Giribhanda Seya (Sinhala: ගිරිභණ්ඩ සෑය) is a ruined Stupa situated in Mihintale Monastery Complex in Anuradhapura District, Sri Lanka.
History
Constructed in the latter part of the Anuradhapura Period, the Giribhanda Stupa is considered a fine piece of work in the culture of Sri Lankan Stupas as there are some frescoes of about the 8th century on the external wall of its relic chamber. The artefacts recovered from the relic chamber together with the inscribed characters on them have confirmed that this Stupa is a work of the 8th century A.D. However, the builder of this Stupa is still unknown.
The relic chamber
The relic chamber of this Stupa was exposed by an excavation done in 1951. The discovery of frescoes on its external walls gave an opportunity to archaeologists to conduct a study into the paintings adorning relic chambers of ancient Stupas and also to observe the technology that had been involved in the construction of relic chambers of the Anuradhapura Period. This relic chamber is presently on display at the Mihintale Archaeological Museum.
Attribution
Location Map
This page was last updated on 21 May 2023
