Jetavanaramaya: a first visit to Anuradhapura's giant stupa

Jetavanaramaya was built by King Mahasena, who reigned in the late 3rd century AD, and completed by his son. Mahasena supported a monastic faction rival to the orthodox Mahavihara, and the monastery he founded around the stupa became one of the three great monasteries of Anuradhapura, alongside the Mahavihara and Abhayagiri.

The stupa is said to enshrine part of a sash or belt tied by the Buddha. At its original height of roughly 122 metres, it was among the tallest structures in the ancient world. After Anuradhapura's fall in 1017, it was abandoned to the jungle, and the dome lost its upper part.

Restoration in recent decades stabilised the brick and partly restored its profile. It remains unplastered, which shows the brickwork clearly.

Jetavanaramaya's monastery was a rival to the Mahavihara for centuries, and the competition between the great monasteries shaped Anuradhapura's history. Kings who favoured one or the other gave land, built monuments and sometimes demolished rival buildings. The giant stupa is partly a statement of royal patronage in that contest.

The scale of Jetavanaramaya is hard to grasp until you stand at its base. The dome rises about 70 metres today, and the terrace around it is wide enough for a long walk. Estimates suggest over 90 million bricks went into it, and engineers have studied how the foundations, set on bedrock, carried such weight.

Many visitors find the best view is from a little distance, where the dome rises above the trees. Up close, look at the brickwork, the remains of shrines at the four cardinal points and the terrace stonework.

Jetavanaramaya's terrace offers the best sense of the monastery that once surrounded it. Look out for the remains of the image house to the west, with a tall stone doorway, and the foundations of monks' residences. The monastery grounds once covered a large area, with thousands of monks living there at its height in the first millennium.

Visit Jetavanaramaya early in the morning, when the terrace is cool and the low sun brings out the brick colour. Shoes come off at the terrace, and the stone heats up quickly by late morning. Walk around clockwise, as pilgrims do.

Jetavanaramaya is within the Anuradhapura sacred city, covered by the main ticket of roughly US$25 to US$30 for foreign adults. It lies in the south-east part of the city, near the Jetavana museum, and is often combined with Ruwanwelisaya and Thuparamaya by bicycle or tuk-tuk.

Lankan Stays & Trails guides usually begin an Anuradhapura day at Jetavanaramaya at about 7am, then work north, so the hottest hours are spent indoors at the museums.

The Jetavana museum, near the stupa, displays finds from the monastery excavations, including gold and gem jewellery, carved stone, coins and items traded from across Asia. It shows how wealthy and connected the monastery was.

The museum is small and cool, a good stop at midday. Check opening days locally, as Anuradhapura's museums sometimes close one day a week.

One of the museum's most interesting exhibits shows the variety of beads and gems found at Jetavana, many traded from India, the Middle East and the Mediterranean. Together with the scale of the stupa, they show Anuradhapura as a wealthy, outward-looking city at the centre of Indian Ocean trade routes.

Jetavanaramaya fits naturally at the start of an Anuradhapura day. From there, the route continues to Ruwanwelisaya, the Sri Maha Bodhi and Thuparamaya, then north to Abhayagiri, the Samadhi Buddha and Kuttam Pokuna, ending at Isurumuniya near Tissa Wewa for sunset.

If you have only half a day in Anuradhapura, choose Jetavanaramaya or Abhayagiri rather than both, and add the Sri Maha Bodhi and Ruwanwelisaya.