Thuparama Stupa

SRI LANKA, North Central Province, Anuradhapura

Thuparama consists of two Pali words: Thupa meaning Stupa and Arama which means House. The stupa was built by King Devanampiya Tissa (reigned 250–210 BCE) during the 3rd century BCE to enshrine the collarbone relic of the Buddha. It is Sri Lanka’s earliest stupa. There is a story that Mahinda and a group of monastics, who were in Sri Lanka to propagate Buddhism, realized that there was no Buddha relic, to which they could pay their respects. They were about to return to India when King Devanampiya Tissa made a request for a Buddha relic from King Asoka (reigned circa 269–232 BCE) of Maurya and built this stupa to enshrine it. During the early 2nd century BCE, King Lanji Tissa (reigned 119–109 BCE) erected wooden columns to encircle the stupa. King Aggabodhi II (reigned 604–614) replaced them with stone columns during the 7th century. The last restoration took place in 1862. As part of the Sacred City of Anuradhapura, it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982.
This stupa has a height of approximately 19.2 m and the diameter is approximately 18 m at the base. It was originally in the shape of a rice grain heap, but took on its present inverted bowl form after undergoing numerous reconstructions. The stupa’s three-layer base is undecorated. The stupa body, harmika and spire are painted white, while the finial is gilded. There are four Buddha niches around the stupa. Three circles of stone columns surround the stupa. Each slender column is carved in a single piece of stone. The capitals are sculpted with reliefs such as lotus flowers, geese, and lions.