5/5 chamindu r. 10 months ago on Google
Located
on
the
main
road
from
Colombo
to
Kataragama,
facing
the
Uyanwatta
stadium,
this
very
sacred
Matara
historical
Bodhi
Rajaya
was
built
in
AD.
It
is
confirmed
by
ancient
documents
and
legends
that
it
is
a
place
with
a
historical
background
dating
back
to
the
time
of
Kumaradasa,
who
became
the
king
of
Sri
Lanka
in
515.
It
is
said
that
Kalidasa,
who
came
to
Sri
Lanka
as
a
state
guest
at
the
invitation
of
King
Kumaradasa
on
the
occasion
of
the
planting
of
this
Bodhiraja,
met
with
an
unfortunate
fate
and
lost
his
life.
It
is
said
that
along
with
the
five
queens
who
killed
themselves,
the
king
and
the
seven
people
who
advised
him
escaped
with
their
lives.
To
commemorate
this
tragedy,
7
bodhi
trees
were
planted
in
the
city
of
Matara
and
since
then
this
place
was
called
'Hat
Bodhi
Garden'.
The
historic
Bodhi
King
of
Matara
is
believed
to
be
one
of
those
Bodhis.
Botanists
have
revealed
that
this
historic
Matara
Bodhi
tree
belongs
to
the
tribe
of
Anuradhapura
Vijaya
•
Jaya
•
Maha
Bodhi
King.
The
British
rulers
who
ruled
the
country
at
that
time
made
various
threats
to
this
historical
place
of
worship
and
even
set
a
date
to
cut
down
this
Bodhisattva
with
the
intention
of
teaching
a
lesson
to
the
Buddhists
in
order
to
expand
the
territory
of
Matara
Municipality.
But
at
that
time,
the
Buddhist
businessmen
in
Matara
city
together
with
government
officials
and
officials
of
Matara
City
Council
and
other
Buddhist
people
have
defended
it
with
great
difficulty
in
the
midst
of
various
threats.
At
their
initiative,
Bodhi
arranged
to
worship
a
sitting
Buddha
statue
in
front
of
him
and
to
enhance
the
sanctity
here,
a
small
Buddha
temple,
a
small
pagoda
and
two
temples
were
built.
This
small
pagoda
originally
built
is
visible
behind
the
temple.
Among
the
members
of
the
Matara
Bodhi
Security
Council,
Paralo
Sapat
B.
Mr.
Ariyaratne
and
B.
it.
Mr.
Simon
Appuhami,
K.
P.
Mr.
Karanelis
is
among
the
people
who
took
the
lead
for
this.
In
1961,
K.
T.
Somapala,
C.
it.
Dharmasena
and
R.
Mr.
Pallis
started
the
construction
of
a
pagoda
by
donating
his
wealth.
The
Matara
Bodhi
Defense
Council
was
established
on
October
19,
1962
for
the
future
existence
and
security
of
the
Matara
Bodhi
Raja
which
was
gradually
developing.
Mr.
Edman
Samarasekera
was
appointed
as
the
first
chairman
of
the
Matara
Bodhi
Security
Council
and
he
held
that
position
continuously
for
17
years
until
1978,
doing
immaculate
and
immortal
service
and
working
for
the
advancement
of
the
Bodhi
King.
After
his
death
respectively
Henry
Gunasekara,
C.
it.
Hemachandra,
Barrister
Richard
Kulatunga,
Sr.
K.
Mr.
Chandrasoma,
Amaradasa
Kumanayake
and
Mr.
Rohantha
Samarasinghe
were
appointed
and
the
current
chairman
is
Mr.
Dihan
Samarasekera
who
is
a
noble
belonging
to
a
distinguished
family
of
the
area.
He
is
devoting
his
time,
wealth
and
labor
to
this
cause
And
it
should
be
mentioned
with
praise
that
with
a
religious
feeling,
we
are
doing
a
noble
national,
religious
and
social
mission
for
the
country,
society
and
the
Sambuddha
Order.
There
are
many
services
provided
by
the
Matara
Bodhi
Defense
Council.
Providing
scholarships
for
higher
education
to
children
from
low-income
families,
providing
scholarships
for
student
monks
who
are
receiving
special
education,
supporting
the
development
activities
of
Matara
General
Hospital,
providing
free
spectacles
to
children
and
adults
from
economically
disadvantaged
families,
and
providing
medicines
for
indigent
patients
receiving
hospital
treatment.
,
providing
contact
lenses,
providing
material
and
financial
assistance
to
uplift
Dhamma
school
education
in
the
area,
making
religious
cultural
and
social
donations,
providing
G.E.O.
for
school
students
in
the
area.
Conducting
regular
school
rehearsal
seminars,
preparing
Buddha
Dharma
teaching
projects
with
the
aim
of
creating
a
generation
with
Dharmadhara
Vinayadhara
necessary
for
the
future
religious
existence,
providing
support
for
the
renovation
of
the
existing
temples
in
the
area,
with
the
aim
of
creating
a
Dharmakami
society,
daily
evening
Bodhi
Pujas
and
Dharma
sermons
in
honor
of
the
Bodhi
Raja.
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