News
No scientific evidence to prove bone fragments are relics of Arahant Anula – archaeologists
By Saman Indrajith
There is no scientific evidence to prove that the recently-excavated bone fragments from an archaeology site at Mihintale monastery complex are relics of Arhant Anula Theri, according to senior archaeologists.
An exposition of the bone fragments was held at the Anula Devi stupa precincts on 20 Dec., and the organisers of the event claimed that they were relics of the Arahant Anlua Theri, who is considered the first Lankan female to be ordained by Theri Sanghamitta during the times of King Devanampiyatissa (247 BC-207 BC). They told the media that they would hold similar expositions across the country in 2023.
Director General of Archaeology Department Prof Anura Manatunga, contacted for comment, said that there was no scientific evidence to assign the bone fragments to any historical figure. “With resources available to us, we may be able to get a sample of these bone fragments dated in a foreign lab. That dating technique could give us the time period but not the name of the person. Even in that case, the dating labs usually give 100 years of margin of error for a single sample,” Prof Manatunga said.
“We have no authority over religious leaders’ statements. We found an inscription bearing early-Brahmi scripts rendering the phrase ‘Anula thisa pavvata vehera’ during the excavations. It could be considered an inscription denoting the name of the site. Several days back, a group of bhikkhus informed us that they wanted to conduct a religious ceremony near the site where the ancient stupa had been excavated by our archaeologists and asked whether the findings of excavation could be displayed there. We granted their request and displayed the bone fragments. Bhikkhus worshipped them and called on people to pay homage because they were the relics of Theri Anula. We had no control over their beliefs and religious fervor.”
Archaeological Excavation Officer in charge of the site, AA Wijayarathna, said the bone fragment had been found in a clay reliquary among artefacts in the second phase of the site of ancient Anula Thisa stupa in the Mihintale complex. The site had been an earth mound determined to contain a stupa and the Archaeological Department commenced excavations on 26 Jan. 2022. The first phase ended in March but owing to the postponements caused by political upheavals and the resumption of the second phase was delayed till 26 Sept. “There is evidence of excavations carried out by unauthorised diggers, most probably treasure hunters from time to time,” he said, adding that scientific excavations had yielded an assortment of artefacts.
“Currently, the bone fragments are at the Excavation Data Analyzing Centre in the Anuradhapura branch of the Archaeology Department. It is better if we could send several samples for C-14 analysis abroad. The higher the number of samples zeroing in on a more accurate date is easy. “It is costly. In rupees the price for a single sample amounts to more than 500,000,” Wijayarathna said.
Scientific assertions would not be possible till the receipt of C-14 analysis report and other reports on typology of the artefacts. Once the ancient stupa was restored it would be conserved with the bone fragments being re-deposited there, he said.
Among the finds unearthed so far there were a reliquary of quartz crystal, clay reliquaries, metal artifacts including some items of jewelry, coins, a metal ringlet embedded in a piece of cloth and beads.
The area was declared a site of archaeological importance by the Archaeological Department in 1926. It is believed to be a part of a monastery complex in the Anuradhapura Period. Archaeologically verified and dated finds so far from the Anuladevi Cetiya site indicate that Queen Viharamahadevi built this temple in the Second Century BC. The Department of Archaeology has said: “It is believed that Queen Anula, who was ordained as the first Bhikkhuni in Sri Lanka resided together with her fellow bhikkhunis at this monastery. Artefacts such as the ruins of a dagoba, belonging to the early Anuradhapura Period, potsherds, beads, terracotta figurines and the remnants of building material had been discovered from this site.”
The Government’s ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund, established to provide relief and support to communities affected by Cyclone Ditwah, continues to receive financial contributions on a daily basis.
Accordingly, the Containers Transport Owners Association made a financial contribution of Rs. 1.5 million, while the Association of SriLankan Airlines Licensed Aircraft Engineers contributed Rs. 1.35 million to the Fund.
The respective cheques were formally presented to the Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, at the Presidential Secretariat on Friday (19).
The occasion was attended by W. M. S. K. Manjula, Chairman of the Containers Transport Owners Association, together with Dilip Nihal Anslem Perera and Jayantha Karunadhipathi.
Representing the Association of SriLankan Airlines Licensed Aircraft Engineers were Deshan Rajapaksa, Samudika Perera and Devshan Rodrigo handed over the cheque.
A meeting between Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya and a delegation of UNICEF representatives was held on Saturday, (December 20) at the Prime Minister’s Office.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister explained the measures taken by the Government to ensure the protection of the affected student community and to restore the damaged school system, as well as the challenges encountered in this process.
The Prime Minister stated that reopening schools located in landslide-prone areas would be extremely dangerous. Accordingly, the Government is focusing on identifying such schools and relocating them to suitable locations based on scientific assessments.
The Prime Minister further noted that financial assistance has been provided to students affected by the disaster, enabling parents to send their children back to school without an additional financial burden. Emphasizing that school is the safest place for children after their homes, the Prime Minister expressed confidence that the school environment would help restore and improve students’ mental well-being
The Prime Minister also highlighted that attention has been given to several key areas, including the relocation of disaster-affected schools, restoration of school infrastructure, merging and operating certain schools jointly, facilitating teaching and learning through digital and technological strategies, and providing special transportation facilities. She emphasized that the Government is examining these issues and is committed to finding long-term solutions.
The UNICEF representatives commended the Government’s commitment and the initiatives undertaken to restore the education sector and assured their support to the Government. Both parties also discussed working together collaboratively on future initiatives.
The meeting was attended by the UNICEF representatives to Sri Lanka Emma Brigham, Lakshmi Sureshkumar, Nishantha Subash, and Yashinka Jayasinghe, along with Secretary to the Ministry of Education Nalaka Kaluwewa, Director of Education Dakshina Kasturiarachchi, Deputy Directors Kasun Gunarathne and Udara Dikkumbura.
(Prime Minister’s Media Division)
Drug controversy:
“Setting up state-of-the-art drug testing facility will cost Rs 5 billion”
Activists call for legal action against politicians, bureaucrats
Serious questions have been raised over Sri Lanka’s drug regulatory system following revelations that the National Medicines Regulatory Authority’s (NMRA) quality control laboratory is not accredited by the Sri Lanka Accreditation Board (SLAB), casting doubt on both the reliability of local test results and the adequacy of oversight of imported medicines.
Medical and civil rights groups warn that the issue points to a systemic regulatory failure rather than an isolated lapse, with potential political and financial consequences for the State.
Chairman of the Federation of Medical and Civil Rights Professional Associations, Specialist Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa, said the controversy surrounding the Ondansetron injection, which was later found to be contaminated, had exposed deep weaknesses in drug regulation and quality assurance.
Dr. Sanjeewa said that the manufacturer had confirmed that the drug had been imported into Sri Lanka on four occasions this year, despite later being temporarily withdrawn from use. The drug was manufactured in India in November 2024 and in May and August 2025, and imported to Sri Lanka in February, July and September. On each occasion, 67,600 phials were procured.
Dr. Sanjeewa said the company had informed the NMRA that the drug was tested in Indian laboratories, prior to shipment, and passed all required quality checks. The manufacturer reportedly tested the injections against 10 parameters, including basic quality standards,
pH value, visual appearance, component composition, quantity per phial, sterility levels, presence of other substances, bacterial toxin levels and spectral variations.
According to documents submitted to the NMRA, no bacterial toxins were detected in the original samples, and the reported toxin levels were within European safety limits of less than 9.9 international units per milligram.
Dr. Sanjeewa said the credibility of local regulatory oversight had come under scrutiny, noting that the NMRA’s quality control laboratory was not SLAB-accredited. He said establishing a fully equipped, internationally accredited laboratory would cost nearly Rs. 5 billion.
He warned that the failure to invest in such a facility could have grave consequences, including continued loss of life due to substandard medicines and the inability of the State to recover large sums of public funds paid to pharmaceutical companies for defective drugs.
“If urgent steps are not taken, public money will continue to be lost and accountability will remain elusive,” Dr. Sanjeewa said.
He added that if it was ultimately confirmed that the drug did not contain bacterial toxins at the time it entered Sri Lanka, the fallout would be even more damaging, severely undermining the credibility of the country’s health system and exposing weaknesses in health administration.
Dr. Sanjeewa said public trust in the health sector had already been eroded and called for legal action against all politicians and public officials responsible for regulatory failures linked to the incident.
by Chaminda Silva ✍️
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