By The Pulseline News Desk
Three former Directors General (DGs) of Archaeology have reportedly urged the Government to restore the historic casket in which the Sacred Tooth Relic was kept for more than three centuries, arguing that its removal raises issues under the Antiquities Ordinance.
Former Archaeology DGs Prof. Senarath Dissanayake and Prof. Anura Manatunga, and former Acting DG Prof. P.B. Mandawala, have made the request in a letter to Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Dr. Hiniduma Sunil Senevi and Diyawadana Nilame Pradeep Nilanga Dela.
They have also called for the relevant authorities to examine whether any provisions of the Antiquities Ordinance have been breached if the historic casket is not restored.
Prof. Manatunga has told the media that the letter was sent following a discussion with Minister Senevi on 14 September regarding the matter.
According to the letter, the original casket – made of silver and covered in gold – was offered during the Kandyan period by King Wimaladharmasuriya II, who reigned from 1687 to 1707.
The former Archaeology chiefs have said the Sacred Tooth Relic had remained in the casket for more than 300 years, during the reigns of six Kandyan kings from Wimaladharmasuriya II to Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe, as well as through generations of devotees.
They have argued that the casket therefore constitutes an important historic object associated with the Temple of the Tooth and the long-standing religious and cultural traditions surrounding the Sacred Tooth Relic.
Legal questions over removal
The former officials have cited the Antiquities Ordinance in raising concerns over the removal of the historic casket.
They have noted that the Ordinance provides protection for property dating from before 2 March 1815, or believed to have existed before that date, and argue that the historic casket falls within the definition of an antiquity.
The letter has also referred to Section 15(a) of the Ordinance, as amended, which addresses the destruction or alteration of an ancient monument or antiquity without the required authority.
The former DGs have contended that, given the casket’s historical status and its long-standing installation within the Temple of the Tooth, its removal should be examined in light of this provision.
They have not stated that that the removal itself has conclusively constituted an offence, but have called for the relevant authorities to determine whether the applicable legal requirements were followed.
The letter has also cited Section 31(b), which concerns conduct on or near a monument regarded as sacred or held in veneration where such conduct wounds or provokes religious feelings.
The former officials have referred to the public reaction to the removal in raising this provision but have left the determination of whether the section applies to the relevant authorities.
Heritage status
The former DGs have also highlighted Kandy’s status as a UNESCO World Heritage site and the importance of the Temple of the Tooth and its association with the Sacred Tooth Relic to the site’s cultural significance.
They have argued that any decision affecting historic elements associated with the Temple should therefore be considered from both archaeological and heritage-conservation perspectives.
They have called for the historic casket to be restored and for the new gold casket to be treated as a sacred offering to the Tooth Relic, either remaining at the same location or being placed at another appropriate site.
They have further requested that the authorities consider legal action under the Antiquities Ordinance if the historic casket is not restored and if an investigation establishes that any provision of the law has been violated.
The controversy follows the replacement of the historic casket with a new gold casket for the Sacred Tooth Relic, prompting debate over the preservation and legal status of the original casket.
The former officials have copied their letter to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the Secretary to the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, and Acting Director General of Archaeology Senarath Wickramasinghe, seeking the authorities’ intervention.
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