Halfway in between the bustling town of Pottuvil, and the famed Arugam Bay, is a faded earthen signpost on the roadside, pointing the way to one of the most historical sights in all of Rohana – the Muhudu Maha Viharaya.
The ruins of this temple are found further inland from the main road, in a secluded area opening into the emerald beaches of Arugam Bay on its eastern end. Originally spread over 70 acres of land, what now remains are the timeless ruins of the Seema Malaka and Avasa Geya, with its statues of Gautama Buddha and what one initially would think are his two disciples Sariputta and Mogallana, frozen forever in time.
The Mahavamsa states that the Muhudu Maha Viharaya was built by King Maha Dhataka Maha Naga, circa 8th Century AD, Maha Dhataka was from the line of The Ruling Monarchs of Rohana, and it is said that this monument was built in memory of the great King Kavantissa and his queen, Vihara Maha Devi. Along with this he also constructed four other temples in nearby sites, namely the Chula Naga Vihara, Mani Naga Vihara, Kalanda Vihara and Gal Divaina Vihara. These temples remain to this day buried in the mists of time, as their whereabouts and remains are yet to be unearthed.
The reason why Dhataka built a shrine in memory of Dutugemunu’s parents presents us with one of the greatest conundrums of the history of Rohana: legend has it that this very site is where Vihara Maha Devi drifted ashore after being sacrificed to the gods of the sea by her father, King Kelanitissa of the Malaya Kingdom. A sacrifice necessitated by a devastating tsunami which destroyed much of Rohana’s coastal areas in her time. It is also said that upon hearing the news of a royal barge bearing a strange coat of arms having come ashore in Pottuvil, King Kavantissa himself has set off to greet his royal visitor, on a journey which took him along the eastern coast. This is evidenced by the folktale on how the hamlet of Komari, a few miles north of Pottuvil got its name: the king, in search of the princess, had inquired ‘Ko Kumari?’ (where is the princess) in this area, and thus it was named “ko-kumari > Komari.”
As I watch in awe as every ripple of the Buddha’s saffron robe come alive as the morning sunlight glances off the statues, I can’t help but admire the skill of the stonemasons who have created such sublime works of art. A closer inspection reveals that the two statues facing the Buddha are not his disciples. At first glance they appear to be the Bodhisatvas Avalokitheshwara and Maithree. However, on even closer inspection one can even argue that they may be statues of the Great king and his bride, as the statue to the left of the Buddha has definite male characteristics, and the state to the right has vaguely feminine features. This is indeed a rare sight if so, as no other archaeological site in Sri Lanka has a frieze of laymen, albeit royalty, in concourse with the Buddha.
To the north of the temple complex lies a pond, and more ruins lie buried partially in sand and silt.
Today, this historical site is being looked after by Rev. Katharagama Rathana Thero, who has been the incumbent of Muhudu Maha Vihara for almost 14 years. Of the 70 acres belonging to the temple grounds, barely half an acre remains today, and that too may be lost by progressive colonization by the locals as well as the erosive effects of the sea.
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