Thuparamaya is the earliest documented

Buddhist temple A Buddhist temple or Buddhist monastery is the place of worship for Buddhism, Buddhists, the followers of Buddhism. They include the structures called vihara, chaitya, stupa, wat, khurul and pagoda in different regions and languages. Temples in B ...

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

. Its building dates to the arrival of Mahinda Thera (Mahindagamanaya) and the introduction of Buddhism to the island. Located within the sacred precinct of Mahamewna park, the Thuparamaya

Stupa In Buddhism, a stupa (, ) is a domed hemispherical structure containing several types of sacred relics, including images, statues, metals, and '' śarīra''—the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns. It is used as a place of pilgrimage and m ...

is the earliest Dagoba to be constructed on the island, dating back to the reign of King Devanampiya Tissa (247-207 BC). The temple has been recognised by the

Government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...

and listed as a protected archaeological site in Sri Lanka.

History

Thuparamaya is closely linked to Mahinda Thera, the envoy sent by King

Ashoka Ashoka, also known as Asoka or Aśoka ( ; , ; – 232 BCE), and popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was List of Mauryan emperors, Emperor of Magadha from until #Death, his death in 232 BCE, and the third ruler from the Mauryan dynast ...

to Sri Lanka, bringing

Theravada ''Theravāda'' (; 'School of the Elders'; ) is Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school's adherents, termed ''Theravādins'' (anglicized from Pali ''theravādī''), have preserved their version of the Buddha's teaching or ''Dharma (Buddhi ...

Buddhism and Chaitya worship to the island. At Mahinda's request, King Devanampiya Tissa built Thuparamaya to enshrine the right collar-bone of the

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),* * * was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist legends, he was ...

, thus the claim to be the first

stupa In Buddhism, a stupa (, ) is a domed hemispherical structure containing several types of sacred relics, including images, statues, metals, and '' śarīra''—the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns. It is used as a place of pilgrimage and m ...

built in

. It also marks the formal arrival of Buddhism. The name Thuparamaya comes from "

" and "aramaya" which is a residential complex for monks. According to the Palumekichchawa Inscription, the tank called Madamanaka (Palumekichchawa Wewa) at Upala Vibajaka area had been constructed at a cost of 5000

Kahavanu Kahavanu is a medieval currency from Sri Lanka. The coinage appears to have been initiated shortly before Rajaraja Chola invaded Lanka in 990 AD, and struck through the period when the Cholas dominated the island (1017-1070), and continued by clos ...

and donated on behalf of the Bhikkus who were living at the Thuparama temple. It further states that the harvest from the paddy fields surrounding the tank was presented to the Bhikkus at the temple. The inscription is the earliest chiseled stone inscription in which the name of the Thuparama temple is inscribed and said to belong to the reign of King Gajabahu (114-136 A.D.).

The Stupa

Thuparamaya dagoba was built in the shape of a bell. This dagoba was destroyed from time to time. By the reign of King Aggabodhi II the site was in ruins and was fully restored by royal edict. The current construction of the dagoba dates to the 1842 rebuilding. As of the 21st century after repeated renovations over centuries, the monument has a diameter of , at the base. The dome is raised on a plinth off the ground, and the entire structure is in diameter. The compound is paved with granite with two rows of stone pillars ringing the dagoba. These are remnants of the roofed vatadage once built over Thuparamaya. Thuparamaya Stupa and Stone Pillars

References

External links

Discover Sri Lanka - more information & images about Thuparamaya
Archaeological protected monuments in Anuradhapura District Buddhist temples in Anuradhapura Stupas in Anuradhapura Vatadages {{SriLanka-struct-stub

History

The Stupa

See also

References

External links