Ruwanvelisaya

Ruwanweli Maha Seya
රුවන්වැලිසෑය
The Ruwanwelisaya Stupa
Location in Sri Lanka
Basic information
Geographic coordinates	8°21′0″N 80°23′47″E / 8.35000°N 80.39639°E / 8.35000; 80.39639Coordinates: 8°21′0″N 80°23′47″E / 8.35000°N 80.39639°E / 8.35000; 80.39639
Affiliation	Theravada Buddhism
Country	Sri Lanka
Architectural description
Founder	King Dutugamunu
Completed	circa 140 BC

The Ruwanwelisaya is a stupa, a hemispherical structure containing relics, in Sri Lanka, considered sacred to many Buddhists all over the world. It was built by King Dutugemunu c. 140 B.C., who became lord of all Sri Lanka after a war in which the Chola King Ellalan, was defeated. It is also known as "Mahathupa", "Swarnamali Chaitya", "Suvarnamali Mahaceti" (in Pali) and "Rathnamali Dagaba".

This is one of the "Solosmasthana" (the 16 places of veneration) and the "Atamasthana" (the 8 places of veneration in the ancient sacred city of Anuradhapura). The stupa is one of the world's tallest monuments, standing at 103 m (338 ft) and with a circumference of 290 m (951 ft). The Kaunghmudaw Pagoda in Sagaing, Myanmar is modeled after this stupa.

The stupa was a ruin in the 19th century. After fundraising efforts by Sinhalese bhikkhu, it was renovated in the early 20th century. The Ruwanveli Seya Restoration Society was founded in 1902 and the final crowning of the stupa took place on 17 June 1940.

After The Buddha’s ‘‘Parinibbāna’’, His relics were enshrined and worshipped in stupas by Princes of eight countries two quarts in each country. The two quarts of relics that were enshrined in the village ‘‘Rāmagāma’’ were, according to The Buddha’s determination, destined to be enshrined in the Great Stūpa Ruvanveli. King Dutugemunu who, on the full-moon day of the month of ‘‘Āsāḷha’’ (June–July), under the constellation of ‘‘Uttarāsāḷha’’, would officiate in the ceremony for the enshrining of the relics in the Great Stūpa, worshipped the ‘‘Sangha’’ (Order of monks) on the day before the full-moon day, reminded them that tomorrow is the appointed day for the enshrining of the relics and requested them to give him the relics. The Saṅgha ordered then the novice Arahant ‘‘Soṇuttara’’, who was gifted with the six supernormal faculties, to procure the relics from Naga-Loka realm, which Arahant ‘‘Soṇuttara’’ manages to visit and bring and offer to the ‘‘Sangha’’.