Thuparamaya, the oldest Stupa in Sri Lanka built after the introduction of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. The Thuparamaya, built by King Devanapiyatissa, consecrates the sacred neck bone of the Buddha. This relic, a gift from India, is a testament to the cordial relations maintained by the then ruler of Sri Lanka. The columns around the stupa were a part of the walkway that supported a roof that covered the sacred building. Aesthetically, the interior of such a structure must have been the impressive expression of wood engineering and the most skilled craftsmen. Scholars and scientists continue to debate and debate the conical design of the building, unique in the architectural history of the world. The discovery of medical texts and surgical instruments dating to the Anuradhapura period confirm the quality of life of this time. The tradition of using stone troughs as medicinal baths to cure the sick was fashionable during the Anuradhapura and later Polonnaruwa periods and before Buddhism was introduced to Sri Lanka. The patient, paralyzed or in a coma after a snake bite, immersed himself in a bath enriched with the appropriate medicinal potions that would gradually be absorbed into the body. Interestingly, the shape of the vessel was modeled to economize expensive fluid. The name Thuparamaya is a residential complex for Bhikkhus.
