Thuparamaya of Ancient Anuradhapura

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Dalada Ge (Image House / Trident House) of Thuparama Monastery of Anuradhapura with its unique and magnificent pillar capitals which had aroused the curiosity of early exploders' — Dalada Ge (Image House / Trident House) of Thuparama Monastery of Anuradhapura with its unique and magnificent pillar capitals which had aroused the curiosity of early exploders’

The Image House of Thuparamaya has also been called “Trident House” and “Dalada Ge” by various authors in the past.

Thuparamaya is the first stupa to be built in the country after the introduction of Buddhism to Sri Lanka. Built during the time of King Devamnampiyatissa (250BC – 210BC) this was a stupa as well as an Aramic complex (monastery). “As contemporary with Asoka” (says Mr. Fergusson, in his History of Indian and Eastern Architecture), “it belongs to the most interesting period of Buddhist history and is older, or, at least, as old as anything now existing on the continent of India” (Smither and Wikramagamage, 1993).

Today ruins of this complex cover nearly 3½ acres. The stupa was built on the instructions of Mahinda Thero, who brought Buddhism to the island, to enshrine the right collarboneof Lord Buddha.

According to the Mahavamsa, the Great Chronicle of Sri Lanka, this place where the stupa stands has been blessed by Buddha’s presence during his 3rd visit to Kelaniya in Sri Lanka. Thus, this site lies on the 12th position of Solosmasthana, the sixteen Buddhist sacred sites hallowed by Buddha, and is also one of Atamasthana, one of the eight most sacred holy sites of Anuradhapura.

Plan of Thuparamaya Ruins of Anuradhapura
source : Architectural Remains, Anurádhapura, Ceylon; comprising the dágabas and certain other ancient ruined structures. Measured, drawn and described by J.G. Smither published in 1894

On the left of the stupa, you can see the conserved remains of a magnificent edifice belonging to this stupa complex, which had raised the interest of explorers from the time the ruins were discovered. This was built by King Devanampiyatissa in the 3rd century BC.

Until recently this was known as the Dalada-Ge (House of the Tooth Relic), and Archaeological Commissioner E. R. Ayrton suggested that the design was of the vajra (thunderbolt). He called it the Trident House (Devendra, 1952).

However, it has been established that this is an image house of the Thuparama Complex. This plays the unique role of the only existing example of a Patimaghara (Image House) of the ancient Maha Vihara complex. It is also a unique construction, as its magnificent pillar capitals are in the form of a vajra, or the trident motif. The vajra is the symbol of knowledge that crushes the defilements of ignorance and passion to reveal the reality of Dhamma. Therefore, the vajra represents the immutable stability of the Buddha’s total knowledge. It’s not certain if this image house had a statue of Buddha on a vajrasana, a diamond throne, depicting his enlightenment. These pillars are found in the inner sanctum of the building, which was the first construction. The mandapa In front of the image house is a later addition; there is evidence that a standing Buddha statue has been kept here.

The whole image house is built on a platform measuring 85×57 feet in size. The entrance to the image house is complete with a pair of well-carved balustrades, a pair of guard stones, and a moonstone. The moonstone has been dated to the 9th-10th centuries.

The building is adorned by a pair of beautiful guard stones at the entrance. Some of the pillars still hold the lotus-shaped crown and smooth polished surface, which has survived over 2 millennia and is a rarity in the buildings in Anuradhapura.

Next to this is the remains of a small building with two smaller guardstones and a granite doorway. Next to this is an ancient well made of granite blocks. On the opposite side of the walkway to the stupa, you will find a small stupa called Padalanchana Stupa.

On the northwestern side of the stupa, you can see the Basawakkulama Wewa (Reservoir). This is the most ancient monument in Anuradhapura. This reservoir was built by King Pandukabhaya in the 4th century BCE.

A magnificent pillar head of the Dalada-Ge of Thuparamaya kept on display at the Colombo National Museum

References

Mah|can|cama and Geiger, W., 1912. The Mahavamsa or the great chronicle of Ceylon. London: Henry Frowde, Oxford University Press.
Seneviratna, A., 1994. Ancient Anuradhapura. 1st ed. Colombo: Archaeological Survey Department, Sri Lanka.
Harischandra, B.W., 1908. The Sacred City of Anuradhapura. With Forty-six Illustrations. 1st ed. Colombo: Brahmachari Walisingha Harischandra.
Devendra, D.T., 1952. Guide to Anuradhapura. 2nd ed. Colombo: [Govt. Press], p.23.
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.1-18.
Fergusson, J., Burgess, J. and Spiers, P., 1910. History of Indian and Eastern Architecture Vol 1. 2nd ed. London: John Murray, pp.224-235.

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

Photos before restoration from www.imagesofceylon.com

photo taken on late 1800′s or early 1900′s

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Driving Directions to Anuradhapura (Thuparamaya Image House )

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