By Deshabandu Palitha Ariyarathna,Propaganda secretary,National Buddhist Authority, SBPC

These days Tamil politician and LTTE propagandist harassing Buddhist and engaged in activity such as name changes of Sinhala villages to Tamil names and further now they are trying to convert name of ‘Naga deepa ‘to Nayinativu’(Tamil fantasy name).

So far Srilanka government did not agreed with a such falsify work and announcement by Sri Lanka Government promised that they will not change the name of Nagadeepa Island to ‘Nainativu’, Minister of Local Government and Provincial Councils, Faizer Mustapha has said its in his verbal statement Cleary.The Minister Faizer Mustapha made this observation in response to a proposal that is to be gazetted and approved by the Northern Provincial Council on 5th November to change the name of Nagadeepa Island to ‘Nainativu’.

Nagadeepa Vihara- Image courtesy by Google

Majority of Buddhist has been hurt by proposal given by North Council and some of Sinhala Buddhist says it’s and jokes and funny story ever they heard in their life time. Also many are claim that they couldn’t laugh enough seen such a Gazette.

However effort of C. Velupillai Kandaiah Sivagnanam (Northern Province Council Chairman) shows what exactly many Tamil politician needs.

Nagadeepa Island is a small island off the coast of Jaffna Peninsula in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. The ancient and historic Nagadeepa Rajamaha Viharaya in the Nagadeepa Island is one of the sixteen most sacred places of worship by the Buddhists in Sri Lanka. The Buddha paid three visits to Sri Lanka.

The Buddha’s first visit was in the ninth month after Buddhahood on Duruthu (January) Full Moon Day.(1 B.E. or 528 B.C.) That was to Mahiyangana where the Yaksa Clan of the entire island was meeting in the Mahanaga Garden. On this visit, the Buddha not only won the Yaksas/Raksas to Buddhism but also succeeded in getting the Naga clan King Maniakkhika of Kelaniya, who came to Mahiyangana to meet the Buddha, to embrace Buddhism.

Image courtesy by Google

The second visit was in the fifth year of Buddhahood (5 B.E. or 523 B.C.). The Buddha on seeing an imminent war between two Naga Kings – Culodara and Mahodara, uncle and nephew, over a Jewelled Throne, visited Nagadipa (Jaffna), settled the dispute and handed over the custody of the Jewelled Throne to Naga King Maniakkika of Kelaniya. On this visit the Buddha was accompanied by Samiddhi Sumana, a representative of Persian King Darius, who came to be referred to as Sakka (Sakkra), the King of Kings of Deva clan. Samiddhi Sumana brought with him a tree from Jetawanarama, which was also presented to Maniakkhika who in turn constructed a Cetiya covering the Jewelled Throne in Kelaniya and also planted the Na tree which precints is Kelaniya Viharaya.

Image courtesy by Google

The Buddha visited Sri Lanka for the third time (that was the last time, too) at the invitation of King Maniakkhika. On this third visit that the Buddha placed an imprint of his left foot on top of Sumanakuta (Samanalakanda) on the invitation of a Naga Prince named Sumanasaman as he left his foot imprints in Narmada and Saccabaddha in India. The Sumanakuta, after the arrival of the colonialists also came to be called Adams Peak.

(Observation by Author and popular truth -Every invader likes to change many Sinhala village or popular places and its names for their own taste of religion or belief or nationality. Currently many extremist are in favour of such a covert act which lot of Sinhala Buddhist much not aware. Name change can easily uses in future for a fraudulent or other illegal purpose. There for Srilanka must forbidden even writing or publically speaking such act.

In British period more than 3000 thousand Sinhala village names are has been change to Tamil abbreviation witch must re-correct now to show that there not living in Tamil Country but they are living in a Sinhala country. If historical mistaken are revise. It may help to educated Tamil for thinking their claim is wrong.

When Elara was a just king, his Tamil followers harassed the Buddhists and were actively engaged in anti-Buddhist activities. King Dutugemunu’s (161 BC to 137 BC) efforts ensured territorial integrity as well as cultural integrity. So is that current powers of Tamil leader are in opposition party make such a hidden names change game against Sinhala land? Answer can be No or Yes. But in the same time Sri Lanka’s opposition leader R Sampanthan said the demand by the Northern Provincial Council earlier this month to change the official name of an island of the Jaffna peninsula back into Tamil from Sinhala was a stupid proposal”.

Many Tamil politician can acting like a Fox and tiger covered with sheep skin. There for Sinhala Buddhist must aware about many things and they have to maintain their interest around protecting their own country.

Finally ending writing saying do we have a leaders likes Anagarika Dharmapala or King Like a Dutugemunu? A person for lead or protect us and who care deeply about Sinhala Buddhist problems and their mother country.

Theruwan Saranai!

Famous appeal to the Sinhala Buddhists’ in 1926 by Anagarika Dharmapala

Sinhala Buddhists – Wake Up!

A majority race declines because of its own failures

when that happens the minorities take advantage

the minorities become stronger and begin to dictate terms to the majority.

That is what has happened to the Sinhalese Buddhists. 

So long as Sinhalese Buddhists continue to divide themselves;

by caste – Govigama, Karawe, Durawe

by location – upcountry, low country

politically by party divisions

And if even the Buddhist clergy are divided by nikaya and sermons

even in marriage…..and Sinhalese Buddhists kept busy with these divisions

will realize too late their fall. 

Why do Sinhalese not grow jak fruit but instead grow grass

Why do Sinhalese look to the seas to await flour from the west

Does the Sinhalese not realize that in exchange for their resources they get tuppense?

Dayawati’s have changed their names to Daisy, Piyadasa’s are now Peter,

Look at the Muslims, have they ever taken any other name?
Sinhalese have given up their religion for a piece of meat