dr. D. Dayalan of the Archaeological Survey of India for much of this information from his article on the Role of Trade and Tamil traders in promoting Buddhism.
Dr Dayalan is also the author of the Book Remains of Buddhism in South India. The Book launch of this book took place in Colombo a few years ago, under the distinguished patronage of Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardane.