M.Vihanga

Barandi Temple

                                   Raja or Ma or Ganga or

We have all heard the saying Raja or Ma or Ganga. But we have heard it but we don't know how it started. Barandi or Bairandi is a synonym for Lord Shiva. The beautiful temple built for him in Sita's kingdom is Sita's Rajasingha. The king had great hope.

The king had a very trusted person to build a temple for Lord Shiva as per his wish. It was Vendu Perumal who told Aritta. Belonging to noble Tamil families, they are devotees of the Shiva religion. They spread among the Sinhalese people and won the trust of the king.

Aritya ki Vendu Perumal joined the government service and changed his name to Manamperuma Mohotti. Ye Manamperi Mohotti was also the person who persuaded the king to embrace Shivaism. Therefore, the people including the Maha Sangha opposed him. However, it did not come out due to the anger of the king.

   The construction of Barandi temple was done with the contribution of about two thousand people. It is said that it was done for 20 years.

The remnants of the Barandi temple can be seen even today at a distance of 100 meters from the Talduwa junction when traveling on the Avissawella-Yatianthota road. The Barandi temple was built on the border of present-day Avissawella, which was the last city of the Kingdom of Sitawaka, close to the river Sitawaka.

Aritta Kei Vendu Perumal has built the Barandi temple not to see an end. The evidence seen at the place itself testifies that the construction work of the Barandi temple has not been completed.

Even though the construction work has been done for 20 years, there is a doubt among the scholars that it was only at the time of the king's visitation. The half-finished stone ruins still close to Barandi temple further confirm that idea.

How lazy Manamperi Mohotti was to see this to completion is indicated by the popular saying Raja ho ma ho Ganga ho, which is said to have done him. He thought that the construction work of Barandi temple could be abandoned after the death of the king. If not, he thought that the trouble would end after his death. Otherwise, he wanted the river to destroy the Barandi temple. The above saying has reached the people like this. is

Aritta Ki Vendu Perumal, who was in charge of the construction of the Barandi temple, later became disliked by the people.

After the untimely death of King Sitawaka Rajasingha, a prince named Rajasurya came to power. He is the grandson of King Rajasingha. But Aritta Kei Vendu Perumal did not like it. Perumal had suspected that prince also participated in the murder of King Sitawaka.

That prince was killed by Perumal because of that grudge. After that, the son of King Rajasingha's sister Mapa Queen Bandara Devi became king. Thus, time passed and we inherited Barandi temple as an unfinished temple.

By @AnUnknown2007