• Buddhasasana Min. plans to do away with single custodian’s oversight; amendments to Buddhist Temporalities Law considered   

The Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious, and Cultural Affairs stated that plans are drafted to appoint boards of trustees instead of single individuals to oversee major devalayas, and that amendments to the Buddhist Temporalities Ordinance (Vihara Devalagam Act) may also be considered to facilitate this process.

A ‘devalaya’ is a shrine or temple in Sri Lanka that is dedicated to a deity. A total of 37 devalayas are coming under the purview of the Department of Buddhist Affairs.

Speaking to The Daily Morning, Deputy Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Gamagedara Dissanayake said that there are 37 devalayas registered under the Buddhist Affairs Department, including the Sri Devol Devalaya in Seenigama and the Maha Saman Devalaya in Ratnapura. He noted that there are issues at some of these devalayas, particularly regarding their income. 

“For example, in the past, two of these devalayas were managed by temporary custodians, and the amount of money accounted for them was quite high. The Devol Devalaya, for instance, generated an income of Rs. 20 million in just six months under a temporary custodian. However, under permanent custodians, the income has been lower. This raises suspicions about possible financial irregularities,” he said.

As a solution, he said that the ministry has planned to appoint boards of trustees to oversee these places instead of single custodians. He added that the proposed boards will have official authority, and that chief custodians will also be included in it. 

“When a board is appointed, all decisions will be made collectively rather than based on individual opinions. We plan to begin this process with the Devol Devalaya as the first step. However, we need to determine whether such a board can be appointed under the Buddhist Temporalities Ordinance. If necessary, the necessary legal changes will have to be made to facilitate this process. We are of the view that this Ordinance should also be amended,” he said.

Sri Lanka is home to several prominent devalayas that hold cultural and religious importance. Some such devalayas are the Devinuwara Uthpalawanna Sri Vishnu Maha Dewalaya in Kandy, the Ruhuna Maha Kataragama Devalaya in the South, the Sri Natha Devalaya in Kandy, the Saman Devalaya in Ratnapura, and the Devol Devalaya in Seenigama.