Mahavihara Refractory Hall of Anuradhapura

RATE THIS LOCATION : 1 Star

(3 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)

Ruins of Mahavihara Refractory Hall of Anuradhapura Kingdom

Refractory Hall (also called Alms Hall or Chatussala) of the Maha Vihara of the ancient Anuradhapura kingdom lies north of Lovamahapaya and southeast of Ruwalisseya Stupa. This site lies off the common path between Ruwanweliseya and Sri Mahabodhi and is rarely visited by pilgrims.

Most pilgrims do not even know of its existence among the ruined buildings with stone pillars scattered all over this area. However, this site is worth the visit with its gigantic stone troughs, which would have been filled with rice, vegetables and porridge during the meal times. The travelling Chinese monk Fa Hsien reported that more than 10,000 monks and nuns resided in the Anuradhapura area. The 3000 monks of the Mahavihara accommodated 3000 monks, and the Abhayagiri Viharaya accommodated 5000 resident monks in the 5th century. Just imagine thousands of monks patiently walking from their kuti for the afternoon meal towards this granite structure with food enough to feed at least 3000.

The Refractory Hall (Alms Hall or Chatussala) was built by King Devanampiya Tissa in the 3rd century BCE. This was restored by Vasabha in the 3rd century CE. This building corresponds with the Alms Hall found at Mihintale for it has the same architectural design found here. At the eastern corner is found the largest stone trough, called “rice boat,” 45 feet long, that provided alms to the monks. Two more smaller stone troughs are also seen, probably used for vegetables and porridge.

This is a square building, which is 131 feet in length on each side. The center is paved in stone, as in other Alms Halls found in Abhayagiriya and Mihintale. There are steps from the face sides to enter the courtyard in the middle.

A stone vessel where food was served from at Mahavihara Refractory Hall of Anuradhapura Kingdom

A stone Punkalasa at the entrance to the Mahavihara Refractory Hall of Anuradhapura Kingdom

References

Seneviratna, A., (1994). Ancient Anuradhapura. 1st ed. Colombo: Archaeological Survey Department, Sri Lanka.
Wikramagamage, C., (2004). Heritage of Rajarata: Major natural, cultural, and historic sites. Colombo. Central Bank of 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

Mahavihara Refractory Hall (Alms Hall or Chatussala) of Anuradhapura Map

Click on the button below to load the Dynamic Google Map

Show Location on Google Maps

The map above also shows other places of interest within a approximately 20 km radius of the current site. Click on any of the markers and the info box to take you to information of these sites

Zoom out the map to see more surrounding locations using the mouse scroll wheel or map controls.

Driving Directions to Mahavihara Refractory Hall (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