Your base for exploring this tourist attraction is the ancient city of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. For tourist information about Anuradhapura, go to Anuradhapura Travel Guide. To prepare for a trip to Sri Lanka, read also the Sri Lanka Travel Guide. Looking for budget accommodation? Use AsiaExplorers Budget Accommodation Guide, the no-frills website to cover your budget accommodation needs.
Jetavana Dagoba in Anuradhapura is the tallest stupa in Sri Lanka. It stands majestically at 400ft (122m) tall. And, it is also the tallest brick structure in the world. (Compare it with other brick monuments in Asia, namely the Qtub Minar in Delhi, India, and the unfinished Mingun Pagoda in Myanmar). Among the world's ancient structures, only two of the pyramids in Giza surpass it in height.
This monstrous stupa has a diameter of 367ft (113m), a testament to the engineering feat from 1,600 years ago. Archaeologists undertaking recent escavations discovered that its foundation is 252 feet deep (I previously reported it as 27 feet!), sitting on the bedrock. It stands of a square platform eight acres in extent.
The Jetavana Dagoba in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka.
The Jetavana Dagoba is part of the 3rd century Jetavanamaya, or Jetavana Monastery, which was the residence for 3000 monks. The monastery was founded by King Mahasena (276-303AD), the first in a line of great tank builders of ancient Lanka.
The area where the Jetavana monastery stands was once known as Nandana Pleasure Grove. It got the title Jotivana, which means "the place where the holy one made the true doctrine shine forth", because it was here that the Buddhist Saint Mahinda preached the essence of the Buddha's teachings. The name Jetavana is of course derived from the Pali Jotivana.
Jetavana Dagoba Photo Gallery
To view more photos of the Jetavana Dagoba, click enter.
Anuradhapura Travel Guide
Explore the places of interest in Anuradhapura. Click to view list.
About the Author: AsiaExplorers is researched and written by Timothy Tye. We take reasonable care to check and verify the accuracy of the content. However, we disclaim any responsibility for any inconvenience, mishap, injury or death resulting from following the advice provided directly or indirectly by AsiaExplorers and the comments on its pages. All the photographs in AsiaExplorers are available for publication. Please contact AsiaExplorers at the following email address for your enquiries:
