DURUTHU POYA DAY

Duruthu Poya is the first Poya day of the year. It marks Gautama Buddha’s first visit to Sri Lanka in the ninth month after attaining Enlightenment.

The Buddha first visited Mahiyanganaya in the Uva Province of Sri Lanka about 2,500 years ago. According to the ancient texts of Sri Lanka, the purpose of the Buddha’s visit was to bring an end to fighting between the two main tribes on the island. During his visit, the Buddha delivered sermons to the tribes. After listening to the sermons, the tribes gave up fighting with each other and started to respect each other.

Impressed by the sermons, the local God Sumana Saman invited the Buddha to leave his sacred footprint on the peak of the Samanala Mountain. The Poya is also celebrated with a spectacular procession (Perahera) at the Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya, upon the request of God Sumana Saman.

The Buddha gave his hair relics to the god and those relics are enshrined in the Mahiyangana Stupa.  As per legends this stupa was firstly built by God Sumana Saman by enshrining the hair relics. This Stupa is so precious and sacred because the hair relics enshrined in the Stupa was gifted by the Buddha himself out of his body. The sacred relics of the Buddha are regarded by Buddhists as supreme objects of reverence and veneration.

However, the focus of Duruthu Poya Festival is presently centred round Kelaniya, because of the Annual Duruthu Perahera conducted by the Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya.