Duruthu Poya is extremely remarkable for Sri Lanka as it marks Lord Buddha’s first visit to Sri Lanka in the ninth month after attaining Enlightenment to solve a confrontation between the Yaksha and Naga Tribes.
Several significant events including handing a handful of hair to God Sumana Saman who attained “Sovaan” by listening to Dhamma preached by the Lord Buddha, happened on Duruthu poya day.
During his visit, the Buddha delivered sermons to the tribes. After listening to the sermons, the tribes gave up fighting with each other and started to respect each other with dignity.
Impressed by the sermons, the local God Sumana Saman invited the Buddha to leave his sacred footprint on the peak of the Samanala Mountain.
The Buddha gave his hair relics to the god and those relics are enshrined in the Mahiyangana Stupa. As per legends this stupa was firstly built by God Sumana Saman by enshrining the hair relics. This Stupa is so precious and sacred because the hair relics enshrined in the Stupa was gifted by the Buddha himself out of his body. The sacred relics of the Buddha are regarded by Buddhists as supreme objects of reverence and veneration.
Duruthu poya marks the beginning of the three-month pilgrimage season to Samanala Mountain in order to worship the footprint of the Buddha.
The Buddha visited Uruvel Danawwa on a day like today and explained the way of Dhamma to about a 1,000 people, including Uruwela Kashyapa, Nadi Kashyapa and Gaya Kashyapa. It is believed that on this day, the Buddha visited Magadha Kingdom and preached dhamma to King Bimbisara and the citizens.
It is said that King Bimbisara offered the Veluvanarama to the Buddha and the Mahasangha on a Duruthu Poya day.
The poya is also celebrated with a spectacular procession (perahera) at the Raja Maha Vihara, a Buddhist temple in Kelaniya, about seven miles from Colombo. Taking place on the pre-full moon poya day and attracting thousands of spectators.
