Jetavanaramaya
An enormous unplastered brick stupa begun in the late 3rd century AD, once about 122 metres tall and now roughly 70. The scale is the point.
Sources
What Jetavanaramaya actually is
Jetavanaramaya is a stupa in the Jetavana monastery at Anuradhapura. King Mahasena (reigned 273–301) began it, and his son Kithsirimevan finished it, so it dates to the late 3rd or early 4th century. Tradition says it holds part of a belt tied by the Buddha. At about 122 metres it was, on the figure we use, the third-tallest structure in the ancient world after two Egyptian pyramids.
It is a good deal shorter now. Parakramabahu I attempted a renovation in the 12th century at a reduced height, and after the Anuradhapura kingdom fell the stupa was buried in jungle. Clearing began in earnest after 1909. The present height is given as about 71 metres. Wikipedia puts the brick count at roughly 93 million, and the stupa is described as still the largest by base area.
Unlike Ruwanwelisaya, it has not been plastered white, so you see bare brickwork and the way it was laid. Conservation in the 1990s was paid for from visitor ticket income, and a shortage of suitable bricks has slowed the work since.
Worth your attention
The brickwork
Plain fired brick, weathered and patched. Look at the joints and at how the repairs differ from the old courses; it is a construction site as much as a monument.
The base
One side of the base is reported at about 176 metres. The compound is said to cover roughly 5.6 hectares, so walk it rather than judging from the entrance.
The height gap
Standing at the foot, remember it was close to twice this tall when finished (122 metres against roughly 70 today).
The museum
A museum beside the stupa holds finds from the monastery. It needs its own ticket.
Before you go
Do this
- Go early or late; the site is open ground and midday sun is hard going.
- Stand at the base and look up the slope of the brickwork before you take any photographs; cameras flatten it.
- Buy the main ticket online or at a museum counter before you arrive; Jetavana and Abhayagiri are both covered by it.
- Combine it with Abhayagiri on the same day; both sit on the main ticket and share a similar ruined-monastery layout.
- Bring water and a hat.
Know this first
- It is not the stupa you see in most Anuradhapura photographs; that is the white Ruwanwelisaya. Jetavana is bare brick and looks rougher.
- Restoration is ongoing and slow because of the brick shortage, so parts may be fenced or scaffolded.
- Figures differ: Wikipedia gives about 71 metres today, other guides round to 70, and the 122-metre original height is itself an estimate.
- The museum is a separate ticket and a separate stop; do not assume the main pass includes it.
Getting to Jetavanaramaya
Most people see Jetavanaramaya as part of a stay around Anuradhapura. Our Anuradhapura guide covers where to stay, how long to give it and what else is nearby.
Coming straight from the airport, the relevant run is Colombo Airport to Anuradhapura — fixed price per vehicle, driver waiting inside arrivals with a name board.
Read the full Anuradhapura guideFrom Colombo Airport
Car up to 3 passengers; vans quoted on the route page. No night surcharge.
Jetavanaramaya — frequently asked
What is Jetavanaramaya?
A huge brick stupa in the Jetavana monastery at Anuradhapura, begun by King Mahasena (reigned 273–301) and completed by his son. It is part of the UNESCO-listed Sacred City.
How tall is it?
About 122 metres when built, and roughly 71 metres today after the 12th-century rebuild at a reduced height.
Is it still being restored?
Yes. Jungle clearing began in earnest after 1909 and conservation continues, slowed by a shortage of bricks of the right kind.
Do I need a separate ticket?
The stupa is covered by the main Anuradhapura ticket. The Jetavanaramaya museum has its own separate ticket.
Also worth stopping for around Anuradhapura
Build Jetavanaramaya into your route
Send your dates and the places that matter. We come back with a day-by-day plan, honest driving times and a fixed price.
Start planning on WhatsApp