Thuparamaya
North Central Province
About Thuparamaya
Thuparamaya is where Sri Lankan stupa-building began: raised by King Devanampiya Tissa in the 3rd century BC, immediately after the island's conversion, to enshrine the right collarbone relic of the Buddha brought from India - making it, by tradition, the oldest dagoba in the country and among the oldest Buddhist monuments anywhere in continuous veneration. The graceful bell-shaped dome seen today is an 1862 restoration, ringed by the leaning stone pillars of its ancient vatadage - the circular roofed shrine that once enclosed the whole stupa, whose slender columns tilting at all angles give Thuparamaya its unmistakable, much-photographed silhouette. Steps from the Sri Maha Bodhi and Ruwanwelisaya on the sacred city's pilgrim circuit, it is the quiet elder statesman of the three - small, white, and twenty-three centuries deep.
Top Activities
- ✓The first stupa and its leaning vatadage pillars
- ✓Evening pilgrim circuit with Ruwanwelisaya
- ✓Photography of the pillar silhouettes
- ✓Relic-chamber history
- ✓Combine with the Sri Maha Bodhi
Nearby Attractions
Closest Places in This Guide
Straight-line distances; allow considerably longer by road, especially in the hills.
Travel Tips
Dusk light through the leaning pillars makes the classic photograph.
Shoes off at the terrace - socks help against the hot sand.
Walk here from Ruwanwelisaya; the pilgrim path is the experience.
Quick Info
Best Time
May to September; early morning or dusk
Weather
Hot; the terrace is white-bright at midday - go early or late.
Estimated Daily Budget
8.3564°N, 80.3969°E
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