Jethawanaramaya Monestery

King Mahasena (276-303AC) secured the credit of founding Jethawanaramaya Monastery

Jethawana Monastery at Anuradhapura is one of the major Buddhist Monasteries of Sri Lanka. King Mahasena found the monastery in (276-303 AC). His reputation was somewhat tarnished as a builder of great monasteries. Because of his grave misdeeds against the Mahavihara Monastery.

Though following his repentance and restoration of Mahavihara Monastery, saved the name of the great king in the annals of the history of Sri Lanka. Today he is remembered as one of the greatest builders of tanks(rainwater reservoirs) in Sri Lanka. Such was the glory of the king following the construction of a vast Minneriya tank. Following The king’s death, elevated the statues of the deity named ‘Minneriya Deviyo” in the legends of Sri Lanka.

Jethawanarama Stupa

Jethawanarama Stupa is located in the ruins of Jethawana, the sacred world heritage city of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. Mahasena of Anuradhapura (273–301) initiated the construction of the stupa following the destruction of the maha vihara. His son Maghavanna I completed the construction of the stupa. A part of a sash or belt tied by the Buddha is believed to be the relic that is enshrined here.

The structure is significant in the island’s history. It represents the tensions within the Theravada and Mahayana sects of Buddhism. it is also significant in recorded history as one of the tallest structures in the ancient world. The height of the stupa is 400 feet (122 m). It was the tallest stupa in the ancient world. The structure is no longer the tallest. But it is still the largest, with a base area of 233,000 m2 (2,508,000 sq ft). The engineering ingenuity behind the construction of the structure is a significant development in history. The stupa represents also the sectarian differences between the Buddhist monks. It was built on the premises of the destroyed maha vihara, which led to a rebellion by a minister of King Mahasena.