The great Thúpa in Anurádhapura, built by Dutthagámani. The site on which it was erected was consecrated by the visit of all the four Buddhas of this kappa and was at the upper end of the Kakudhavápi. It was one of the spots at which Mahinda scattered campaka flowers by way of homage, and the earth trembled. When Mahinda informed Devánampiyatissa of the great sanctity of the spot and of its suitability for a Thúpa, Tissa immediately wished to build the Thúpa himself, but Mahinda bade him desist, telling him that the work would be carried out in the future by Dutthagámani. Tissa recorded this prophecy on a pillar of stone (Mhv.xv.51ff., 167ff). When Dutthagámani had won his victory over the Damilas and had brought peace to the country, he saw the prophecy inscribed on the stone pillar, but was unwilling to start the work as the people were too crippled with regard to money to be able to support such an immense undertaking. But the devas read his thoughts and provided him with all the necessaries for the building of the Thúpa. Prepared bricks were found on the banks of the Gambhíranadí, copper near Tambapittha, silver in the Ambatthakolalena, pearls at Uruvelá, and gems in a cave near Pelivápigáma. The building was started on the full moon day of Visákha. The foundation stone was laid on the fourteenth day of the bright half of the month of Asálha. Great celebrations marked the event, arrangements for which were in the hands of the ministers Visákha and Sirideva. Monks were present not only from all over Ceylon but from many other places: eighty thousand under Indagutta from Rájagaha, twelve thousand under Dhammasena from Isipatana, sixty thousand under Piyadassí from Jetavanáráma, eighteen thousand under Mahá Buddharakkhita from Mahávana in Vesáli, thirty thousand under Mahá Dhammarakkhita from Ghositáráma in Kosambí, forty thousand under Mahá Sangharakkhita from Dakkhinágiri in Ujjeni, one hundred and sixty thousand under Mittinna Asokáráma in Pátaliputta, two hundred and eighty thousand under Uttinna from Kasmíra, four hundred and sixty thousand under Mahádeva from Pallabhogga, thirty thousand under Yonamahá Dhammarakkhita from Alasandá, sixty thousand under Uttara from Viñjhátaví, thirty thousand under Cittagutta from Bodhimanda vihára, eighty thousand under Candagutta from Vanavása, and ninety six thousand under Suriyagutta from Kelása vihára. Of arahants alone ninety six crores were present.
As the king stepped into the space left open for him, he expressed the desire that, if his worship were to have a happy result, theras bearing the names of the Buddha, his Dhamma and his Sangha, should take their places on the east, south, and west sides respectively, and a thera bearing the name of Ananda on the north side, each thera to be surrounded by a group bearing the same name. The king's wish was fulfilled; the theras in question and their companions were called Mahá Buddharakkhita, Mahá Dhammarakkhita, Mahá Sangharakkhita and Mahánanda. As the king was about to mark the space to be covered by the cetiya, the Thera Siddhattha, looking into the future, told him to define only a moderate space for the Thúpa. This the king did; then, looking at the theras immediately around him, he inquired their names and rejoiced to find them so auspicious, they being Siddhattha, Mangala, Sumam, Paduma, Sívalí, Candagutta, Suriyagutta, Indagutta, Ságara, Mittasena, Jayasena, and Acala. He then laid the first foundation stone on the east side on sweet smelling clay prepared by Mittasena and sprinkled with water by Jayasena; Mahásumana placed jasmine flowers on the stone. Immediately the earth trembled in wonder. The minister who helped the king to mark out the area of the cetiya was Suppatitthitabrahmá, son of Nandisena and Sumanadeví. At the end of the ceremony, Piyadassí preached to the assembled populace, and many attained to various fruits of the Path.
The Thúpa was like a water bubble in shape; its architect was Sirivaddha and his assistant Acala. Orders were given that no unpaid work should be done in the construction of the cetiya. Arahants caused the three terraces of flower offerings to the Thúpa (pupphádháná) to sink nine times into the earth, in order, as they explained, to strengthen the foundations. The cetiya was one hundred and twenty cubits high, and for the ten flower terraces alone ten crores of bricks were used.
The Relic Chamber was of unparalleled magnificence, and consisted of four medavannapásáná, each eighty cubits in length and in breadth and eight inches thick. These were brought from Uttarakura by two sámaneras, Uttara and Sumana. In the Chamber were placed sculptural representations of the chief events connected with the Buddha's life as well as pictures of several Játakas, including the Vessantara.
For list see Mhv.xxx.71ff.; the MT (549ff.) contains a long disquisition to prove that there is no reason to doubt the account given of the contents of the Relic Chamber, for in its construction the power (iddhi) of the king, of devas, and of arahants came into play.
