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Fact Check
A school supplies Dansala will be held near the parking area of Anuradhapura’s Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi temple on this year’s Poson Poya Day, organized by a Burmese Buddhist monk.
Venerable Pahalathalawe Sumanasiri Thero, the monk in charge of the temple, confirmed on his official Facebook page that the social media post is false and that no such Dansala is being organized by the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi temple.
Poson Poya Day is one of the most significant religious observances for Buddhists in Sri Lanka. It commemorates the introduction of Buddhism to the island by Arahant Mahinda Thera in the 3rd century BCE. Celebrated on the full moon day in June, Poson is marked with religious rituals, pilgrimages, especially to sacred sites like Mihintale and Anuradhapura, and acts of generosity.
A key tradition during Vesak and Poson is the organization of Dansala, which are charitable stalls set up by devotees to distribute free food and drinks to the public. Dansala symbolises the Buddhist virtue of dana (the act of giving) and is an expression of compassion and communal spirit, often sponsored by individuals, families, or community groups.
Since this year’s Poson Poya is announced as 10th June 2025, a poster about a school equipment Dansala purportedly at the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi Temple in Anuradhapura is circulating on social media platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. The poster is in Sinhala, and the English translation of that poster reads:
“School Supplies Dansala
Poson Poya Day (2025.06.10)
From 5 a.m. till evening on the same day
In the plot of land to the left of the car park of the Sri Maha Bodhi temple,
a dansal (free giveaway) of books, school equipment, shoes, and school bags will be held.
A Burmese Buddhist monk has organized this dansal, and alongside, a milk rice and food dansal will also take place.
Please inform anyone in need.
Please be kind enough to enter from the gate near the Isurumuniya site.”
The posts can be seen here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.
Due to the widespread circulation of this post and the high engagement it received on social media, Newschecker decided to verify the accuracy of the information in the poster.
As part of our verification process, we first checked whether any credible media outlets had reported a school supplies Dansala at the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi Temple, but no such reports were found.
Next, we conducted a reverse image search of the widely shared poster and found that Venerable Pahalathalawe Sumanasiri Thero, the monk in charge of the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi temple, had addressed the post on his official Facebook page. He stated that the viral claim is false and confirmed that no such Dansala is being held within the temple premises. The Thero, who also oversees the ‘Atamasthana’ (the eight sacred sites), clarified that the temple has not authorized any school supplies or food distribution events as mentioned in the viral post.
The viral message also mentions a food and milk rice Dansala occurring in the same area. According to the Public Health Inspectors’ (PHI) Union, all Dansals must be registered and comply with health regulations due to the risk of disease, especially given the prevailing rainy weather. The union confirmed that unregistered Dansals will be prohibited.
To verify this claim further, we contacted Mr. Sumudu Srimal, the PHI officer of the Anuradhapura Municipal Council, under whose jurisdiction the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi temple falls. He confirmed that no such Dansala organized by a Burmese monk has been registered. However, he clarified that a longstanding Dansala, commonly known as the “Singaporean Dansala,” has been held for several years in a nearby area close to the temple’s car park. This event distributes school bags, snacks, and essentials for pregnant women and is properly registered with the Municipal Council. It is not affiliated with the temple or any Burmese monk.
The viral claim about a school supplies Dansala at the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi temple is false. Venerable Pahalathalawe Sumanasiri Thero confirmed that no such event is organized by the temple. The PHI officer also confirmed that no Dansala by a Burmese monk is registered. However, a separate, long-running “Singaporean Dansala” is registered nearby but is not affiliated with the temple or any Burmese monk.
Our Sources
A Facebook statement posted on 2025.06.02 by Venerable Pahalathalawe Sumanasiri Thero, the monk in charge of the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi temple.
A statement from the PHI officer of the Anuradhapura Municipal Council, under whose jurisdiction the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi temple falls.
False
