Dalada Thevava activities shifted from Asgiri to Malwatte Vihara

The transfer of the Thevava activities for the Sacred Tooth Relic from the Asgiri Maha Viharaya to the Malwathu Maha Viharaya will take place today (2) afternoon at the Dalada Maligawa under the leadership of the two Ven. Mahanayakas and Diyawadana Nilame Pradeep Nilanga Dela.

It is a tradition since ancient times to carry out this Theva shift on the day after the Esala Poya, when the annual Vas season is reached. Last year, since the day after Esala Poya day, the Asgiri Maha Vihara faction performed Theva activities for the Sacred Tooth Relic for a year.

According to the agreements made after the monastic guardianship of the Sacred Tooth Relic was handed over to the two Ven. Mahanayakas of the two Maha Viharas in Kandy during the English rule, the Theva activities are performed by the monks of the two Maha Viharas in exchange every year.

Appointing a suitable monk to represent the faction entrusted with Theva activities is done under the approval of the Mahanayaka Thera of the respective faction. Currently, five monks are appointed for this purpose, and three are appointed for the theva activities of the Sacred Tooth Relic in the upper floor. Three senior prelates representing the relevant faction’s committee will be appointed for this purpose, and one of them will act as the leading prelate responsible for performing the theva activities for the Sacred Tooth Relic.

One monk is appointed for the lower floor and one for the patthiruppawa, and it is a mandatory factor that they are resident Upasampada ordained monks of the faction in charge of the theva activities. At the time of the transfer of theva activities, the Secretary of the Dalada Maligawa takes the inventory book and after checking the register of all the goods on the upper floor for that year, the prelates responsible to carry out the theva activities for that particular year accept and take over the goods. Then the theva shift takes place. The Diyawadana Nilame officially appointing a lay group to assist the Maha Sangha for Theva activities is a custom that continues to this day from the past.