Monks reached nagadeepa vihara
A state-backed Buddhist pilgrimage that saw 52 monks from Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos marching from the Tissamaharama Rajamaha Viharaya to the Nagadeepa Rajamaha Vihara in Jaffna has been met with criticism from locals, as concerns mount over the ongoing Sinhalisation of the Tamil homeland.
The "Maitri Peace Walk for World Peace", which commenced on 7th February, culminated in Jaffna last Saturday, with the Sri Lankan Navy playing a central role in organising and facilitating the event. The military’s involvement, along with the broader context of Buddhist processions in historically non-Buddhist regions, has meant that locals state it is part of a wider state-sponsored campaign to entrench Buddhist hegemony in the Tamil North-East.
According to reports, the Sri Lanka Navy’s Buddhist Association coordinated refreshments, almsgiving, first aid, and logistical support for the monks and other participants throughout their journey.
Monks reached nagadeepa vihara
This is not the first time Sri Lanka’s armed forces—almost entirely Sinhala and Buddhist—have been involved in the expansion of Buddhist temples and infrastructure in the Tamil homeland. Following the end of the Tamil genocide in 2009, the Sri Lankan state has aggressively pursued a policy of Buddhist expansionism, building stupas, viharas, and Buddhist monuments in Tamil-majority regions—often with military backing and in places with no historic Buddhist presence.
The Nagadeepa Rajamaha Vihara in Nainativu, Jaffna, where the monks concluded their pilgrimage, is a site that has been at the centre of Sinhalisation efforts for years. The Buddhist temple was expanded with military assistance following the war, despite Nainativu being a historically Tamil and Hindu-majority island, home to the renowned Nainatheevu Nagapooshani Amman Kovil. The temple’s expansion, along with the militarisation of the surrounding area, has been a point of contention for local Tamils, who see it as a deliberate attempt to erase their cultural and religious heritage.
Monks reached nagadeepa vihara
This pattern of Buddhist territorial expansion is not confined to Nainativu. Across the North-East, there has been an aggressive push to plant Buddhist monuments in historically Tamil and Muslim areas. Military-backed Buddhist colonisation has led to land grabs and demographic changes, further marginalising Tamils in their own homeland.
Monks reached nagadeepa vihara
Despite its branding as a “Maitri Peace Walk”, locals say such state-backed Buddhist marches disguise efforts to solidify Sinhala-Buddhist hegemony in Tamil-majority regions under the pretext of peace and unity.
“The Sri Lankan government has long used Buddhism as a political tool to reinforce Sinhala dominance,” one Tamil activist in Jaffna told the Tamil Guardian. “These events are not about peace—they are about showing that Buddhist monks and the state can march through Tamil lands as they please, with military support, as part of their long-term agenda of erasing Tamil identity.”
Monks reached nagadeepa vihara
The use of Buddhism as a political weapon is not a new phenomenon in Sri Lanka. Since independence, the state has pursued policies that privilege Buddhism while marginalising other religions —a practice enshrined in the country’s constitution, which gives Buddhism the “foremost place” in Sri Lankan society.
Buddhist monks have long played a major role in shaping Sri Lankan politics, often calling for harsher policies against Tamils and Muslims. Extremist groups such as the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) have been responsible for anti-Tamil and anti-Muslim violence, while successive governments—including those led by Ranil Wickremesinghe, Mahinda Rajapaksa, and Gotabaya Rajapaksa—have used Buddhist nationalism to consolidate political power.
Monks reached nagadeepa viharaMonks reached nagadeepa vihara