Lovamahapaya - The Great Copper Roofed Mansion

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The Lovamahapaya, or the Great Brazen Palace, stands as a testament to the architectural ambition of King Dutugemunu. Originally a nine-story monastery supported by 1,600 granite pillars, its roof was famously covered in bronze tiles. This monumental structure served as a hierarchical residence for the Sangha, with floors assigned based on spiritual attainment, from those mastering the Tripitaka to the Arahants on the highest levels.

King Devamnampiya Tissa (307-267 BCE), the country’s first Buddhist king, built a chapter house in this location on the instructions of Mahinda Thero who introduced Buddhist Philosophy to the country. A century later King Dutugemunu (161-131 BCE) built a massive structure using 1600 stone pillars called the Lovamahapaya (Lovamahaprasada), the remains of which you see today.

The Prophecy

The Prophecy King Dutugemunu was told of a record that was said to have been made by King Devanampiyatissa, based on a prophecy of the Great Mahinda Thero. He located a vase deposited in the royal treasury with an inscribed golden plate inside. It spoke of the prophecy that after after one hundred and forty years, a king named Dutta Gamini, son of King Kavan Tissa would contract such and such edifices in such and such manner.

Construction of Lovamaha Prasada

The king found that Lova Prasada and Swarnamali Chethiya (Ruwanweli Seya) had been specially mentioned in the inscription. He informed the monks that he would erect a multi-storied monastery and requested them to procure for him the plan of a palace of the devas. The plan was supplied immediately and the construction began under the supervision of eminent architects. It was a quadrilateral palace, being two hundred feet long on each of its sides and the same in height.

There were nine stories. In each of them were one hundred windows and a total of 1,000 rooms. A special hall was built in the center of the palace, and it was said to have been supported on golden pillars. In the center of this hall, there was a beautiful ivory throne, on one side of which there was the emblem of the sun in gold; on another, the moon in silver and stars in pearls. Above the throne, the imperial canopy glittered. The roof of this magnificent palace was covered with brazen tiles thus it was called the Loha Maha Prasadaya, “great brazen palace”. It is said that the value attached to the building was three hundred million gold pieces.

All the stories were furnished with couches, chairs, and other necessities of great value. Even the basins kept at the entrance, for washing the hands and feet of monks, were made of gold. The first floor was occupied by the monks who had not achieved any state of sanctification or the highest attainments; the second by those who had mastered the Tripitaka, the third by those who had attained Sotapatti, the first stage of sanctification; the fourth by those who had attained Sakadagami, the second stage of sanctification; the fifth by those monks who had attained Anagami, the third state of sanctification; and the remaining four stories were occupied by the Arahats, in other words, those who had attained the highest state of sanctification. Although this description may be a little exaggerated, this would have been a very impressive building at that time looking at what remains today.

Contributions of Other Kings

During the reign of King Saddhatissa (137-119 BCE), brother of King Dutugemunu, this monastery caught fire from a lamp and was burnt down. The king built it up again and formed a seven-story building. Its value was then estimated at nine million gold pieces. A century later, King Bhatika Abhaya (20 BCE – 9 CE) is reported to repaired this edifice, and King Amanda-Gamini Abhaya (22-31 CE) added an inner courtyard and a pavilion studded with precious stones. King Sirinaga I (195-214 CE) rebuilt the Prasadaya and reduced it to five stories.

King Gothabhaya (253-266 CE) repaired the pillars, and his son King Jettatissa I (266-276 AC) raised the height of Lovamahapaya to seven stories. During the reign of King Gothabhaya (253-266 CE), a disagreement took place between the monks of Maha Vihara Monastery and the Abhayagiri Monastery regarding a Vetulya doctrine. King Gothabhaya took the side of the Maha Viharaya and banished 60 monks who had accepted the Vetulya doctrine from the Abhayagiri Monastery. One of the disciples of the banished monks, Sangamitta Thero, decided to avenge the bhikkus of Maha Viharaya. He came back to Sri Lanka and gained the favour of King Gothabhaya (253-266 CE) and was entrusted to teach his two sons Prince Mahasena and Prince Jettatissa.

After the death of King Gothabhaya, the elder son Prince Jettatissa who was a supporter of the Mahavihara monks became the king and reigned for 10 years (266-276 CE). He rebuilt the Lohamahapaya to a height of 7 stories, which was unfinished by his father.

Plundering of Maha Viharaya Monastery

In 276 CE, Mahasena (276-303) succeeded to the throne and the monk Sangamitta immediately came back to the island. He persuaded the king that the Mahaviharian’s lax discipline and the monks of Abhayagiri Viharaya preached the true doctrine of the Buddha. He also persuaded the king to order a prohibition of giving arms to the Mahaviharians and they were forced to retreat to the hills and Rohana.

