Matara Bodhiya is a

sacred fig ''Ficus religiosa'' or sacred fig is a species of fig native to the Indian subcontinent and Indochina that belongs to Moraceae, the fig or mulberry family. It is also known as the bodhi tree, bo tree, peepul tree, peepal tree, pipala tree or ...

tree in

Matara, Sri Lanka Matara (; ) is a major city in Sri Lanka, on the southern coast of Southern Province, Sri Lanka, Southern Province. It is the second largest city in Southern Province, Sri Lanka, Southern Province. It is from Colombo. It is a major commercial ...

. Its origin can be traced back to a tragic story centred on King Kumara Dharmasena or Kumaradhatusena son of King Kasyapa of Sigiriya (512-522 AD) and his closet friend,

Kalidasa Kālidāsa (, "Servant of Kali"; 4th–5th century CE) was a Classical Sanskrit author who is often considered ancient India's greatest poet and playwright. His plays and poetry are primarily based on Hindu Puranas and philosophy. His surviv ...

, a famous dramatist and poet. According to the tale, the king whilst in the amorous company of a courtesan, spied a bee entangled in the petals of a lotus flower, inspired he wrote two poetic lines. He then offered a reward to anybody who could complete the other two stanzas to his poem. The cunning courtesan seized the opportunity took the verse to Kalidasa, who completed the poem. The courtesan then murdered Kalidasa in order to keep the reward for herself, concealing the body. The king however instantly recognised his friend's handwriting bringing the whole murderous ruse to light. When Kalidasa's dead body was taken to the funeral pyre for

cremation Cremation is a method of Disposal of human corpses, final disposition of a corpse through Combustion, burning. Cremation may serve as a funeral or post-funeral rite and as an alternative to burial. In some countries, including India, Nepal, and ...

, the grieving king unable to control his grief over the death of his beloved friend, threw himself into the burning flames and immolated himself. Upon witnessing this tragedy, five official queens also leapt into the flames to their deaths. Local legend has it that seven Bo trees were planted over the seven tombs. These seven Bo trees are known locally as the "Hath Bodhis" and are said to be still surviving at six different places around Matara. Matara Bodhiya is one of those trees. It is respected and protected by the local buddhists. In 1783 when the

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

ruled Matara, a Dutch General is alleged to have cut down those seven Bo trees and had used their timber for the construction of local buildings, with only one having survived.

Developing progress

While the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

controlled the country they attempted to destroy this sacred tree but were thwarted by local buddhists, who protected the tree with their lives. The people who led the protection of the tree were merchants, police and buddhist officers on the urban council. A procession was organised from Kotuwegoda to bring a statue of Buddha, led by Daniel Abeysuriya, a local lawyer, who was also the vice president of

Sinhala Maha Sabha The Sinhala Maha Sabha () was a political party in colonial-era British Ceylon, Ceylon founded by S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike in the mid-1930s to promote Sinhalese people, Sinhalese Buddhist culture and community interests. In 1946, it joined the Un ...

. They placed the statue in front of the sacred tree and also supplied electricity with the help of other local buddhists. B. Ariyaratne, B. A. Siman Appuhami and K. P. Karanelis, who are the members of Bodhi Arakshaka Sabha, have committed to protect the Matara Bodhiya. In 1961 K. T. Somapala, C. A. Dharmasena and R. P. Pelis commenced the construction of a

Stupa In Buddhism, a stupa (, ) is a domed hemispherical structure containing several types of sacred relics, including images, statues, metals, and '' śarīra''—the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns. It is used as a place of pilgrimage and m ...

at the site.

References

{{reflist Individual trees in Sri Lanka Religious buildings and structures in Matara, Sri Lanka Buddhist temples in Matara District Individual fig trees Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Sri Lanka

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See also

References