Buddhist sites in Anuradhapura

Thuparamaya

 

 

Creator : King Devanampiyatissa

When : 250-210 BC (The monastery)

Highlights

  • The First stupa to be built on Sri Lanka

  • The stupa was built enshrining the right collar-bone relic of the Buddha

  • Marks the start of the relic worshipping practice among the people

  • Contained a unique circular enclosure to the stupa, known as a "vata-da-ge" , (also known as Thupaghara) was built by King Vasabha(65-109 AC)

 

Historical glimpses

  • It is said that after bringing Buddhism to Sri Lanka, the Mahinda Maha Thero, after some time, wished to go back to India. When the king inquired as to why, the Thero replied that he needs to worships the Buddha relics which were in India. To prevent the thero from leaving Sri Lanka, the king decided to built a place in Sri Lanka where the relics can be worshipped. Thus it is said that a thero named Sumana, obtained the right collar bone relics of the Buddha from the gods and then with the king's patronage and the supervision of Mahinda Thero, built the stupa.

  • It is said that clay was brought from the Basawankulama Tank and a clay bed was formed on which bricks were laid to form the first stupa, in the form of a paddy heap (Dhanyakara).

  • Almost all Sinhala kings made some sort of contribution to the stupa and the Thupaghara was decorated many times in gold and in silver only to be plundered by the south indian invaders.

  • The south indian colas plundered the entire complex in the 10th century and the great king Parakramabahu renovated the Stupa and the Thupaghara in the 12th century

  • The original shape (paddy heap- Dhanyakara) was changed to the bell shape (ghanthakara) during the 1862 renovations.

What to see

The word Thuparama is a mixture of two words "Stupa" and "Arama"(monastery). The monastery surrounding the stupa has many interesting things to see.

  • To the south east of the stupa, one can see a complex which is most likely the remains of a hospital to treat sick monks made by King Kassapa IV around the eighth century. one can see the remains of a medicinal trough
  • The ruins of the monastery shows that it consisted of five-unit clusters (Pancavasa) (rather than the three unit clusters we see at Mirisawetiya)
  • The image house which is located to the south of the stupa is of extreme importance because of its impressiveness and elaborate design as well as it is the only one preserved for us to actually see what an image house of that period belonging to the "patimaghara" type looked like
  • There is a well on the south east side which was there probably for pilgrims to wash themselves before entiring the temple