What is the Jetavanaramaya stupa in Anuradhapura?

Jetavanaramaya is a monumental brick stupa in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, completed in the early fourth century CE, which was once the third-largest man-made structure globally.

How large was the Jetavanaramaya stupa originally?

Originally, the Jetavanaramaya stupa stood around 122 meters (400 feet) tall and was constructed using approximately 93.3 million baked mud bricks.

Why is Jetavanaramaya considered an engineering marvel?

Jetavanaramaya is an engineering marvel due to its immense scale, use of millions of bricks, sophisticated design, and the organizational effort required for its construction in ancient Sri Lanka.

Home / Arts and Entertainment / Jetavanaramaya: The Monument Earth Almost Forgot

Jetavanaramaya: The Monument Earth Almost Forgot

4 Feb

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Summary

Jetavanaramaya stupa, built in early 4th century CE, was once world's third-largest man-made building.
This immense brick structure could build a wall from London to Edinburgh.
Once a hub of Buddhist thought, it's now largely unknown outside Sri Lanka.

Jetavanaramaya: The Monument Earth Almost Forgot

Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka's first capital, remains a sacred Buddhist city where ancient devotion is palpable. Among its wonders is the Jetavanaramaya stupa, a marvel of ancient engineering completed in the early fourth century CE. At that time, it was the third-largest man-made structure globally, surpassed only by the Pyramids of Giza.

Built using approximately 93.3 million baked mud bricks, the stupa originally stood around 122 meters (400 feet) tall. Its vast volume, even after centuries of decay and restoration to its current 71 meters (233 feet), is staggering. It's estimated its bricks could form a wall stretching from London to Edinburgh.

Despite its monumental achievement, Jetavanaramaya is little known internationally. Over time, jungle growth and shifting religious focus led to its decline, burying much of its history. This vast monastic complex, designed for hundreds of monks, was built on land contentious with the orthodox Buddhist establishment, later associated with the Sagalika sect.