Outside the Stupa.
Bhikkhu Gunaratana visited the Mahaweli Maha Seya, a stupa under construction in Kotmale, Sri Lanka, and sent us these photos. Kotmale is in a tea growing area in the central province of the island. The very large stupa is hollow with a smaller stupa inside. It will be used as a meditation center when finished. Sri Lanka has a long tradition of building these very large stupas, some dating to the second century BCE. This one is being built by the Sri Lankan government to replace the temples lost when the Kotmale valley was flooded as a result of the construction of the Kotmale dam. It was started in 1983 and at 274 feet in height will be the second tallest stupa in Sri Lanka. It has a diameter of 200 feet. For more information on some of the ancient Sri Lankan stupas visit www.xuanfa.net.
Small stupa located inside the giant concrete dome.
Inside the giant dome.
Outside the stupa.
OCT
2015