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| Today view of Bahirawakanda mountain |
The city of Kandy, loved by many in Sri Lanka, is a city with a long history. Once upon a time, it was the capital of Ceylon. Kandy is one of the most popular tourist destinations on the map of Sri Lanka.
However, I do not intend to talk about Kandy. It is about the famous mountain in the center of Kandy city. There is nothing else. That is Bhairavakanda rock. Bhairawakanda Kandy, which is close to the densely populated city of Kandy, is located in the western part of the city, directly opposite the Udawatte Forest and the historic Temple of the Tooth. It was reserved for the Bhairava (a genie or elf) by order of King Wesamuni.
No demon-possessed man, or witch, could possess or subdue him. He lived with great anger against the king and the townspeople. During this time, there was a shortage of water in the area, the vegetation dried up, the animals died, and the inhabitants of the area were in dire straits.
Also, an epidemic broke out, and the townspeople died. The king was saddened by this, and when he inquired into the reasons and facts for this, it appeared that this situation had arisen due to the anger of the Bahiravaya (the genie). The astronomers said that the solution was to sacrifice a beautiful woman in the city annually, otherwise the king and the townspeople would inherit death.
Reluctantly, the king approved. Arrangements were made accordingly. With the announcement of the fulfillment of the promises, the unfortunate and dreadful season was slowly coming to an end. The Bahirawa pooja (the process of sacrificing a girl to the genie) started and the group left in search of the most beautiful girl in the area. The girls were eventually found by the princes going from house to house and judged by a jury.
The chosen princess was bathed in perfume the day before, adorned with royal robes, adorned with gold ornaments, chanted mantras, and taken away in a procession just after sunset. Then the princes return, tied to a pole at their appointed place. The next day, the naked body of the princess was found. After that, it was customary to cremate the body with royal honors. Her family received gift crop lands with royal honors.
The young women of Kandy are very anxious during the Bhairava Pooja. Meanwhile, a beautiful princess of the Bodhigupta dynasty (a dynasty that lived in Kandy) and a prince of the Dantha Kumara Hemamala dynasty fell in love. Unfortunately, the princess had to fall prey to this princess. For that reason, the prince was very sad. However, after performing the rituals on the appointed day, she was ready to be sacrificed, and the group returned with her tied to the usual pole.
At midnight that day, a terrifying sound came from Bhairavakanda mountain. The next day, those who went to fetch the princess's body found that the genie had been killed and that the princess had been abducted.
After complaining to the king about the incident, it was revealed that a thief in the city had raped the young girls, robbed their gold jewelry and fled after they were killed by the robber. So, this thief has committed these robberies with the kapuwa (the priest who performed the sacrifice of the girls). After this discovery, the townspeople cut the man into four parts and killed him. Simply, the people of the area took action to cut the body of the Kapuwa (the originator of the Bhairava Pooja) into four pieces and display it for the public.
It was after this incident that this place near the city of Kandy came to be known as Bhairavakanda. Today, this area is a very densely populated urban area. Private homes, government offices, and shops abound. But most are unaware that information is hidden in a tearful past.
Today, a Buddha statue has been erected at that location, according to the photo.
So, if you are a local or foreign tourist reading this, do not forget to visit Bhairavakanda when you visit Kandy.
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