Mirisawetiya Dagaba - Anuradhapura

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Constructed by King Dutugemunu (161–137 BCE), the gigantic Mirisawetiya Viharaya marks the spot where his royal sceptre is said to have taken root in the ground. According to tradition, the king built the monument in atonement after failing to offer a chili dish prepared in the royal palace to the Sangha before partaking of it himself.

Mirisawetiya Dagaba, constructed by King Dutugamunu (161–137 BCE), forms part of the Mahavihara Complex in Anuradhapura. King Dutugamunu is celebrated as the monarch who defeated the Tamil rulers who had controlled the country for three decades, thereby reunifying the island under a single sovereign in the 1st century BCE.

On the seventh day after re-establishing Anuradhapura as the capital of Sri Lanka, following his victory over Elara, the South Indian ruler who had governed the city for 55 years, the king proceeded to Tissa Wewa with a ceremonial retinue to celebrate a traditional water festival observed by earlier monarchs.

During the festivities, the king’s royal attire and his imperial scepter (kunta), which contained a sacred relic of the Buddha, were placed near Tissa Wewa. Upon his return, he discovered that the scepter had become firmly embedded in the ground, and despite all efforts, it could not be removed. Interpreting this extraordinary occurrence as a sign, the king resolved to construct a stupa at that very location, enshrining the scepter within it.

Building of the Great Mirisawetiya Stupa

The construction of the stupa and its associated structures was completed within three years. Upon completion, the king conducted a grand inauguration ceremony attended by thousands of monks who had gathered from across Sri Lanka and from India. The celebrations continued uninterrupted for seven consecutive days.

The Mirisawetiya Stupa is regarded as the earliest of the great stupas to have been constructed.

Mahavamsa, the Great Chronicle of Sri Lanka, describes the building of Mirisavetiya (chapter XXVI – verses 7-24) as follows ;

When the week of the festival of kingship was gone by the fearless king Abhaya,1 who had carried out the consecration with great pomp, went to the Tissa-tank, which was adorned according to the festival custom, to hold festival plays there and to observe the tradition of crowned kings.
All that had been made ready for the king and hundreds of offerings did they place on the spot where the Maricavattivihara (afterwards stood). There in the very place where the thupa (afterwards) stood the king’s people who carried the spear planted the splendid spear with the relic. When the king had disported himself in the water the whole day through, together with the women of the harem, he said, in the evening: ‘We will go hence; carry the spear before us.’
And the people entrusted with (this duty) could not move the spear from its place, and the king’s soldiers came together and brought offerings of perfumes and flowers. When the king saw this great miracle, glad at heart he appointed sentinels there, and after he had returned forthwith into the city he built a chaitya in such wise that it enclosed the spear and founded a vihara that enclosed the thupa.
In three years the vihara was finished and the ruler of men called the brotherhood together to hold the festival (on the consecration) of the monastery. A hundred thousand bhikkhus and ninety thousand bhikkhunis were gathered together 16 there. Then in this assembly, the king spoke thus to the brotherhood: ‘ Without a thought of the brotherhood, venerable sirs, I ate pepper in the pod. Thinking: This shall be my act of expiation, I have built the pleasant Maricavatti vihara, together with the chaitya. May the brotherhood accept it !. With these words, he poured forth the (ceremonial) water of a gift and piously gave the monastery to the brotherhood.
When he had set up a great and beautiful hall in the vihara and round about it, he commanded that lavish gifts should be given there to the brotherhood. The hall was so planned that stakes were set even in the water of the Abhaya tank, what need of further words to speak of the remaining space (covered)?
When the ruler of men had given food, drink and so forth, for a week, he offered as a gift the whole of the costly necessaries for samanas. These necessaries began with a cost of a hundred thousand (kahapanas) and ended with a cost of 23 a thousand. All this did the brotherhood receive. The money that was spent there in gratitude by the wise king, who was a hero in battle as in largess, whose pure heart was filled with faith in the Three Gems, who desired to raise the (Buddha’s) doctrine to glory, (that was spent) to honour the Three Gems, beginning with the building of the stupa and ending with the festival of the vihara, (all this money), leaving aside the rest of the priceless (gifts), is reckoned as but one less than twenty kotis.

It is said that the king named the dagoba “Mirisavatiya” after an incident in which he forgot to offer a dish prepared with chilli (miris) to the Buddhist monks before partaking of it himself. It had been his established practice to present a portion of every meal prepared in the royal palace to the monks prior to his own consumption.

Contributions by Other Kings

King Gajabahu I (113–135 CE) applied a fresh coating to the Mirisavatiya stupa, and Mukanga, minister of King Voharika Tissa (214–236 CE), enclosed it with a wall or, more likely, reconstructed an earlier boundary wall that had collapsed. Subsequent records concerning the monument relate mainly to repairs and minor additions or improvements, for which no specific details are provided. Consequently, these later references are considered to be of limited significance (Smither and Wikramagamage, 1993).

The stupa was repeatedly plundered and damaged by Malabar invaders, and on each occasion it was restored by devotees of the Buddha. In the twelfth century, it underwent a comprehensive restoration under the reign of King Parakramabahu I (1153–1186 CE). However, less than fifty years later, it was entirely destroyed once more by the Malabars and appears not to have been rebuilt thereafter (Smither and Wikramagamage, 1993).

Dimensions and Features

The massive stupa has a circumference of 160 metres. Surrounding it is the Salapathala Maluwa, a square terrace paved with stone slabs, measuring 85 metres on each side. Originally, four entrances were aligned with the cardinal directions—east, west, north, and south—and traces of these survive in the finely carved stone steps. Encircling the Salapathala Maluwa is the Weli Maluwa, the sandy compound around the stupa, where ceremonial gatherings were once held.

Architecturally, the stupa is distinguished by several well-preserved Vahalkada structures. Known in English as frontispieces, these ornamental projections are attached to the stupa at its four cardinal points. In later periods, they were embellished with decorative motifs such as creeper designs. Stone slabs intended for the offering of flowers were also incorporated into these frontispieces.

According to reports by H. C. P. Bell in 1890 and Burrows in 1894, the entire stupa was undergoing an elaborate restoration using prison labour under the supervision of the Public Works Department, financed by a Siamese prince. However, no further details are available. The Dagaba was restored again in the 1980s, but in 1987 the entire structure collapsed, destroying one of the finest Vahalkada examples from the Anuradhapura period. The present dagoba, completed in 1993, encloses the remains of the original structure but has lost all of its historical architectural features. It rises to a height of 59 metres (192 feet) and measures 43 metres (141 feet) in diameter.

This sacred site occupies the tenth position among the Solosmasthana, the sixteen Buddhist sacred places sanctified by the Buddha. It is also one of the Atamasthana, the eight most revered pilgrimage sites in Anuradhapura.

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

The Vahalkada of the Mirisavetiya stupa before destruction in 1987

The Vahalkada of the Mirisavetiya stupa after being restored ( 2015)

References

B.W. Harischandra, 1908. The Sacred City of Anuradhapura. With Forty-six Illustrations. 1st ed. Colombo: Brahmachari Walisingha Harischandra.
H.E. Weerasooriya, 1939. Historical guide to Anuradhapura’s ruins. Colombo: W.E. Bastian.
Burrows, S., 1894. The buried cities of Ceylon : A Guidebook for Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa with Chapters on Dambulla, Kalawewa, Mihintale and Sigiri. 2nd ed. Colombo: J. Ferguson, pp.65-67.
Bell, H., 1904. Archaeological survey of Ceylon – North-Central Province – Anual Report 1890. Colombo, Sri Lanka: Gerorge J. A. Skeen. p.03
Seneviratna, A., 1994. Ancient Anuradhapura. 1st ed. Colombo: Archaeological Survey Department, Sri Lanka.
Mah|can|cama and Geiger, W., 1912. The Mahavamsa or the great chronicle of Ceylon. London: Henry Frowde, Oxford University Press. pp 179-181.
Smither, J. and Wikramagamage, C., 1993. Architectural Remains, Anurádhapura, Ceylon; comprising the dágabas and certain other ancient ruined structures. Measured, drawn and described by J.G. Smither. 2nd ed. (revised) Colombo: Academy of Sri Lankan Culture, pp.25-29

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

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Driving Directions to Anuradhapura (Mirisawetiya Dagaba)

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