Fresh from the Temple – Strengthening Thai-Sri Lankan Monastic Ties with a Visit to Asgiriya Gedige Temple

On Saturday, March 21, 2025, at 4:30 PM Sri Lankan time, Phra Rajawichirdhammametthi (Ariyaphong Ariyathammo), deputy abbot of Wat Rajapraditsat Mahaseemarama, led a delegation to pay respects to Most Venerable Wedaruwe Upali Anunayake Thera, abbot of Asgiriya Gedige Raja Maha Viharaya.

The Thai monks presented ceremonial fans and offerings commemorating the 150th anniversary of King Rama IV's passing, along with royal portraits, an image of the late Supreme Patriarch, and religious items from Thailand as commemorative gifts during this second official visit.

King Rama IV, founder of Wat Rajapraditsat Mahaseemarama, held deep faith in Sri Lankan Buddhism and adapted Sinhalese Buddha images and stupa designs for use in Thailand. The late king's linguistic genius and royal patronage significantly supported the spread of Buddhism among Sri Lankan monks, including donations of printing blocks and sacred texts.

The Supreme Patriarch Somdej Phra Ariyvongsa Kataña (Sa Pussdawo), first abbot of Wat Rajapraditsat and the ninth Supreme Patriarch of Bangkok, possessed expertise in linguistics and Sinhala language, collaborating in the study and translation of texts borrowed from Sri Lanka.

Asgiriya Gedige is the oldest temple in Senkadagala, the former name of Kandy, built by King Vikramabahu III of Kumpola as a memorial to Queen Chandrawathie, known as "Askiriyadevi." When Phra Ubali Maha Thera and fellow Thai missionaries came to revive monastic order in Sri Lanka, an ordination hall was constructed at this temple, with the first ordination ceremony held on Visakha Bucha in 1765 under the patronage of King Kirti Sri Rajasinha.

This temple holds significant historical importance in Thai-Sri Lankan Buddhist relations during the Ayutthaya period. King Kirti Sri Rajasinha granted a grand royal cremation ceremony for Phra Ubali Maha Thera in 1755. Originally a royal cemetery called Adahana Maluwa, it served as a cremation site for royal family members.

The temple's greatest significance lies in its Gedige structure, which was the first location in Kandy to enshrine the Sacred Tooth Relic when it was brought from the Kotte kingdom for safekeeping before the official Temple of the Sacred Tooth (Dalada Maligawa) was built. During the famous Esala Perahera festival, on the final night before conclusion, a procession carrying the Sacred Tooth Relic (a replica) is traditionally brought to Asgiriya Gedige in remembrance of its historical role protecting this precious relic.