On the Awissawella-Karawanella Main Road, once the bridge at Seethawaka is crossed, a concrete road on the right leads straight to the Berendi Kovil of Seethawaka. Once a magnificent structure, it stands today in bits and pieces, but the way it had been conserved by the Department of Archeology allows one to imagine how the structure might have stood in its glory days.
Rediscovered in March 20, 1800 by a British named Percival, the Berendi Kovil is surrounded by folklores describing its origins. The most popularly known story is that the Kovil was built by the King Rajasingha of Seethawaka, who killed his predecessor and father, King Mayadunne in 1587 by poisoning and took over the kingdom. After killing his father King Rajasingha suffered from guilt, but never found any solace in having followed Buddhism. While trying to run away from his own dark deeds, he turned to a Hindu priest named Aritta Kiwendu Perumal, who advised the King to build a Kovil dedicated to the demon goddess Bhadrakali or Lord Shiva and wash away his sins. The advice was well received and the King built the Kovil though it is not clear to whom it was dedicated.
This did not sit well with the Buddhist monks at the time and they constantly tried to change the King’s mind by trying to influence him to not convert to Hinduism. Wanting to escape from his karma, finding absolution in Hinduism and being manipulated by Aritta Kiwendu Perumal, it is said that the King turned against the Buddhist monks. The King ordered the death of 120 monks by drowning. The place where the King’s orders had been carried out is called the ‘Kanamadiriyan Wala’ a place right next to the Kovil on the river. The name itself suggests that the river hides a pit so deep that no light bigger than the light of a fire fly reaches its depths.
The history of the Kovil chronicled by Fernao de Qeyroz, a Portuguese priest describes something different to what the folklore suggests. According to him, the origin of the Kovil goes back to the time of King Mayadunne and that it was him who wanted this built for the Tamils who were brought here for the purpose of war at the time. It is said that the Kovil had taken 20 years to build and about 2,000 skilled laborers were employed. The Kovil was sacked by the Portuguese during the siege of Seethawaka and a description of what the loot included is also described by Qeyroz. However, later King Rajasingha had rebuilt the Kovil and as was mentioned in folklores it is evident that he was much influenced by Hinduism for reasons beyond our understanding today. More proof of who built it also can be found in the fact that King Mayadunne ruled for 70 years while King Rajasingha ruled for only 11 years. Thus the Kovil couldn’t have possibly been built by King Rajasingha within 20 years’ time, if it, in fact, took 20 years to build. So, we can assume that the true credit should go to King Mayadunne if the chronicled reports are correct, and that King Rajasingha only reconstructed the Kovil after the Portuguese destroyed it during the siege of Seethawaka.
Whatever the origins were, one must say that the Kovil is a very well planned building. The architecture is said to be one that is closely related to the ‘Vijayanagar Style’ in India. The place where it is located also gives way to some speculations. Kovils dedicated to Lord Shiva were usually built either on the top of a hill or a place surrounded by water. The Berendi Kovil has inherited both these features; being on a very high ground and surrounded by water as well.
One story suggests that the natural flow of water of the river did not fit into the location to build the Kovil and that Aritta Kiwendu Perumal built a dam across the Seethawaka River at a place called Gurupasgoda and diverted the water so that it would surround the location. The locals say that when the area is flooded today the natural flow of the old river bed can still be identified. Also at the time the ground is said to have been not as high as it is now and that Aritta Kiwendu Perumal took up the challenge to make the small hill that is seen today.
The Kanamadiriyan Wala is one of the results of that endeavor since it was where they dug out the earth to make the hill. One only can assume by looking at such clues, that the Kovil was originally dedicated to Lord Shiva. On the other hand, the more popular theory is that the Kovil was that it was dedicated to the demon goddess Bhadrakali. The name Barandi Kovil could have been derived from the name Badarkali. The scholars seem to be of different opinions on this matter.
Among the remnants at the location, there are some unique and beautiful stone carvings. As far as the construction goes the stone slabs were cut out from a place called Gurugalla and they were said to have been transported via the river up to the Kovil premises. Some remnants of such cut out stone slabs can be seen there, though many have been removed by nearby residents for construction purposes. The stone gutter on the right side of the structure made into a lotus stem is one that is more obvious. One theory is that the stone gutter was put there to carry away the water or milk used inside the Kovil as offerings to the Lord Shiva. Another is that it carried away the blood of the sacrificial animals offered to the demon goddess Bhadrakali. The Kovil itself does not provide any clues as to what purpose it may have served at the time. The stem of the lotus was a widely used carving during the Kandyan and Seethawaka times. It was widely used specially as the end of stone or wooden pillars. This gutter is a new and a unique way of using such a style of carving and is said to be found only here.
Another significant carving is that of a parrot, currently seen at the Archeological Office premises near the Palace of Seethawaka. This is a symbol frequently misinterpreted as one that depicts or directs towards hidden treasures. As a result the Kovil was plundered by treasure hunters many a time over the years and the parrot carving was moved from the Kovil premises just to make sure that it stays safe. Carvings of different kinds are found around the building and show the Tamil influence in the architecture of the building. Guard stones could be seen on the ground in front of the main entrance to the Kovil. Though the entire temple in stone is not apparent today within the remnants, the carvings give a grand picture of what it may have originally looked.
Reading through the written records it is apparent that there may have been some beautiful frescos within the Kovil building. According to Sawul Sandeshaya, the Kovil even contained some frescos portraying stories from Mahabharath and Ramayan. One can assume that they could have been on the walls inside the Kovil or even the ceilings. Today, however, we are unable to see anything even closely suggesting that there had ever been such paintings or frescos.
The Berendi Kovil with its so many mysteries had stood the test of time, and has been a silent witness to some gruesome events that have shaped the history of our island. Today, one can stare with wonderment at the beauty that it may have possessed and only imagine how things would have been like back then.
Images - Dhanushka Liyanage
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