Giribanda Seya Stupa of Mihintale

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Giribanda Seya Stupa of Mihintale – මිහින්තලේ ගිරිභණ්ඩ ස්තූපය

Midway up the grand stone stairway of Mihintale, a path branches off toward the Giribanda Seya Stupa. This path leads past the serene Thimbiri Pokuna pond and ascends to the stupa, which stands atop a leveled hill surrounded by the remnants of ancient structures.

Excavation and Restoration

The Giribanda Seya Stupa was excavated and restored in 1951. The restored stupa has a circumference of approximately 25 meters and rises to a height of about 8 meters. Based on archaeological findings, the stupa has been dated to the 8th century CE, though the identity of its original builder remains unknown.

Discovery of the Relic Chamber

The most remarkable discovery at this site was a relic chamber inside the stupa—plundered of its relics but left structurally intact. The chamber’s preservation, despite the loss of its contents, offers a rare and invaluable glimpse into the construction and sacred symbolism of ancient stupa relic chambers.

The interior walls of the relic chamber are adorned with striking paintings of deities, rendered in fine red linework. These figures are depicted in devotional poses with hands clasped in worship. Some hold lotus flowers, symbolizing purity and spiritual awakening.

Symbolic Structure of Mount Mahameru

At the heart of the relic chamber lies a symbolic representation of Mount Mahameru, the sacred mountain at the center of the Buddhist and Hindu cosmological universe. This central feature is a cuboid rock placed atop three smaller stone blocks, symbolizing the Thrikootakaya (ත්‍රිකූටකය)—the triple-peaked base supporting Mahameru.

The main rock itself is segmented into seven horizontal layers, each representing one of the seven surrounding peaks:

Yugandhara (යුගන්ධර)
Eshadhara (ඊශධර)
Karavika (කරවික)
Sudarshana (සුදර්ශන)
Nemindhara (නෙමින්ධර)
Vinthaka (වින්තක)
Ashwakarna (අශ්වකර්ණ)

Surrounding this central structure are four flat stone slabs placed on each side, symbolizing the four great islands of the ancient world:

Jambudweepa (ජම්බුද්වීප) – South
Aparagoyana (අපරගෝයාන) – North
Purwa Videha (පූර්ව විදේහ) – West
Uthurukuru Divayina (උතුරුකුරු දිවයින) – East

Current Location of the Relic Chamber

To preserve this extraordinary discovery, the entire relic chamber structure has been carefully removed and relocated. It is now on public display at the Archaeological Museum in Anuradhapura, where it continues to offer scholars and visitors a rare insight into the spiritual and artistic traditions of ancient Sri Lanka.

Line art frescos on the Inner walls of the relic chamber of Giribanda Seya Stupa of Mihintale

The restored relic chamber of Line art frescos on the inner walls of the relic chamber of Giribanda Seya Stupa of Mihintale (මිහින්තලේ ගිරිභණ්ඩ ස්තූපය) at the Archaeology Museum of Anuradhapura

References

දිසානායක, සෙ. (2017). අසිරිමත් මිහින්තලය.
දිසානායක ජේ. බී. (2001). මිහින්තලා උරුමය (රටක මහිම – 13) . එස්. ගොඩගේ සහෝදරයෝ.

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Driving Directions to Giribanda Seya Stupa at Mihintale

Mihintale can be reached through many routes from Colombo. The two main routes are through Puttalam (Puttalama) and through Kurunegala. Traveling from Puttalam, you will pass the scenic Wilpattu area. From Kurunegala, there are two main routes to Mihintale. The most common route is through Dambulla. The other route is through Galgamuwa. Out of all the routes, the most commonly used is the Kurunegala–Dambulla route (Route 2).

Route 01 from Colombo to Mihintale (A3)	Route 02 from Colombo to Mihintale
Through : Central Expressway – Badagamuwa – Dambulla Distance: 223 km Travel Time: 4.45 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps.	Through: Negombo – Chilaw – Puttalam Distance: 227 km Travel Time: 5.15 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps.
Route from Kandy to Mihintale	Route from Anuradhapura to Mihintale
Through: Distance: 136 km Travel Time: 3,30 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps.	Through: A12 Distance: 14 km Travel Time: 25 mins Driving Directions: see on Google Maps.