At least two deaths were reported and thousands stranded in the Somawathiya area off Polonnaruwa due to floods caused by heavy rains, says the Disaster Management Centre.
The two dead persons are pilgrims from Galewela and Welimada areas, according to the Disaster Management Centre. Another 23 persons who were injured have been admitted to the Polonnaruwa Hospital after being evacuated by Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) helicopters. Of the injured persons, two have been transferred to Colombo.
The heavy rains in the popular pilgrim area has stranded around 2,000 mostly pilgrims to the area.
The SLAF spokesman said earlier that its helicopters had dropped cooked food and containers of water to the thousands marooned in the area.
The villages in the area came under constant LTTE attacks and Somawathiya has been a popular pilgrims’ attraction after the end of the separatist was last May.
Somawathiya was built in 2nd centaury BC and this stupa is said to enshrine the right Tooth Relic of the Buddha. According to ancient chronicles, prince Giri-aba and princess Somawathi (sister of King Kavanthissa) lived with a small community called ‘Somapura’ on the beds of Mahaveli River. Price Giriaba constructed Somawathi Chethiya on the request of his wife who wanted to engage in religious activities. Upon completion of the Stupa, the prince requested a monk named Mahinda for some ‘dathu’ or relic to be enshrined in the relic chamber of the stupa. Maha Thera Mahinda gave him the right tooth relic of Lord Buddha.
Upon completion of the stupa and five viharas the prince and princess handed over the temple to Mahinda maha thero and sixty other monks. Thereafter many kings have contributed to this centre in many ways.
source: Ada Derana