Despite the doomsday-like heat, the sacred sites of Sri Lanka never run short of pilgrims. Come Vesak, the pilgrims carrying backpacks, rucksacks and bottles of water with sweat trickling down the white garbs are a common sight.
The journey, like any other spiritually-strengthened one, needs much preparation. You are supposed to shun the basic vices, smoking, consuming liquor and eating meat, at least for three days prior to setting off. The pilgrims have a reason to gather at this place, albeit the vicious heat.
They believe in miracles of the place.
The path to this most ancient monument was enshrouded by dense forestry. The monument was not in sight a century ago, until Venerable Sirimalwatte Piyaratna Thera discovered the area. The illumed skies showed them the path to the stupa which lay in ruins of centuries. The stupa is believed to have been constructed in the 2nd century BC when Arahant Aritta brought the sacred right tooth of the Buddha. Prince Giriabha was the chosen one to protect the relics. His queen consort, Somawathi, developed a passion for constructing a large stupa to deposit the sacred relics. The stupa was named after the queen.
Such is the genesis of Somawathiya, believed to be mysterious, for lights descending from the skies mostly during the nighttime. The stupa claims reverence from all quarters of Buddhists almost as equal as the Dalada Maligawa in Kandy and Jayasri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura.
The area was infested by terrorists, and the attempts to demolish the place were aplenty. When the monks were compelled to abandon the site in fear of terrorists, the elephants came to its protection. Even today you will get to see an elephant or two within the stupa premises in the confines of the solar-powered electric fences.
One of the many legends linked to the stupa narrates about a monk who tipped the police off about excavating treasure at stupa. When police reached the spot, they found the stupa excavated albeit no monk in sight. In fact, no monk had been dwelling in the site at the time.
The appearance of lights is no strange phenomenon at the premises of the stupa. What your naked eye fails to see is captured rightly on your smart device or even better on a DSLR camera. The lights appear, disappear and reappear in strange ways. All you need to do is silently observe them. Because, as Ajahn Brahm said, you need to remember that silence is shy. The moment you begin to talk, silence will disappear. So do the lights.
Just observe them without making noise and any other attempt to interpret them. Whether you believe them to be celestial beings or simply digital tricks, the lights are also devotees who make regular visits to the stupa to worship the sacred relics.
Even if you do not manage to spot them, there are numerous photographs put on notice boards which indicate lights. During the daytime when the Buddha puja is offered, the devotees will get an opportunity to see a giant halo around the stupa pinnacle. The Buddha’s halo, some believe it to be. In fact, it should probably be the halo of the celestial beings who participate in the meritorious act of Buddha Puja. And definitely not the photographing illusions, though some images can contain them.
You will meet devotees who have witnessed drums heard from within the hollow space. Even the most disbelieving among us might experience such strange things within the premises. At the Somawathi, the miracles and strange appearances are no longer a mystery. They are quite a normalcy, and you will naturally come to terms with it.
The rainy season is probably the worst period to visit the shrine. You may be prone to heavy floods. Pilgrims visiting the shrine during Vesak week are advised to keep water bottles ready. Be ready for the glaring sunshine too around and after noon. Probably it will be a test of endurance for your spiritual strength.
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