The octagonal section of a building in Pothuhera, Kurunegala where faith-healing-related activities were taking place and which was similar to the “Paththirippuwa”, the octagonal-shaped-structure of the Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy, was demolished yesterday (8).
When former Minister Mervyn Silva had visited the said building last Saturday (7), the owner of the building, Janaka Senadhipathi, had been asked by the former to remove the structure in question within the course of two weeks. However, Senadhipathi had assured Silva that he would do so on the next day (yesterday).
Accordingly, several video clips of the structure being demolished by some workers were circulating on social media platforms, particularly Facebook, yesterday.
The Chief Prelates (Mahanayake) of the Asgiri and Malwathu chapters of the Siam Sect, Ven. Warakagoda Gnanarathana Thera and Ven. Thibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Thera, respectively, and Diyawadana Nilame (Head of the Temple of the Tooth) Pradeep Nilanga Dela had requested President Ranil Wickremesinghe to direct the relevant authorities to conduct an investigation into the said structure.
Following the request made by the Chief Prelates and the Diyawadana Nilame, Wickremesinghe had directed Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chandana D. Wickramaratne to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the matter. The Police had then commenced investigations under a Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), and two investigation teams had visited the place to conduct the relevant investigations.
The Paththirippuwa is an octagonal pavilion and one of the three main structures which comprise the Temple of the Tooth Relic. The front section of the temple, together with the Paththirippuwa is said to have been built in 1802, during the reign of King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe, by the then royal architect. On 25 January 1998, the Paththirippuwa was severely damaged in a bomb attack by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, and its restoration work was completed in August 1999.