Lord Gautama Buddha is considered as the Greatest Human Being appeared on earth. The esteemed one achieved the eternal bliss of Samma Sambodhi or the Enlightenment, ending the continuous circle of Samsara, the existence. This wonderful event took place 2600 years ago seated with his back against under an Esathu tree by the river Neranjana in the Buddhagaya, India. As the ascetic Siddhartha attained the Sambodhi Gnana under the shade of the Esathu tree, this highly venerated tree came to be known as the 'Bodhi'.
The southern branch of this sacred tree in Buddhagaya was ceremoniously brought to Sri Lanka by Arahant Sangamitra Maha Theri in 236 BC, with the patronage of Emperor Dharmashoka. King Devanampiyatissa planted this Bodhi tree in his royal park 'Maha Meghavana Udyanaya' in Anuradhapura, under the guidance of Arahant Mahendra Maha Thero. Since then, this highly sacred Bodhi comparable to the living Buddha dwells there shining with glory. The Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi of Anuradhapura is the oldest living tree of the whole world with a written history.
[Source: srimahabodhi Web Site]
Ruwanweli Seya Dagoba - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka
Abhayagiriya Dagoba - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka
Jethawanarama Dagoba - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka
Lowamahapaya - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka
Thuparama Dagoba - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka
Ruwanweliseya Stupa (Ruwanveli Seya Stupa), the foremost of the supremely glorious ancient living monuments of Sinhalese Buddhist Heritage at the city of Anuradhapura (a UNESCO World Heritage Site-Culture) was built by King Dutugamunu (161-137 BC), the Hero of the Nation, who hailed from Ruhuna, which was destined to give birth to most of the glorious heroes of the island nation of Sri Lanka from the ancient era to the modern day. Ruwanweliseya Stupa (Ruwanveli Seya Stupa) also called Maha Stupa (Sinhala: the great dagoba) or Ratnapali Stupa or Swarnamali stupa has been the most adored, most venerated among the great ancient stupas (dagobas) of Sri Lanka. Anuradhapura is replete with the ancient cultural monuments located in between the River Malwatu Oya and two great ancient man-made irrigation reservoirs called Tissa Wewa and Abhaya Wewa (Basawakkulama Wewa). These two ancient irrigation reservoirs, together with ancient Nuwara Wewa reservoir on the eastern flank of the River Malwatu Oya, extend the lifeline to the agricultural district of Anuradhapura.
The three main ancient stupas clustered south of the ruined Southern wall of Anuradhapura, namely Ruwanweliseya Stupa, Mirisavatiya Dagaba and Jetavana Stupa perfectly align with the celestial layout of Rigel, Mintaka and Bellatrix, three of the seven stars of the Orion constellation, which was associated with Osiris, the sun-god of rebirth and afterlife, by the ancient Egyptians (3150 BC-conventional Egyptian chronology).
And Anuradapura of Sri Lanka (SL Low gravity anomaly: -104m geoid), though far south of Bodh Gaya of Northern India, is only three and a half degrees west of it. Bodh Gaya, the location where Gauthama Buddha attained Supreme enlightenment, is considered Patavi Nahbi (Sanskrit: naval of the Earth), according to the Buddhist cosmology. Bodh Gaya’s antipode, on the other side of the world, that can be connected by an axis running through the very centre of the Earth, is the Temple of the Sun (referred to as the naval of the universe) of the Mayans (3114 BC Mesoamerican Long Count calendar) at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Cuzco (Quechua, the Inca language: the navel of the universe) nearby Machu Picchu, the lost city of the Mayans.
Added to the inexplicable cosmological and geographical mysteries associated with Ruwanweliseya Stupa (Ruwanveli Seya Stupa), is the fact that locations for the construction of Ruwanweliseya and Mirisavatiya were determined by a couple of extraordinary circumstances. Still more astonishing is the sudden yet timely surfacing of precious metals and jewels at the beginning of the construction of Ruwanweliseya Stupa.
[Source:mysrilankaholidays Web Site]
Abhayagiri Monastery in Sri Lanka, Anuradhapura established in the second century B.C., by King Valagamabau, during its glorious days, was not only complex of monastic buildings, but also a great seat of learning. Unlike orthodox Mahavihara monastery, Abhayagiri Monastery accommodated the intellectual discussion on various schools of Buddhist thought in addition to Theravada Buddhism, considered as the pure words of Buddha. The center of attraction of the monastery was Abhayagiri stupa, the second tallest stupa at Anuradhapura, also built by King Valagambahu (89-77 BC).
In the 5th century, the Chinese monk Fa-hsien visited Abhayagiri, the flourishing center of Buddhist studies. The monk lived 2 years at Abhayagiri Monastery copying Buddhist texts and took all copies to China. Fa-hsien also made written records of his life and times at Abhayagiri Monastery. In his memoirs, he wrote about the Tooth Relic, monasteries, stupas and statues of Sri Lanka.
[Source: lanka Web Site]
Jethawanarama Dagoba - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka
Jetavana Dagoba in Anuradhapura is the tallest stupa in Sri Lanka. It stands majestically at 400ft (122m) tall. And, it is also the tallest brick structure in the world. (Compare it with other brick monuments in Asia, namely the Qtub Minar in Delhi, India, and the unfinished Mingun Pagoda in Myanmar). Among the world's ancient structures, only two of the pyramids in Giza surpass it in height.
