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| Thuparamaya | |
|---|---|
| Name | Thuparamaya |
| Caption | Thuparamaya stupa, Anuradhapura |
| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Province | North Central Province |
| District | Anuradhapura District |
| Founded | 3rd century BCE (traditional) |
| Founder | Devanampiya Tissa (traditionally) |
| Architecture | Sri Lankan Buddhist architecture |
Thuparamaya is an ancient Buddhist shrine located in Anuradhapura in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka. It is traditionally associated with early Sri Lankan monarchs and Theravada Buddhist establishments dating to the reign of Devanampiya Tissa and contacts with Ashoka-era emissaries. The site is a prominent component of the Sacred City of Anuradhapura, reflecting interactions among regional polities such as the Mahavamsa chroniclers, South Asian traders, and monastic networks tied to Buddhism in South and Southeast Asia.
Thuparamaya’s foundation is attributed in traditional chronicles to King Devanampiya Tissa after the arrival of the Sacred Tooth Relic-era missionaries connected to Emperor Ashoka of the Maurya Empire. Early references to the site appear in the Mahavamsa alongside accounts of missionaries like Mahanama and monastic figures such as Mahinda and Sanghamitta. Subsequent patronage is recorded under later Sinhalese rulers including Vattagamani Abhaya (Valagamba), Mahasena of Anuradhapura, and Dappula I. The complex evolved through periods of consolidation and decline during incursions by South Indian polities like the Chola dynasty and later restoration under medieval rulers such as Parakramabahu I. European visitors including Johann Wilhelm Vogel and James Emerson Tennent documented Thuparamaya during the colonial eras of Portuguese Ceylon, Dutch Ceylon, and British Ceylon.
The layout centers on a low hemispherical stupa built on a square platform within an oblong compound delineated by a stone railing and moonstones reminiscent of early Anuradhapura architecture exemplified also at Ruwanwelisaya, Abhayagiri Vihāra, and Jetavanaramaya. The stupa once enshrined a relic chamber similar to reliquaries in the Stupa traditions of India, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar. Structural elements incorporate carved balustrades, guardstones akin to those at Isurumuniya Rock Temple, and a frontal vahalkada ornamented with lotus motifs comparable to decorative schemes in the Polonnaruwa period and monuments like Rankoth Vehera. Foundations and masonry show laterite and brickwork techniques paralleling building practices attested at Sigiriya and fortified sites such as Ritigala. Ancillary features include a courtyard, stone benches, and remnants of a vatadage-style enclosing structure analogous to those at Thuparamaya-era contemporaries across the island.
Thuparamaya functions as a focal point within Sri Lankan Theravada devotion closely related to early monastic ordination halls and relic veneration traditions observed at Mahavihara and Abhayagiri. It is celebrated in liturgical calendars tied to observances at Anuradhapura Sacred City and pilgrimage circuits that include Mihintale, Kandy, and Dambulla cave shrines. The shrine’s reputed association with the first bhikkhu ordinations links it to ecclesiastical authorities and monastic fraternities such as the historic Mahavihara chapter and later sects like the Siyam Nikaya, Amarapura Nikaya, and Rāmañña Nikāya. Royal patronage by dynasties including Lambakanna I and House of Vijaya reinforced its status as a national shrine invoked in chronicles, rituals, and diplomatic gifts exchanged with polities including Pagan Kingdom and Srivijaya.
Excavations and surveys have recovered stone inscriptions, sculpted guardstones, and votive tablets bearing Brahmi script and later Sinhala epigraphy similar to finds at Anuradhapura Museum, Kuttam Pokuna, and Isurumuniya. Artifacts include small reliquaries, terracotta tiles, and carved moonstones that stylistically relate to objects found at Ruwanwelisaya and Jetavanaramaya. Inscriptions reference donors from royal households, officials comparable to titles seen in the Gal Potha and administrative records linked to Ithihasik entries in the Mahavamsa. Comparative epigraphic studies connect these texts to contemporaneous inscriptions from Polonnaruwa and Kalinga-region stele, informing chronology debates among historians who study sources such as the Dipavamsa and archaeological syntheses by institutions like the Archaeological Survey of India and the Department of Archaeology (Sri Lanka).
Conservation of the site has involved interventions by colonial antiquarians and modern preservation by the Department of Archaeology (Sri Lanka) with technical collaboration from international bodies including UNESCO during the broader nomination of the Sacred City of Anuradhapura as a World Heritage Site. Restoration campaigns employed methods developed in conservation projects at Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa, and Dambulla to stabilize brickwork, consolidate masonry, and manage visitor impact. Challenges have included weathering effects comparable to those addressed at Ruwanwelisaya and illicit antiquities pressures akin to cases prosecuted under the Antiquities Ordinance and heritage laws enforced by national institutions and judicial bodies such as the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka in cultural property disputes.
Thuparamaya is accessible within the archaeological zone of Anuradhapura, served by regional roads connecting to Colombo and air links via Anuradhapura Airport and larger hubs like Bandaranaike International Airport. Visitor services parallel amenities at nearby attractions including Ruwanwelisaya, Isurumuniya, and the Sri Maha Bodhi tree, with guided tours offered by licensed guides affiliated with the Central Cultural Fund and private operators catering to pilgrims from India, Thailand, Myanmar, and Western countries. Regulations on site access and photography follow guidelines issued by the Department of Archaeology (Sri Lanka) and coordinate with conservation programs managed alongside UNESCO and international conservation partners.
Category:Buddhist temples in Anuradhapura District