The King of Ruwanweli Maha Seya

March 01, 2025

The King of Ruwanweli Maha Seya

Ruwanweli Maha Seya, also known as Swarnamali Maha Seya, is a physical stupa located in Sri Lanka. It was the main stupa of the ancient Maha Viharaya. It is also the main stupa of the present-day Atamasthana. This stupa is one of the Sixteen Sacred Places (Sixteen Sacred Places) and the Eight Sacred Places.

Uniqueness

It is one of the most sacred places in the world, housing the relics of Gautama Buddha. At the same time, the Ruwanweli Maha Seya is the only stupa that houses the relics of Gautama Buddha. It houses a bronze statue of the Buddha in the form of a Parinirvana.

Physical characteristics

With a height of 338 feet (103 meters) and a diameter of 942 feet (287.1 meters), it is one of the tallest monuments in the world. (The circumference of the base of the nave is 807 feet.) It is a stupa that has become extremely sacred among Buddhists around the world due to its architectural qualities and miraculousness.

Aliases

☆Mahathupa (in Pali)
☆Maha Stupa
☆Maha Thupa
☆Maha Seya
☆Ruwanweli Maha Seya
☆Ruwanmeli Maha Seya
☆Ratnamali Maha Seya
☆Rathanamali Maha Seya
☆Hemamali Maha Seya
☆Asadurisha Maha Seya
☆Swarnamali Maha Seya

Physical relics

After the Parinirvana of the Buddha, the leaders of eight countries brought two reliquaries of relics to each country and enshrined them in stupas and worshipped them. The two reliquaries containing the relics that had been enshrined in the village of Ramagama were ordered to be enshrined in the Ruwanweli Great Stupa according to the Buddha's will. King Dutugemunu, who organized an official ceremony to enshrine the relics in the Great Stupa on the full moon day of Esala, paid homage to the Sangha Ratna on the day before the full moon day, and reminded them that preparations had been made to enshrine the relics on the following day, and requested that the relics be brought. Following the order of the Sangha, the newly ordained arahant named Souttara arrived with the relics by the power of Srudhi. Then King Dutugemunu, having received the relics from the Sangha, placed them in a golden casket on his head and departed from the golden pavilion amidst various offerings and offerings, and the respect of the gods and brahmins. He rode around the relic chamber three times, entered from the east, and placed the relic chamber on a silver couch that had been prepared facing north. By the power of the Buddha's will, a statue of the Buddha on a throne emerged and all the relics were enshrined in that statue. After the enshrining of the relics in the Ruwanweli Great Stupa was completed, the relic chamber was closed with a stone cover that had been previously hidden for later use as a lid by the novices Utthara and Sumana.
"May the relic chamber not be shaken even by an earthquake; may the flowers such as the pitcher flowers offered on that day not wither until the end of the Buddha's teaching; may the lamps lit with castor oil not go out; may the sandalwood and perfumed earth not dry out; may there not be a single scratch on the relic chamber; may the gold objects offered not rust." All these wishes were fulfilled by the determination of the arahants who had come to this ceremony. They resolved that "not even the enemy should see this relic chamber." Furthermore, according to the order of King Dutugemunu, gold and silver caskets containing the relics of the Buddha and many other objects were placed on the relic chamber.

Pilgrimage verse

Saingsu Yasmin Sugatassa Dhatu
Nimmaya Ransujjala Buddha Rupam
Suvannamalithi Pathithanaman
Vandamahamaham Thupavaram Mahaggham

Construction

Obtaining building materials
According to ancient texts, for the Anuradhapura kingdom,
A yoduna (a unit of distance) of clay was taken from the banks of the Gambhira River to the north to make bricks for the construction of the temple.
Three yodunas of gold ingots were obtained from the village of Avuruwini to the southeast.
Seven yodunas of copper were obtained from the village of Thambapinna to the east.
Four yodunas of gems were brought from the village of Samanwewa to the southeast.
Eight yodunas of silver were obtained from the cave of Ridi to the south.
Five yodunas of pearls and beads the size of a jellied fruit were brought from the small town of Uruwela to the west.
Four large rubies were brought from the village of Pelavapi, four miles to the northwest.

