Mahavihara

SRI LANKA, North Central Province, Anuradhapura

Mahavihara means Great Monastery. It is located in Mahameghavana in Anuradhapura and was the first monastic complex in the country. It became the cultural and educational center of Theravada Buddhism. In the 3rd century BCE, King Asoka (reigned circa 269–232 BCE) of Maurya ordered his son, Mahinda, to go to Sri Lanka to propagate Buddhism. He taught the Dharma to King Devanampiyatissa (reigned 250–210 BCE), who became a Buddhist, and he converted 8,500 people to Buddhism within seven days. Subsequently King Devanampiyatissa ordered the construction of the Mahavihara.
Mahinda determined the site and layout of the monastery and King Devanampiyatissa drew the boundary with a golden plow drawn by an elephant. Sanghamitta, the daughter of King Asoka, brought a cutting from the Bodhi tree in India. In the 2nd century BCE, King Dutugamunu (reigned 161–137 BCE) built Maricavatti to the west of Mahavihara, as well as Lohapasada and Mahathupa to the north. The Mahavihara was destroyed by King Mahasena (reigned 274–301), who supported Mahayana Buddhism. However, the king was later persuaded to abandon the persecution of Theravada Buddhism and to rebuild the monastery, after which it prospered once again. Nevertheless, the monastery eventually fell into disuse. The late 12th century saw a short-lived revival of the Mahavihara before it was abandoned again.
The remains of the Mahavihara include the Kujjatissa Pabbata, with its square columns with prominent capitals, steps and guardstones. As part of the Sacred City of Anuradhapura, it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982.