Dakkhina Stupa

Dakkhina Stupa also called Dakkhina Tupa is a 2nd century BC stupa built over the cremated ashes of King Dutugemunu. The Bhikkhus of the Sagalika sect resided here. It was constructed by Uttiya, a Minister of King Valagamba, in the Ancient Sacred city of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. King Kanittha Tissa had build an alms hall, King Gottabhaya built an uposathagaraya, where the bhikkhis assembled for the ceremony of confession, while King Agbo I constructed a large building. Human bones collected at the site were sent to France for scientific analysis, which revealed that these did belong to King Dutugemunu.

For sometime by an error Dakkhina Stupa was considered the monumental tomb, King Dutugemunu had built for King Elara, after defeating him in battle. Already in the mid-19th century it was clear that this stupa was not Elara's tomb.^[1] James Fergusson, the renowned Scottish architect and writer, who studied and traced the history of Eastern Architecture, wrote in his book, History of Indian and Eastern Architecture, published in 1876, that this stupa was the Dakkina Stupa, and not the tomb of Elara. Although present day Tamils in Sri Lanka, do not have any links to Elara, who was a Tamil from the Chola country, Tamil nationalists started using Elara as a historical basis/link to legitimize and authenticate their claims to a long historical presence in the island.

The Sinhalese and the archeological department of Sri Lanka, have been accused of renaming the stupa, while it was already an established fact, under the British rule, at least by 1876, that the stupa was not the tomb of Elara.

See also

• Ancient stupas of Sri Lanka

Notes

1. ^ History of Indian and Eastern Architecture, By James Fergusson First edition, 1876

External links

• Virtual Library Sri Lanka

Coordinates: 8°20′28″N 80°23′42″E / 8.34111°N 80.395°E / 8.34111; 80.395