Foundation

On a full moon day, King Dutugemunu removed the "Abhilivith" inscription installed by King Devanampiyatissa.
The ground was leveled.
It was dug to a depth of seven cubits.
Soldiers were ordered to lay curved stones on it.
The stones were broken with hammers.
Then it was trampled by elephants.
On that layer of stone were laid bricks, on the bricks rough mortar, on the rough mortar quartz, on the quartz an iron grid, on the iron grid fragrant clay, on the fragrant mat white stones, on the white stones marbles, and on top of that stone slabs were laid.
Then a mixture of mercury, avocado pulp and sandalwood was made and the stone slabs were laid on top of them, and eight-inch-thick bronze sheets were spread on top of them.

On top of those bronze sheets, arsenic and sesame oil were mixed together and spread, and four-inch-thick silver sheets were placed on top of them.

Thus the king completed the foundation of this great temple, and arrangements were made to install the foundation stone on the full moon day of Esala. He then beautified the city of Anuradhapura and the Ruwanweli Temple as a divine city. For this, nine hundred million arahants came from India. On the full moon day of the Esala Poya, under the constellation of Uttarasiha, he laid the foundation stone of the Maha Seya and resolved, "May the deeds I undertake for this stupa be successfully completed!! Then may the Buddharakkhita, Dhammarakkhita, Sangharakkhita and Ananda Arahants ascend from the four directions of the Maha Seya." As he resolved, the Venerable Siddhatta, Maigala, Paduma, Seevali, Chandagutta, Indagutta, Suriyagutta, Sitthasena, Jayasena and Akala Arahants faced east and stood in front of the kotala near the entrance during the festival. Nandisena, Supatinhitha, the son of Sumana Devi, and the minister appointed for the festival, walked around the relic house and measured the curved boundary of the Maha Seya with a silver rod. Seeing the minister thus measuring a very large scale around the relic house, the venerable Siddhatta advised him to measure with a medium scale. Hearing the names of the venerable Siddhatta, the minister and his parents, King Dutugemunu was delighted, thinking, "The work on the stupa will be successful in every way." Then he installed eight large gold and eight silver pots in the center of the great temple and placed one hundred and eight punkalas around the large water pot. In this way, he placed eight gold bricks at the eight corners and placed one hundred and eight silver bricks around them.

Blessing the Stupa

Arahant Sitthasena placed a fragrant Latu Pidda in the eastern part of the boundary line drawn around the Maha Seya. When Arahant Jayasena sprinkled Pirith water on it under the constellations of Uttarasiha and Supatinhitha, the minister in charge of the festival placed gold bricks and offerings made at great expense on the sprinkled Pirith water. According to legend, at this time, the Derana Plateau, which was attended by two hundred and seventy thousand people, shook with thunder.He had his sons place gold bricks in the other seven directions of the Great Stupa in this manner. After that, King Dutugemunu, who had offered offerings to the Arahants residing in the four directions of the courtyard, sat down to listen to the Dhamma from the Great Arahant Piyadassi. After hearing that Dhamma, forty thousand people attained the state of Arahants. Forty-four thousand people attained the fruit of Sovan. One thousand people attained the state of Sakradagamī and another thousand people attained the state of Anagamī.

The Death of King Dutugemunu

While the unique Ruwanweli Maha Seya was being completed with ten square towers amidst the recitation of the protective sutras by the arahants, King Dutugemunu, who had ruled Sri Lanka for twenty-four years, read the book containing the merits he had made and looked at the Maha Seya. He died and was reborn in the Thusitha heaven as a divine son.

The Death of King Saddhatissa

King Dutugemunu's brother, King Saddhatissa, completed the remaining work on the Seya and was reborn in the Thusitha heaven after his death.

The Great King

King Dutugemunu of the future Maitreya Buddha order would become the right agaddha of the Buddha. King Saddhatissa would become the left agaddha. Kavantissa and Vihara Maha Devi would become the parents of Maitreya Buddha. King Kavantissa's younger sister, Princess Anula, would become the chief consort of Maitreya Bodhisattva. Prince Saliya would become the son of Maitreya Bodhisattva. King Dutugemunu's treasury minister, Sanoga, would become the chief attendant of Maitreya Bodhisattva. The daughter of the minister in charge of the treasury would become the chief attendant.

Reforms

20th century renovations

In the late 19th century, Venerable Narangwita Sumanasara Thero traveled to the holy city of Anuradhapura to pay homage to the Eight Shrines. During this journey, the Venerable Thera also visited the dilapidated Ruwanweli Great Stupa, which belonged to the Eighth Temple, and was deeply moved when he saw the great temple.