In a beautiful woodland setting north of the Ruvanelisaya Dagoba, the Thuparama Dagoba is the oldest dagoba in Annuradhpura, if not Sri Lanka. It was constructed by Devanampiya tissa and is said to contain the right collarbone of the Buddha. Originally in the classical 'heap of paddy rice' shape, it was restored in 1840 in a more conventional bell shape.The dagoba stands only 19m high and at some point in its life was converted into vatadage. The circles of pillars of diminishing height around the dagoba would have supported the conical roof.
The Thuparama was the first Buddhist building at Anuradhapura. It was built by King Devanampiya Tissa to enshrine the Buddha’s collar bone. Originally of the “paddy heap” shape, its present “bell” shape dates to reconstruction in the 1840s. The graceful monolithic pillars surrounding it once upheld a circular roof making the shrine a Vata Dage (Circular—Relic—house) a characteristically Sinhala architectural feature.
