Rankoth Vehera is a
stupa
A stupa ( sa, स्तूप, lit=heap, ) is a mound-like or hemispherical structure containing relics (such as ''śarīra'' – typically the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns) that is used as a place of meditation.
In Buddhism, circumamb ...
located in the ancient city of
Polonnaruwa
Poḷonnaruwa, ( si, පොළොන්නරුව, translit=Poḷonnaruva; ta, பொலன்னறுவை, translit=Polaṉṉaṟuvai) also referred as Pulathisipura and Vijayarajapura in ancient times, is the main town of Polonnaruwa Dis ...
in
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
. The stupa was built by
Nissanka Malla of Polonnaruwa, who ruled the country from 1187 to 1196.
The Rankoth Vehera has been built according to the tradition of the stupas of the
Anuradhapura Maha Viharaya and bears a close resemblance to
Ruwanwelisaya
The Ruwanweli Maha Seya, also known as the Mahathupa (), is a stupa (a hemispherical structure containing relics) in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. Two quarts or one Dona of the Buddha's relics are enshrined in the stupa, making it the largest collecti ...
.
In fact, a stone inscription situated close to the stupa even identifies it by the name "Ruwanweli". However, it has later come to be known by the currently used name, Rankoth Vehera.
In
Sinhalese
Sinhala may refer to:
* Something of or related to the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka
* Sinhalese people
* Sinhala language, one of the three official languages used in Sri Lanka
* Sinhala script, a writing system for the Sinhala language
** Sinha ...
, ''ran'' means gold, ''kotha'' is the name given to the pinnacle of a stupa, and ''vehera'' means stupa or temple. Thus, the name Rankoth Vehera can be roughly translated to English as "Gold Pinnacled Stupa".
Along with the
Kiri Vehera, it is one of the most revered stupas in Polonnaruwa.
Description
Rankoth Vehera is structure made entirely of brick, and has a base diameter of and a height of . However, the original shape of the stupa, particularly its upper portion, has been changed during renovation work carried out by later rulers and it is estimated that the original height of Rankoth Vehera may have been almost .
Despite this, it remains the largest stupa in the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, and the fourth largest stupa in the country.
The stupa has four large
Vahalkadas, a structure used for offering flowers and also to support the weight of a stupa. These are also made of brick. The stupa is located in the center of a large square terrace, which is also surrounded by a brick wall. The terrace has four entrances oriented to the four cardinal points, with sand paths leading to them.
A stone inscription near one of the entrances mention that King Nissanka Malla observed and supervised the construction of the stupa from there. It is also mentioned that he worshiped the stupa from a small platform, which is located in a corner of the terrace.
See also
*
Ancient stupas of Sri Lanka
References
External links
{{coord, 7.95821, 81.0034, format=dms, display=title
Kingdom of Polonnaruwa
Stupas in Sri Lanka
Buildings and structures in North Central Province, Sri Lanka
Archaeological protected monuments in Polonnaruwa District