Ruwanwelisaya
A magnificent white stupa built by King Dutugemunu over two thousand years ago, ringed by a wall of stone elephants and one of the most revered dagobas in the country.
Ruwanwelisaya is the great white dome that anchors Anuradhapura, and probably the image most people carry away from the sacred city. King Dutugemunu had it built in the second century BC, and even after two thousand years and several restorations it still stands over a hundred metres tall, a smooth white bell rising above the ruins and the pilgrims who circle it in their thousands.
What makes it feel alive rather than ancient is exactly that, the pilgrims. This isn't a monument you view from a rope barrier. People in white walk the terrace barefoot, light lamps, and sit in quiet groups on the warm stone. Around the base runs a wall of stone elephants, shoulder to shoulder, said to symbolise the animals that support the earth. Come at dawn or dusk and the whole dome catches the low light and glows.
It sits within easy reach of the Sri Maha Bodhi and the rest of the sacred city, so most people fold it into a bigger day among the ruins, usually on a hired bicycle. Dress modestly, take your shoes off before stepping onto the terrace, and be ready for the stone to get seriously hot underfoot by the middle of the day. The barefoot rule applies to everyone, so a pair of socks tucked in your bag is worth its weight.
At a glance
- Entry fee: Free to worship
- Opening hours: 24 hours
- Time needed: 45 minutes to 1 hour
- Best time: Dawn or dusk, when the dome glows
Getting there
In the centre of the Anuradhapura sacred city, beside Sri Maha Bodhi.
Before you go
- Visit at dawn or dusk, when the white dome glows in the low light and the terrace stone hasn't turned into a hotplate.
- Dress in white or at least modestly, cover shoulders and knees, and remove shoes and hats on the terrace.
- The paving gets very hot by midday. Carry socks for the barefoot walk around the stupa.
- It's part of the ticketed sacred city, so pair it with the Sri Maha Bodhi, Thuparamaya and the other stupas, a bicycle makes the flat, spread-out site easy.
Frequently asked questions
- What is Ruwanwelisaya?
- It's one of Sri Lanka's most revered Buddhist stupas, a huge white dome in Anuradhapura built by King Dutugemunu in the 2nd century BC. Standing over 100 metres tall. It's still an active place of worship rather than a museum piece.
- Can visitors go in?
- You can't enter the solid dome, but you're welcome to walk the terrace around it alongside the pilgrims, provided you're dressed modestly and barefoot on the platform.
- How much does it cost?
- As a working shrine it's approached freely, though foreign visitors are generally expected to hold the Anuradhapura sacred city ticket that covers the surrounding ruins.
- When is the best time to visit?
- Early morning or late afternoon, both for the softer light on the white dome and to avoid the midday heat on the barefoot terrace.