This monstrous stupa has a diameter of 367ft (113m), a testament to the engineering feat from 1,600 years ago. Archaeologists undertaking recent escavations discovered that its foundation is 252 feet deep (I previously reported it as 27 feet!), sitting on the bedrock. It stands of a square platform eight acres in extent.
The Jetavana Dagoba is part of the 3rd century Jetavanamaya, or Jetavana Monastery, which was the residence for 3000 monks. The monastery was founded by King Mahasena (276-303AD), the first in a line of great tank builders of ancient Lanka. The site is also called Jethawanaramaya Dagoba, after the stupa and the monastery. The compound is almost perfectly square, with entrances at each cardinal direction.
The area where the Jetavana monastery stands was once known as Nandana Pleasure Grove. It got the title Jotivana, which means "the place where the holy one made the true doctrine shine forth", because it was here that the Buddhist Saint Mahinda preached the essence of the Buddha's teachings. The name Jetavana is of course derived from the Pali Jotivana.
Lowamahapaya - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka
King Dutugamunu after completing the construction of the Mirisawetiya dagaba came to know the propaherc made by Arahath Mahinda that he would built Ruwanweliseya and Lohaprasada.
The king had built a nine storeyed building like a place of the gods,partioullarly making it resemble the assembly hall of the deities in the Kawantissa .Their Lohaprasada became the Uposatha house or the meeting hall of the Mahavihara monastery where Bhikkus generally assembled on poyadays for vinaya purposes. The construction of this building was popularly attributed to king Dutugamunu.But according to tradition the original Lowaprasada was built by king Devanampiyatissa.
The Tika made this clear as it mentioned that Dutugemunu had built the prasada after the old one had been removed.This proves that the king had built a new building on the spot where the old Lohaprasada had stood.
As mentioned in the Thupavamsa the plan of the building was prepared on the model of a celestical palace called Sudharma The expenses of the construction was borne by the king himself as a measure of obtaining the merit for himself, and no work had been allowed to be done without payment. As described in the Mahavamsa the building was 150 feet high and had me self same width and length. The whole building consisted of 1000 rooms. The roof was covered with plates of copper and men it derived its name “Lohaprasada” It is said that the building was adorned with pearls and several other precious stones. It had four entrances.
Lankarama Dagoba - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka
Lankarama Monastery is located to the south of the Abhayagiri Monastery and east of the Bulankulama man-made tank. Lankarama Dagoba, known Mani Somarama meaning “the monastery of Soma” in Sinhalese, was built by King Valagambahu in celebration of the return of Somadevi, who was captured and taken to southern India by the marauding Dravidian Army. Having regained his kingdom from the Dravidian invaders, king secured the release of his queen too. It is believed that Lankarama was the nunnery of the Abhayagiri Monastery.
Lankarama Dagoba is another vatadage (circular relic house) in Sri Lanka: in its days of glory, Lankarama had 88 stone columns, in three concentric circles, surrounding the dagoba that held up a circular roof. Today only a few of the carved stone pillars can be seen around the renovated dagoba. The renovated dagoba measuring 38 feet in diameter is set up on a platform 10feet in height and 132 feet in diameter. Four flights of steps from the cardinal directions take the devotees to the platform 10 feet above the ground level. The four vahalkadas (front entrances doorways) no longer exist. Among the ruins are few damaged Buddha statues and stone tub for washing feet before entering the sacred terrace, the platform.
[Source: lanka Web Site]
Mirisawetiya Dagoba - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka
Mirisavatiya Dagoba is one of cluster of sites we will be visiting in a ride along the banks of the Tissa Wewa reservoir. The area is pleasant to stroll along too. Mirisavatiya Dagoba, which is identical to & only slightly smaller than the celebrated & adored Ruwanweliseya Stupa, is almost across the road from the Tissa wewa Rest House. Surrounded by the ruins of monasteries on three sides, the dagoba is only a kilometer to the east of Sacred Sri Maha Bodhi tree. The site still remains largely unexcavated.
This was the first monument built by the hero of the nation, victorious King Dutugamunu of Ruhuna (161-136 BC) after his consecration, enshrining an ornate kunta (scepter) which contained a sacred relic of Buddha. The scepter which was left implanted here in the bank by the king when he visited the tank could not on his return be pulled out from the ground by any means. The dagoba was constructed herein following this incident which was taken as an auspicious sign. King Dutugamunu went on to build Ruwanweliseya Stupa too.
In a beautiful woodland setting north of the Ruvanvelisaya Dagoba, the Thuparama Dagoba is the oldest dagoba in Sri Lanka – indeed, probably the oldest visible dagoba in the world. It was constructed by King Devanampiya Tissa in the 3rd century BC and is said to enshrine the right collarbone of the Buddha. Its ‘heap-of-paddy-rice’ shape was restored in 1862 to a more conventional bell shape and to a height of 19m.
The slender, capital-topped pillars of the surrounding vatadage (circular relic house), perhaps the dagoba’s most unique feature, enclose the structure in four concentric circles. Impressions on the dagoba pediments indicate the pillars originally numbered 176, of which 41 still stand. Although some Sri Lankan scholars believe these once supported a conical wooden roof, there is no archaeological evidence or precedent for this theory.
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