The Annual Katina Pinkama, Matale

The Annual Katina Pinkama of the Dodamdeniye Purana Bodhimalu Viharaya, Matale was held last 16th & 17th November under the patronage of Viharadhipathi Ven. Narangamuwe Kassapa Thera and organized by Mr. & Mrs. Handaragama. The Annual Katina pinkama is sponsored by Dr. Saman Weerasinghe Foundation. Katina refers to the offering of the special robe (Katina Chivara) prepared and presented to monks who have completed the three-month period of retreat called Vas in Sinhala, and Vassana in Pali, meaning the period of rain. Katina literally means ‘firm,’ or ‘solid,’ because the offering of a Katina robe helps to earn solid good karma. The Katina Ceremony is over 2500 years old. It is a monastic tradition preserved and observed by Buddhists all over the world because it is an extraordinary opportunity to acquire merit once a year.