The work of the Relic Chamber was under the personal supervision of Indagutta Thera, of great iddhi power. When the Chamber was ready for the enshrining of the Relics, Sonuttara of Pújá parivena was entrusted with the task of obtaining them. In a previous birth, as Nanduttara, he had vowed to have the power of doing this, and now was his opportunity. He went to Mañjerika Nága bhavana, where the Relics, washed away from the Thúpa at Rámagáma, were in the custody of the Nága Mahákála, and by a display of iddhi power obtained them from the Nága against his desire. They represented one dona of the Buddha's Relics, and the Buddha had predicted that they would ultimately be placed in the Mahá Thúpa. These Relics were enshrined on the fifteenth uposatha day in the light half of the month of Ásálha, under the constellation of Uttarásálha. Many devas and brahmas and nágas were present as on the day of the Buddha's Enlightenment, and ninety six crores of arahants attended the ceremony. As the king, after passing three times round the cetiya, ascended it on the east side, and was about to descend into the Relic Chamber, bearing on his head the Casket of Relics, the casket opened and the Relics rose out of it, and taking on the form of the Buddha, performed the Twin Miracle, as at the foot of the Gandamba. When the Relics were placed on the couch prepared for them they assumed, as the king had desired, the form of the Buddha as he lay on his death bed. For a whole week the celebrations lasted, and during this period the king offered to the Relics the dominion of Ceylon, and Indagutta decreed that the people of Ceylon, wherever they might be, should be able immediately to visit the Thúpa should they desire to do so. At the end of the seven days, the two sámaneras, Uttara and Sumana, closed the Chamber with the medavannapásáná set apart for the purpose, while arahants pronounced that flowers offered in the Relic Chamber should not wither, nor scents dry up; the lamps should not be extinguished nor anything whatever perish.
The building of the Máha Thúpa is described in Mhv. chaps xxviii-xxx.; MT. 514 83; Dpv.xix.1ff.; also Thúpavamsa (pp. 66ff.).
The treasures enshrined in the Mahá Thúpa were worth twenty crores, the rest cost one thousand crores (Mhv.xxxii.18).
Before the parasol of the Mahá Thúpa and the plaster work could be completed, Dutthagámani fell ill, and his brother, Saddhátissa, summoned from Díghavápi, contrived with great skill to make the Thúpa look complete, that the king might see it before he died. After the king's obsequies had been performed, in a place within sight of the Mahá Thúpa (Mhv.xxxii.58), Saddhátissa finished the work yet remaining and established celebrations to be performed three times daily at the Mahá Thúpa (Mhv.xxxii.60; Mhv.xxxiii.5). Lañjatissa levelled the ground between the Mahá Thúpa and the Thúpáráma and built three stone terraces at the cost of three hundred thousand (Mhv.xxxiii.22f). Khallátanága made the courtyard of sand, surrounded by a wall (Mhv.xxxiii.31). Bhátika constructed two vediká round the courtyard (Mhv.xxxiv.39). It is said (MT. 553f) that Bhátika was taken by the arahants into the Relic Chamber, and he held great celebrations in its honour (see Bhátikábhaya). Mahádáthika Mahánága converted the sand courtyard into a wide court laid out with kiñcakkha stones on plaster (Mhv.xxxiv.69), while Amandagámani erected a parasol over the cetiya (Mhv.xxxv.2) and Ilanága made the Lambakannas construct a roadway leading up to the Mahá, Thúpa (Mhv.xxxiv.17). Sirinága had the whole Thúpa gilded and crowned with a new parasol (Mhv.xxxvi.24), this work being undertaken again later by Sanghatissa (Mhv.xxxvi.65), while Sanghabodhi made rain to pour down by means of prostrating himself in the courtyard (Mhv.xxxvi.75). Jetthatissa offered two precious gems to the Thúpa (Mhv.xxxvi.126), while Aggabodhi I. placed on the Thúpa a golden umbrella (Cv.xlii.32), From this time onward the country passed through very troublous times and the Mahá Thúpa was neglected. But it was restored by Parakkamabáhu I. (Cv.lxxiv.10; lxxvi.106f; lxxviii.97) and again by Kittinissanka (Cv.lxxx.20); it was later pillaged by Mágha (Cv.lxxx.68), and remained neglected till the time of Parakkamabáhu II., who started the work of reconstruction (Cv.lxxxvii.66), which was completed by his son Vijayabáhu IV. Cv.lxxxviii.83; after this, the cetiya once more fell into disrepair and has so continued till recently, when an attempt is being made to rebuild it.
The Mahá Thúpa has been a place of pilgrimage for Buddhists from the time of its building down to the present day, even when the place was deserted and its courtyards overgrown with creepers (e.g., Vibhá.446). There seems to have been a hall for pilgrims to the west of the cetiya (Vibhá.446). When the Buddha's sásana disappears, all the Relics of the Buddha deposited in various cetiyas all over Ceylon will gather together at the Mahácetiya, and from there will go to the Rajáyatana cetiya in Nágadípa, thence to the, Mahábodhipallanka, where all the Relics, assembled from everywhere, will take the form of the Buddha seated at the foot of the Bodhi tree. Then they will be consumed by self generated flames (Vibhá.433).
The Mahá Thúpa is known by other names: Mahácetiya, Ratanaváluka (Cv.lxxvi.106), Ratanaváli (Cv.lxxx.68), Sonnamáli (Mhv.xxvii.3) (Hemamáli), and Hemaváluka (Cv.li.82).