The Offering of a Jantaghara to the Mahā Saṅgha

Among the buildings constructed since the early period of the Anuradhapura era, the Jantaghara, a structure built in association with monasteries, held a special place. It was designed for the comfort and well-being of Buddhist monks, providing facilities for bathing, steam therapy, application of medicinal oils, and therapeutic immersion treatments, all intended to relieve physical discomfort and support health. Jantagharas were used for the care of sick monks, and the ruins found in Mihintale stand as clear evidence of this tradition.

Devotees participating in the offering ceremony

Today, however, only a limited number of Jantagharas remain. In the Kandy area, where the Sacred Tooth Relic is enshrined and monks from many regions gather, there has been a growing need for such a facility. This need is especially important for visiting monks, local resident monks, and those receiving treatment at the Kandy hospital.

Under the guidance of Venerable Dhammadassi Thero, the chief incumbent of Medabowala Bodhiyarama Temple in Kandy, we undertook the construction of a new Jantaghara within the temple premises to fulfill this need.

Herbal steam therapy room of the Jantaghara

This building has been designed with future expansion in mind, allowing for additional floors if needed. At present, the ground level consists of three rooms, a hall, a steam therapy room, and a separate boiler room. One of the rooms has been specially prepared for medicinal oil treatments for sick monks. The boiler has been specially designed to support traditional Sinhala herbal steam therapy.

Treatment room prepared for medicinal oil therapy

The total cost of this project was approximately LKR 5 million. This project was mainly sponsored by Dr. Amila Weerasinghe, a Founding Trustee of Samadhi Foundation, and his family.

This Jantaghara was formally offered to the Sangha on February 11, 2025, for the benefit of monks of the past, present, and future.