A cetiya in Anurādhapura and a monastic building attached to it. The cetiya was built by Dutthagāmanī on the spot where the king's spear, containing the Buddha's relic given to him by the monks (Mhv.xxv.1), was planted, when Dutthagāmanī went to the Tissavāpī for his ceremonial bathing after his consecration. When the king's men attempted to remove the spear they found it impossible, and the king, after consultation with the monks, decided to build a cetiya enclosing the spot with a vihāra attached. The work was completed in three years and a great ceremony of dedication was held, the building and the ceremony costing nineteen crores. The vihāra was called Maricavatti because it was intended by the king as expiation for having once eaten a pepper pod (maricavatti) without sharing it with the monks, thus violating the vow of his childhood. For the building of the vihāra, see Mhv.xxvi.1ff.; the vow is mentioned at Mhv.xxii.80; the Dpv. makes no mention of Maricavatti.
Vohārika Tissa renovated the vihāra (Mhv.xxxvi.33, 36), while Gothābhaya built an uposatha hall (Mhv.xxxvi.107) and Vasabha provided a mantling for the thūpa (Mhv.xxxv.121).
Kassapa II. built a pāsāda in the vihāra and gave it to the Thera who, at one time, lived in Nāgasālā (Cv.xliv.149). Kassapa IV. entrusted the care of the Bodhi tree at Maricavatti to the bhikkhunīs at the Tissārāma, which he built for them (Cv.lii.24), while Kassapa V. restored the whole vihāra, gave it to the Theravādins and granted five hundred maintenance villages (Cv.lii.45). Devā, mother of Sakkasenāpati, provided a diadem jewel for the Buddha image in the vihāra, also a halo, an umbrella and a garment (Cv.lii.65). Dappula III. gave a maintenance village to the vihāra (Cv.liii.2), while Mahinda IV. started to build in it a pāsāda called Candana, which does not seem to have been completed (Cv.liv.40). Parakkamabāhu I. found the thūpa destroyed by the Damilas and rebuilt it to the height of eighty cubits (Cv.lxxviii.99).