Senanayake Aramaya
The Sacred Hair Relics of Buddha reside at the Senanayake Aramaya, which is situated on the Main Chilaw Road, at Madampe, Sri Lanka. These are in addition to the Tooth Relics of Buddha that reside at the Dalada Maligawa in Kandy.
This temple at Madampe was built by two Philanthropists, the late Gate Mudliyar L. M. W. Senanayake and late D. M. W. Senanayake. They built the "Sambudda Jayanthi stupa" to commemorate the 2500th Buddha Jayanthi.
They were blessed with the honour of receiving the sacred relics of the Buddha and Arahant theras and from many parts of the world. The Sambuddha Jayanthi stupa is the only one of its kind in the world. It is manmade out of solid granite and therefore took 10 years for completion. It is also perhaps the only stupa where the devout can worship the relics of the Buddha and Sangha in one and the same place.
A sapling of the sacred Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi has also been planted in the premises of the Senanayake Aramaya. The Senanayake Aramaya is managed and maintained by the "Senanayake Aramaya Trust".
"This is the only temple which is not funded by any other person or organisation", says Chairman of the Trust Fund of the temple, Kirthi Senanayake. Kirthi Senanayake is a nephew of the late Gate Mudliyar and is the youngest son of D.M.W Senanayake.
The Sacred Hair Relics of the Buddha were received from East Pakistan, which is now known as Bangladesh. Enshrining a large amount of sacred relics and artifacts, in a stupa especially built for the purpose, was a unique event at that time in Sri Lanka.
Apart from the Hair Relics offered by the living Buddha, to the two brothers Tapassu and Bhalluka, these are the other items enshrined in the stupa:
- Sacred Buddha relics obtained from a stupa in the Swat Valley.
- Sacred Buddha relics obtained from the Dharma Kalavan stupa at Gandhara.
- Sacred ash relics obtained from the funeral pyre of the Buddha, wrapped in a gold plate.
- Two sacred relics of Arhants Majjhima and Kantipura, who participated in the 3rd Council held during the reign of King Asoka.
- A few sacred Buddha relics obtained from Mir Pur Khas Stupa, which belongs to the Kanishka period.
- Two caskets containing sacred relics.