In the third century CE, in the sacred city of Anuradhapura, an extraordinary architectural achievement rose toward the heavens—the Jetavanaramaya. At 122 metres (400 feet), this magnificent stupa became the world’s tallest, and the third tallest structure on Earth, surpassed only by the two great pyramids of Giza. Today, though time and the elements have reduced its height to 71 metres, the Jetavanaramaya remains a testament to the remarkable engineering prowess and religious devotion of ancient Sri Lanka.
A Monument Born of Repentance
The story of the Jetavanaramaya begins with King Mahasena of Anuradhapura, who ruled from 273 to 301 CE. The king’s reign was marked by a controversial decision that would haunt him—he had allowed and even supported the destruction of the Mahavihara, a revered Theravadan Buddhist monastery. This act created deep rifts within the Buddhist community and left the king seeking redemption.
To atone for his mistakes and demonstrate his renewed commitment to Buddhism, King Mahasena initiated one of the most ambitious construction projects the ancient world had ever seen. He chose a site of profound religious significance—the location believed to be where Mahinda Maha Thero, the Buddhist monk who brought Buddhism to Sri Lanka, was cremated. Upon this sacred ground, the king would build a monument that would stand as both an offering of remorse and a symbol of unwavering faith.
The construction of the Jetavanaramaya took 15 years and required the coordinated efforts of thousands of skilled workers, including brickyard laborers, bricklayers, and stonemasons. King Mahasena initiated the project, but it was his son, Kithsirimevan (also known as Maghavanna I), who saw it through to completion, ensuring his father’s vision became reality.
Engineering Excellence on an Unprecedented Scale
The sheer scale of the Jetavanaramaya staggers the imagination. Approximately 93.3 million baked bricks were meticulously arranged to create what remains the largest brick structure from the ancient world. One side of the stupa measures 176 metres (576 feet) in length, and the entire structure covers a base area of 233,000 square metres—an area larger than many modern city blocks.
But the true genius of the Jetavanaramaya lies not just in its size, but in the sophisticated engineering solutions its builders employed to make such a massive structure possible. The foundation alone descended 8.5 metres (28 feet) deep, anchoring the monument firmly into bedrock. This solid foundation was essential for supporting the enormous weight above.
The bricks themselves were specially formulated for this monumental task. Each brick contained a precise composition of 60 percent fine sand and 35 percent clay, creating a material that could withstand pressures of up to 44 kilograms per square centimetre. The size and weight of the structure required bricks capable of bearing loads of up to 166 kilograms—a remarkable achievement in ancient materials science.
The builders demonstrated sophisticated understanding of structural engineering by constructing the dome in a perfect ellipsoid shape. This wasn’t merely an aesthetic choice; the ellipsoid form allowed for optimal stress distribution throughout the structure, enabling it to reach such unprecedented heights without collapsing under its own weight. The dome was constructed using full and half bricks combined with earth fill, creating a stable yet massive form.
Even the mortar binding the bricks together was an engineering marvel. The bonding material consisted of finely crushed dolomite, limestone, sieved sand, and clay. The clay used was deliberately pliable, allowing it to accommodate movement within the structure—a crucial feature for maintaining stability over centuries. The builders even roughened one side of each brick to better trap the bonding slurry, limiting lateral movement and enhancing structural integrity.
Protecting the Monument Through the Ages
The ancient engineers understood that their creation needed protection from the elements and natural degradation. To shield the brick structure, they covered the entire stupa with an elaborate lime plaster whose composition reads like an ancient recipe book: seashells, sugar syrup, egg whites, coconut water, glues, oils, plant resin, sand, clay, and pebbles. This complex mixture created a durable protective layer that helped preserve the monument through the centuries.
Additional protective measures included copper sheets placed over the foundation and, remarkably, arsenic dissolved in sesame oil applied to prevent insect and plant intrusions. These sophisticated preservation techniques demonstrate the builders’ intention to create a structure that would endure for millennia.
