Tissamaharama Raja maha Viharaya
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Tissamaharama
Stupa- photo by:
Hiran
Karunaratna
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In the city of Tissamamarama, there are 4 ancient stupas belonging to
the Anuradhapura Era ara lying in a row. These are
-
Sandagiri Stupa
- Tissamaharama Stupa
-
Yatala Vehera
&
-
Menik Vehera
Out of these, the most worshipped and the largest is the Tissamaharama
Stupa & according to ancient chronicles this stupa has been built
by King Kavantissa who ruled Ruhuna in the 1st century BC. But there
is also a belief that this stupa was initially built by regional King
Mahanaga in the 3rd century BC and King Kavantissa probably enlarged
the shrine.
Mahanaga is a brother of King Devanampiyathissa (250-210
BC ). History states that that when Mahanaga was inspecting the construction
of Walas Reservoir (වලස් වැව), the queen of Devanampiyathissa send
him a bowl of Mangos with the top most one poisoned. Her intention
was to kill Mahanaga to ensure the throne to her son after Devanampiyathissa.
At that time the son was with his uncle at the tank and child ate
the poisoned mango and died on the spot. Fearing reprisal he took
his pregnant wife and escaped to Ruhuna where he built up his own
regional kingdom surrounding Magama area.
It is said that an ill samanera called "Gauthama" in the Seelapassa Pirivena passed away and was conceived in to Queen Viharamahadevi in this location who later became the great king Dutugemunu. It is also believed that Dutugemunu was born on this area.
The relic enshrined in this stupa is a subject of debate. According
to popular belief the fontal bone relic ( ලලාඨ ධාතු ) of Buddha
was temporally enshrined in this stupa but later it was enshrined in
the
Seruvila Mangala Maha Chethiya
. But a recent discovery of a pillar inscription in Kirinda,
that the left tooth relic of Buddha (වම් යටි හකු දලදා ව) is enshrined
in this stupa. Irrespective of the relics enshrined, Thissamaharama stupa
lies on the ground that Buddha himself visited with 500 Arhaths during
his 3rd visit to Sri Lanka.
The latest restoration of this stupa had begun in 1858 and was completed
in 1900. The granite pinnacle (ගල් ඡත්රය) of the original stupa is now
lying on the platform on which the dageba is built.
Tissamaharama Stupa is the largest stupa in the Southern region of the
country with a height of 156 feet and 550 feet in circumference.
Routes
Route 01 from Colombo
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Route 02 from Colombo
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Though : Panadura - Hikkaduwa - Galle - Matara
distance :271 km
Travel time : 5 hours
Driving directions :
see on google map
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Through : Ratnapura - Ambilipitiya - Thanamalwila
distance :
212 km
Travel time : 4 hours
Driving Directions :
see on google maps
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Map
Articles
See also other sites in the area
Created November 21, 2007
Updated
November 20, 2010
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