King Mahasen (273-301 AD) has the honour of being the creator of the largest stupa in Sri Lanka. A part of a sash or belt tied by the Buddha is believed to be the relic that is enshrined here.
At a height of over 400 feet (120 m), it is one of the tallest stupas in the world (the tallest is Phra Pathom Chedi, Thailand), the largest brick building ever built, and the third-largest structure in the ancient world after the Great Pyramids of Giza.[citation needed] Approximately 93.3 million baked bricks were used in its construction.(Ratnayake 1993). This stupa belongs to the Sagalika sect. The compound covers approximately 8 acres (5.6 hectares) and once housed over 3,000 Buddhist monks. One side of the stupa is 576 feet (176 m) long, and the flights of stairs at each of the four sides of it are 28 feet (8.5 m) wide. The doorpost to the shrine, which is situated in the courtyard, is 27 feet (8.2 m) high. The stupa has a 6 m deep foundation, and sits on bedrock. Stone inscriptions in the courtyard give the names of people who donated to the building effort.
At a height of over 400 feet (120 m), it is one of the tallest stupas in the world (the tallest is Phra Pathom Chedi, Thailand), the largest brick building ever built, and the third-largest structure in the ancient world after the Great Pyramids of Giza.[citation needed] Approximately 93.3 million baked bricks were used in its construction.(Ratnayake 1993). This stupa belongs to the Sagalika sect. The compound covers approximately 8 acres (5.6 hectares) and once housed over 3,000 Buddhist monks. One side of the stupa is 576 feet (176 m) long, and the flights of stairs at each of the four sides of it are 28 feet (8.5 m) wide. The doorpost to the shrine, which is situated in the courtyard, is 27 feet (8.2 m) high. The stupa has a 6 m deep foundation, and sits on bedrock. Stone inscriptions in the courtyard give the names of people who donated to the building effort.
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