An incident where a Chief Incumbent of a temple had demanded Rs. 24,000 from a person to perform final rites of his mother was reported from Aralaganwila yesterday. According to police sources,this person’s mother who is 66 years had died and he had gone to a temple in his village in Aralaganwila to invite the monks to perform the final rites (Pansakoolaya). The Chief incumbent of the temple had demanded Rs.24,000 for the conduct of final rites. Later he has made a complaint at the Aralaganwila police.
His mother had been ill for two years and they were unable to provide alms to the temple. The monk ordered to him pay Rs.1,000 per month for two years to the Dayaka Sabaha as a fine for failing to provide alms to the temple
Aralaganwila Police OIC IP Indunil Hemapala has summoned the monk in question to the police and made him aware about the economic plight of the family as the deceased had been in ill for over two years.
However, Aralanganwila Police have managed to bring monks from other temples in the area and conducted the rites of the deceased.