Then Sangamittha thero persuaded the king to razor the Maha Vihara buildings, including the magnificent Lovamahaprasada and use the materials to build up Jethawanaramaya, a new rival institute within the boundaries of Maha Viharaya itself. His son Sirimeghavanna (Kithsiri Mevan) (303-311 CE) rebuilt the palace. This mansion was again destroyed by the Pandayns from South India, who invaded the city in the 9th century, and was rebuilt again in the same century by King Sena II (853-887 CE). It was for the last time by King Prakramabahu I (1153-1186 CE) during the Polonnaruwa kingdom era.

This unique edifice having undergone destruction and reconstruction several times is now reduced to the stone columns that barely give an idea of its former magnificence. The collection of monolithic columns of 1,600 granite pillars (40 rows of 40 pillars) marks the site of the most remarkable palatial monastery in history. These columns are square, and the largest measures 8 feet 3 inches, and its height is 10 feet. The ground covered with these columns measures 200 square feet. All these rough columns had been enclosed in the huge walls that were built for the basement of the palace when it consisted of five stories.

Colas from India invaded the city in the 10th century. They plundered the city of its all valuables, which finally saw the fall of the Anuradhapura Kingdom as the capital of Sri Lanka after over 1400 years. The great king Parakramabhu I, who reigned from Polonnaruwa (1153-1186 CE) raised the 1600 pillars again and partly restored it. This is what you see today.

Important Information for Foreign Tourists Visiting Sites at Sacred City of Anuradhapura

Most of the more popular sites in Anuradhapura strictly check for tickets from tourists, while the less-visited sites tend to be more relaxed due to the lack of staff. However, tourists should be cautious, as some unscrupulous tuk-tuk drivers may attempt to exploit this situation.

They sometimes offer to take foreign tourists along routes where ticket checks are less common or even try to collect the entrance fee themselves, claiming they will purchase the tickets on the tourists’ behalf. Tourists are strongly advised not to fall for such scams, as this can lead to unnecessary complications with site security or the police.

Information on the Anuradhapura Cultural Heritage Ticket and where and how to purchase can be found here

Alternate Names: great copper-roofed mansion, lova maha prasadaya, lovamahapaya, lowamahapaya

Lovamahapaya - The Great Copper Roofed Mansion

Ruins of Lovamahapaya - The Great Copper Roofed Mansion

Old photos of Lovamahapaya from www.imagesofceylon.com

before restoration – photo taken on late 1800′s or early 1900′s

References

Mah|can|cama and Geiger, W., 1912. The Mahavamsa or the great chronicle of Ceylon. London: Henry Frowde, Oxford University Press.
B.W. Harischandra, 1908. The Sacred City of Anuradhapura. With Forty-six Illustrations. 1st ed. Colombo: Brahmachari Walisingha Harischandra.
Seneviratna, A., 1994. Ancient Anuradhapura. 1st ed. Colombo: Archaeological Survey Department, Sri Lanka.

Also See

Anuradhapura – The city of the God Kings
Solosmasthana – The Sixteen Buddhist Sacred Sites Hallowed by Buddha
Atamasthana – The Eight Sacred Sites in Anuradhapura

Lovamahapaya Map

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Traveling Directions to Lovamahapaya (Anuradhapura)

Colombo to Anuradhapura By Bus

Anuradhapura can be conveniently reached by bus, train, or private transport. Both air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned buses operate from the Colombo Fort Main Bus Station. In addition, luxury buses departing from various locations in Colombo travel via Anuradhapura to Vavuniya and Jaffna; these require advance online booking and generally operate overnight, arriving at their final destinations early in the morning.

Colombo to Anuradhapura By Train

Five daily trains operate from Colombo Fort Railway Station to Anuradhapura. Typically, the first train departs at 9.40 a.m. and the last at 8.30 p.m. The journey takes approximately four to five hours, depending on the number of stops made by the particular service.

Colombo to Anuradhapura By Car or Van

Anuradhapura can be accessed from Colombo via several routes, with the two primary corridors running through Puttalam and Kurunegala. The Puttalam route passes the scenic Wilpattu area. From Kurunegala, there are two main approaches: the more commonly used route via Dambulla and an alternative route via Galgamuwa. Among all options, the Kurunegala–Dambulla route (Route 2) is the most frequently used.

Route 01 from Colombo to Anuradhapura	Route 02 from Colombo to Anuradhapura
Through: Negombo – Chilaw – Puttalam Distance from Colombo: 210 km Travel time: 4.30-5.00 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps	Through: Negombo – Chilaw – Puttalam Distance from Colombo: 210 km Travel time: 4.30-5.00 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps.
Route 03 from Colombo to Anuradhapura	Route from Kandy to Anuradhapura
Through : Katunayake Expressway – Narammala – Wariyapola – Padeniya – Thambuthegama Distance from Colombo: 203 km Travel Time: 4.30-5.00 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps	Through: Katugastota – Matale – Dambulla Distance from Colombo: 136 km Travel Time: 3.5 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps