We stumble upon the Dewatagaha Mosque after a long walk from the Town Hall and the Colombo National Museum. Located in Lipton's Circus this mosque is just across the famous Odel Outlet.
The Dewatagaha Mosque is one of the oldest mosques in Sri Lanka. History of Dewatagaha mosque goes back to the 19th century, nearly 200 years ago. Around 1820, a Sinhalese woman who used to sell oil was going on her daily rounds, traveling from Bambalapitiya to Maradana.
Those days Colombo 7 was nothing but cinnamon fields. She accidentally tripped over the root of a cadju tree and fell, smashing her clay pot to pieces. This caused her to lose her only source of income. She broke down in agony and desperation and finally fell asleep. A person dressed in a green garb and a long beard suddenly appeared in front of the poor lady. He then asked her to fetch a pot. All trembling with fear the lady ran to Maradana to buy a pot from the house of a regular customer, a Muslim by the name of Mamina Lebbe.
When she returned with the pot, she saw the old man standing still at the very place where he had appeared, leaning against a ‘dawata’ or ‘devata’ tree. The saint had pressed his toe on the floor and to the lady’s amazement; oil started gushing out of the earth. The saint had then requested the lady to go and sell the oil and inform all her Muslim buyers about the incident.
She had related the story to a physician called Mamina Lebbe Mesthiriyar. He then visited the place and prayed. Later, the Muslims in the area built a mosque and placed an oil lamp at the very place where the miracle happened. The identity of the saint is known as Shaykh Usman Valiyulaah; also known as Qutub of Seylan/Sri Lanka.
The mosque is also a sacred place for anyone who is into Sunnah of Jamaah. Frequently visted by many Naqshabandhi & Qadiri Order Shaykhs and Mureedeens (Desiples).
Reflection of the old on a new
Story source: History of Dewatagaha Mosque
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