ABHAYAGIRI STUPA

This stupa (or dagoba) is 75 m high and was built in the first century BC. Ancient writings mention the construction of the dagoba by King Valagamba during his second reign (89-77 BC). Abhayagiri was an important monastery and its ruins are among the largest in the world. It was the largest monastery in Arunadhapura and successive kings participated in its expansion and beautification. The development of Abhayagiri reached its peak during the reign of King Mahasena (277-304) and the complex was the center of Mahayana Buddhism. Buddhist buildings found in the vicinity of Abhayagri indicate that the monastery was an important educational institution, both locally and internationally. The stupa was the focal point of the monastic community. It was chosen by the king to house the relic of the sacred tooth of Buddha in the 4th century. From then on, the monastery continued to flourish until the 12th century. Today only the brick structure remains (restored) and the decorative elements have disappeared. One will notice all the same its friezes and its relics sent by the Indian emperor Ashoka, in particular alms bowls. Elaborate bathtubs, beautiful carved balustrades and worked moonstones can still be seen at the foot of various buildings (or what remains of them). The aura of the monastery and its giant stupa has endured through the ages and it is still an essential sacred and pilgrimage site in Sri Lanka.