UNDUVAP POYA DAY

Unduvap Poya is the last Full Moon Poya day of the year. On this day we commemorate the arrival of Sangamitta Theri in Sri Lanka with a Bo sapling from the sacred Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi in India.

Sangamitta Theri was the daughter of Emperor Asoka and the sister of Arahant Mahinda who brought Buddhism to Sri Lanka on Poson Poya day. On this voyage, Sangamitta Theri was accompanied by several members of the royal family who had entered the Sasanaya. This delegation landed in Dambakolapatuna port in Jaffna on an Unduvap Poya day during the reign of King Devanampiyatissa. The sacred Bo sapling was brought to Sri Lanka in a golden bowl and thereafter planted in the Mahameuna Garden in Anuradhapura.

In honour of this historical event, devotees flock to Anuradhapura on Unduvap Poya day to pay homage to the sacred Bo tree and observe the five precepts to lead exemplary lives.

Bo saplings that emerged from this tree were later taken to other parts of the island. After landing here and delivering this precious gift, she established the Bhikkhuni Sasana in Sri Lanka.It is said that this visit by Sangamitta Theri was beneficial to Sri Lanka in many ways other than its main purpose of bringing the Bo sapling.The group that accompanied her included people skilled in diverse crafts and disciplines such as woodwork, agriculture, indigenous medicine, etc. and their expertise was shared with the locals. Since then, these skills have been handed down through generations and utilized for the development of this country.