Lovamahapaya (Brazen Palace)
North Central Province
About Lovamahapaya (Brazen Palace)
Between the Sri Maha Bodhi and the Ruwanwelisaya stands one of archaeology's great hints: sixteen hundred weathered granite pillars in a forty-by-forty grid, the surviving skeleton of the Lovamahapaya - the Brazen Palace. Built by King Dutugemunu in the 2nd century BC as the chapter house of the Maha Vihara monastery, the chronicles describe a building scarcely believable: nine storeys, a thousand rooms, halls encrusted with silver and gems, and a roof of bronze tiles that gave the palace its name and, catching the sun, could reportedly be seen from far across the plain. Fires and invasions brought it down repeatedly - what stands is essentially the ground floor's bones, plus a later monastic building among the pillars still used by monks. Walk the pillar rows at dusk, between the sacred tree and the great white dome, and let the chronicle's numbers rebuild it overhead.
Top Activities
- ✓The 1,600-pillar grid
- ✓The Brazen Palace story
- ✓Pilgrim route between Bodhi tree and Ruwanwelisaya
- ✓Dusk photography
- ✓Combine with the sacred city circuit
Nearby Attractions
Travel Tips
It sits on the walking route between the Bodhi tree and Ruwanwelisaya - don't drive past it.
The interior is monastic ground; view the pillars from the perimeter.
Read the nine-storey description first; the ruins need the story.
Quick Info
Best Time
May to September; dusk
Weather
Hot; the pillars throw welcome shade lines late in the day.
Estimated Daily Budget
8.3486°N, 80.3961°E
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