Swadeshi sponsors Aloka Poojawa of temples for Esala festival season

Swadeshi Industrial Works Plc, Kandana Chairperson Amari Wijewardene illuminating the historic Udunuwara, Sri Lankathilaka Raja Maha Viharaya 

Aloka Pooja carried out under theme of ‘Swadeshi Khomba Aloka Puja Sathkaraya’ for historic Sabaragamuwa Maha Saman Devalaya and Udunuwara, 

Sri Lankathilaka Raja Maha Viharaya

Swadeshi Industrial Works Plc, the market leader in Sri Lanka for herbal personal care products, has sponsored the Aloka Poojawa of the historic Sabaragamuwa Maha Saman Devalaya for the 18th consecutive year and Udunuwara, Sri Lankathilaka Raja Maha Viharaya in the Kandy District for the second consecutive year. 

The Aloka Pooja was carried out under the theme ‘Swadeshi Khomba Aloka Puja Sathkaraya’, during the annual Esala festival.

Swadeshi Chairperson Amari Wijewardene said: “As a Sri Lankan-owned company, we consider it a duty to safeguard the culture and traditional heritage of Sri Lanka by supporting activities such as the Aloka Poojawa.”

She explained that Swadeshi illuminates places of worship in the country for the benefit of all worshippers and also educates the younger generation on the importance of safeguarding the country’s heritage. The illumination was followed by a colourful cultural pageant which highlighted the traditions and history of Sri Lanka. 

Saman Devalaya has been the repository of the Sacred Tooth Relic for 11 years in Sri Lankan history (from 1581 AD to 1592 AD). Situated in the Ratnapura District, the Sabaragamuwa Maha Saman Devalaya was built in the 13th Century during the reign of King Parakramabahu II. The existing structure was built during the reign of King Rajasinghe II during the 17th Century.

The Lankatilaka temple history runs back to the Gampola Kingdom era. King Buwanekabahu IV has built this temple in 1344 AD. The King’s Chief Minister Senadhilankara was entrusted to carry out the construction work on this temple. The South Indian architect Sthapatirayar has designed this with a blend of Sinhalese architecture of the Polonnaruwa period and Indo Chinese style. This temple was four stories tall earlier and what is seen today is the ground floor and part of the first floor. 

This temple is an example of the type of worship that prevailed during the Gampola era. Gods Vishnu, Saman, Vibhishana, Ganapathi, Kataragama and Kumara Bandara had been worshipped here.

In 2013 the Sri Dalada Maligawa of the historic Dambadeni Raja Maha Viharaya, where the sacred tooth relic was kept, and the ancient murals were renovated by Swadeshi Chairperson Wijewardene to bring them back to their past glory.

Wijewardene is the great granddaughter of Helena Wijewardene Lamatheni, who initiated the renovation of the Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya in 1927.

Swadeshi also supports the Aloka Poojas of the Kataragama Kiri Wehera, Ruhunu Kataragama Maha Devalaya, Devundara Uthpalawarna Vishnu Devalaya, Redeegama Ridee Viharaya, Dambadeniya Raja Maha Viharaya and Keragala Raja Maha Viharaya annually.

As a local company, Swadeshi continues its nation-building and community CSR projects for Sri Lankan communities. The Swadeshi Khomba brand is dedicated to carrying out sustainability projects which focus on caring for nature and enhancing cultural values. The company’s many community outreach initiatives include the island-wide Kohomba tree planting campaign, donating water tanks for the communities in the dry zone of Sri Lanka, Khomba Baby care gifts to pregnant mothers and books to schoolchildren, highlighting good values.