A Living Monastery Complex
The Jetavanaramaya was far more than a solitary monument—it was the centerpiece of an extensive monastery complex that became one of the most important religious centers in the Buddhist world. The compound covered approximately 5.6 hectares and was estimated to have housed an astonishing 10,000 Buddhist monks, making it one of the largest monastic communities in ancient times.
The monastery belonged to the Sagalika sect and was closely linked with the Abhyagiri Viharaya, developing into one of three major Buddhist fraternities on the island, alongside the Mahavihara and Abhyagiriya. This religious diversity reflected the complex theological landscape of ancient Sri Lankan Buddhism, where Theravada and Mahayana traditions coexisted and sometimes competed.
Archaeological excavations have revealed the remains of an image house within the complex, where a lotus base indicates that a massive Buddha statue once stood—estimated to have been 11.3 metres (37 feet) tall. This colossal statue would have provided a focal point for worship and meditation for the thousands of monks who called this place home.
The Sacred Relic
At the heart of the Jetavanaramaya lies a sacred treasure: a piece of the belt worn by the Buddha himself. This relic transformed the stupa from an architectural achievement into a pilgrimage destination of the highest importance. For Buddhists across Asia, the presence of this authentic relic made the Jetavanaramaya a place where the physical and spiritual presence of the Buddha could be directly experienced.
The monument also holds another profound connection to Sri Lankan Buddhist history—it was built upon the very ground where Mahinda Maha Thero’s remains were cremated. Recent archaeological excavations have uncovered a one-metre-thick brick wall adjacent to a layer of ash and charcoal, believed to be the actual cremation chamber where the great monk’s remains rest.
Treasures Revealed by Modern Archaeology
In the modern era, archaeological excavations at the Jetavanaramaya have yielded remarkable discoveries that have deepened our understanding of ancient Sri Lankan Buddhism and the island’s role in international trade networks. Among the most significant finds are nine gold plates containing portions of a Mahayana Sutra, identified as a version of the Prajnaparamita Sutra—the philosophical discourse of the Buddha. These plates, written in ninth-century Sinhala script but in the Sanskrit language, weigh approximately 73 ounces and measure 25 inches in length by 2.3 inches in breadth. Their discovery provides crucial evidence of Mahayana Buddhism’s presence in Sri Lanka.
Excavations have also uncovered various coins, Chinese ceramic ware, and other artifacts that indicate Sri Lanka’s position as a primary trading hub connecting the Indian Ocean region with both the Mediterranean world and the Far East. The monastery was not merely a religious center but also a cosmopolitan crossroads where cultures, ideas, and goods converged.
Legacy and Restoration
In 1982, Anuradhapura was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, ensuring international recognition and protection for the Jetavanaramaya and the other ancient monuments of this sacred city. The Central Cultural Fund has undertaken comprehensive restoration efforts, with conservation work in the late 1990s funded primarily by income from ticket sales to tourists visiting Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, and Sigiriya—Sri Lanka’s cultural triangle.
However, restoration has faced challenges, including brick shortages that have slowed progress. The work continues, driven by a commitment to preserve this irreplaceable link to Sri Lanka’s ancient past and to maintain the Jetavanaramaya as a living monument where pilgrims can still come to pay their respects to the sacred relic within.
A Monument for the Ages
The Jetavanaramaya stands as more than an architectural achievement—it represents the pinnacle of ancient Sri Lankan civilization’s capabilities in engineering, materials science, and project management. That such a massive and sophisticated structure could be built in the third century CE, using technologies we are only now beginning to fully understand and appreciate, speaks to the advanced state of knowledge in ancient Anuradhapura.
For fifteen centuries, the Jetavanaramaya held its position as one of the world’s tallest structures. Even today, diminished from its original height but still imposing, it reminds us of an era when Sri Lanka was home to one of the most sophisticated civilizations on Earth—a civilization that could mobilize tens of thousands of workers, master complex engineering challenges, and create monuments that continue to inspire wonder and reverence more than 1,700 years after their creation.
The Jetavanaramaya is not merely a relic of the past but a bridge between ancient wisdom and modern understanding, between religious devotion and scientific achievement, between one king’s quest for redemption and humanity’s eternal aspiration to reach toward the heavens.