The fixing of the new Chuda Manikkaya on the top of Ruwanweli Seya will take place today. Devotees in their thousands have been visiting the Seya to worship the new crest gem in the past few days. Over 400,000 devotees have already paid their homage to the Chuda Manikkaya since it arrived at the venue on November 22 evening, the organizing committee said.
The security has been strengthened at the Ruwanweli Maha Seya and its suburbs and food and drinking water are provided with the crowd through dansalas in the sacred area.
Ruwanweli Chethiyaramadhipathi Ven. Pallegama Hemarathana Nayaka Thera told Daily News that on November 26, the gold plated pinnacle with the new crest gem will be unveiled at the auspicious time of 10 am by the Maha Nayaka Theras of the Asgiriya and the Malwattha Chapters. The prelate said the ceremony is purely a religious event organised by the Maha Sangha. The Vishwa Parami Foundation bears the cost of the Chuda Manikkaya and the Pinnacle restoration.
The event costs around Rs. 600 million sans any direct state sponsorship or financing.
The old crest gem will be kept for veneration in a specially designed cubical in the Maha Seya premises. The old crest gem and the copper plate pinnacle were gifted by Myanmar and crowned on the summit of Maha Seya on June 17, 1940, following the restoration of the then dilapidated Seya.
Hemarathna Nayake Thera further said that following the unveiling of the pinnacle, an alms giving for 2,000 bhikkus will take place at the Maha Seya main dana salawa. The week-long pinkama will conclude after the Maha Adhistana Pooja in the Maha Seya Salapathala Maluwa.
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