{"id":128455,"date":"2024-01-13T05:27:12","date_gmt":"2024-01-13T05:27:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/?p=128455"},"modified":"2024-01-13T05:28:22","modified_gmt":"2024-01-13T05:28:22","slug":"sandagiri-maha-seya-largest-stupa-in-kandy-by-arundathie-abeysinghe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/sandagiri-maha-seya-largest-stupa-in-kandy-by-arundathie-abeysinghe\/","title":{"rendered":"Sandagiri Maha Seya \u2013 largest stupa in Kandy – By Arundathie Abeysinghe"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sandagiri Maha Seya \u2013 largest stupa in Kandy – By Arundathie Abeysinghe<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

\"Sandagiri<\/a><\/p>\n

Image Source :\u00a0Sandagiri Maha Seya Hanthana Facebook<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\"ArundathieSituated in close proximity to the 850-meter pass of *Hanthana-Uduwela road (from Kandy to Galaha) and approximately 1.7 kilometer from *Ceylon Tea Museum, Sandagiri Maha Seya can be reached after passing a steep and winding road along with breathtaking vistas of the surroundings\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

“Giri” meaning “hill” or “mountain” and Sanda (derived from Sanskrit “Sandra\u201d meaning “thick” or “dense” (can refer to a thicket or dense forest as an abode of hermits), meaning “thick grove”, “dense wood”, “heap” or “multitude”. Hence, “Sandagiri” can either be translated to “forested mountain” or to a “heap on a hill”. Both meanings can be referred to a huge dome in the forests of the *Hanthana Mountain Range.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sandagiri Maha Seya is a prominent landmark in the hills of Kandy and a breathtaking site visited by large numbers of Buddhists as well as local and foreign tourists\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

With a height and equal diameter of 33 meters (over 100 feet), Sandagiri Maha Seya is the largest stupa<\/em> in Kandy District. The terrace of the stupa<\/em> (dagoba<\/em>) is in an elevation of 930 meters above sea level and offers 180-degree panoramic vistas of *Hanthana Mountain Range along with cliffs of Katusukonda und Uragala to the right and the valley of the *Mahaweli River to the left.<\/span><\/p>\n

The stupa<\/em> (situated in a breathtaking site in a spectacular setting) is one of Sri Lanka’s new giant stupa<\/em> constructions of the 21st century, constructed by public and private donations, (including Path Nirvana Foundation). The construction work of the stupa<\/em> commenced on January 27, 2017 and the completion ceremony, including the construction of the pinnacle on the summit the stupa<\/em> dome was on March 28, 2021, the consecration ceremony including depositing sacred objects in the stupa<\/em> was held on September 10, 2022.<\/span><\/p>\n

Scholars are of the view that, the stupa<\/em> is constructed as a *cupola hall supported by only a single column in the center. The column is designed as a *Bo Tree, the branches of which spread out over a large part of the ceiling. The tree forms the central vertical line from the relic chamber to the pinnacle, which was known as \u201cUpagala\u201d in ancient stupa<\/em> architecture, representing the axis mundi<\/em> (Latin term for the axis of the Earth between the celestial poles) symbolized by the entire stupa<\/em>. In contrast to ancient stupas<\/em> and similar to majority of modern stupas<\/em>, the dome has a large inner hall that is accessible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The elaborate project of constructing Sandagiri Maha Seya was initiated by Ven. Gangasiripura Dhammaloka Thera.<\/span><\/p>\n

Driving distance from Kandy City to Sandagiri Maha Seya is approximately six kilometers on a winding uphill road.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Sandagiri<\/a><\/p>\n

Image Source :\u00a0Sandagiri Maha Seya Hanthana Facebook<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n