Jethavanaramaya Monastery

Jethavanaramaya Monastery is one of the most largest monastery in the heritage city of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. It's original height of 122m (400ft), making it was the tallest stupa and third largest structure in the ancient world but now its remaining 71m (233ft). King Mahasena was in Anuradhapura kindom, started the construction of Jethavanaramaya Stupa and his son of King Maghavanna completed the construction. According to the history, portion of the the Buddha's sash as the relics has been deposited in this sacred stupa. Compound of the stupa covers approximately 5.6 hectares and estimated to housed approximately 10,000 buddhist monks.

History of Anuradhapura

In 543 BC, prince Vijaya (543–505 BC) arrived in Sri Lanka, having been banished from his homeland in India. He eventually brought the island under his control and established himself as king. After this, his retinue established villages and colonies throughout the country. One of these was established by Anuradha, a minister of King Vijaya, on the banks of a stream called Kolon and was named Anuradhagama.

In 377 BC, King Pandukabhaya (437–367 BC) made it his capital and developed it into a prosperous city. Anuradhapura (Anurapura) was named after the minister who first established the village and after a grandfather of Pandukabhaya who lived there. The name was also derived from the city's establishment on the auspicious asterism called Anura. Anuradhapura was the capital of all the monarchs who ruled the country during in the Anuradhapura Kingdom, with the exception of Kashyapa I (473–491), who chose Sigiriya to be his capital. The city is also marked on Ptolemy's world map.