- Area: Sri Lanka
- Type: Attractions
- Group: Buddhism Vihara
This stupa has been built by King Parakramabahu the Great ( 1153-1186) as a memorial to the location he was born.
In 1070 Prince Vijayabahu defeated the Chola invaders who ruled Polonnaruwa and brought the country under a single ruler. While he made his capital Polonnaruwa, his sister Mitta’s son Manabharana was appointed as a sub-king in Ruhuna. His wife Ratnavali was the daughter of King Vijayabahu I. Later a prince called Veerabahu invaded the Ruhuna region and Manabharana escaped to Dedigama then called Punkagama. Manabharana then ruled the Maya Region with Dedigama as the administrative capital.
This royal couple had 2 daughters ( some believe that they had 3 daughters) and the Prince Manabharana was worried about not having a son and sought spiritual guidance to have an heir. At one of the temples, he had a dream of a visit from a day who told him that he is destined to have a son who will one day become a great leader. It is said that the It is here when the queen Rathnavali delivered the baby boy who later became the Parakramabahu the Great ( 1153-1186).
This stupa has not been subject to any major renovation but during excavations, it has been found that the stupa is built on top of another smaller stupa. The smaller stupa was found closer to the pesa walls on the eastern side. This was 36 feet in diameter. It has been found that both these stupas has been built around the same time.
It is believed that the smaller stupa has been built on the exact place where the birth took place and then a bigger stupa was built around it. The diameter of the bigger stupa is 256 feet and it is 47 feet high. The top of the stupa is flat and covers about 26,000 square feet.
Although it is unknown what relic was enshrined in this stupa, a massive amount of relics have been recovered in its 10 relic chambers. Out of these, the most significant is the Ingenious Elephant Lamp.
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