Restoration work on the historic Jethawanaramaya in Anuradhapura is nearing completion. The work began 14 years ago as a project of the Central Triangle Fund. According to restoration officer Vajira Ferdinandez, five million bricks were specially made in Anuradhapura's Galkadawela area for use in the restoration work. The Jethawanaramaya is considered the largest historic brick structure of its kind in South Asia.
According to the Mahawamsa, the stupa was built between 276 and 313 AD, in the reign of King Mahasen. Originally 400 feet tall, the stupa has shrunk in size over the centuries and now stands at 232 feet. The structure is 367 ft in circumference and occupies an area of eight acres.
Ancient chronicles say that a succession of Sinhalese kings, beginning with Parakramabahu Bahu the Great (circa 1153-1186 AD), have undertaken restoration work on the stupa. |
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