Dakkhina Stupa (Dakshina Stupa)
Located near the Sri Maha Bodhi, there is a large brick mound structure that was once thought to be the Elara Sohana, or Tomb of Elara, a memorial for the Tamil invader from India who ruled Anuradhapura for 44 years until he was defeated by King Dutugemunu in 161-137 BC. However, in 1946, Professor Paranavitana identified this structure as the Dakkhina Stupa, the fourth largest of the six large dagabas in Anuradhapura, with a circumference of approximately 564 feet. Despite the identification, many older reports and books still refer to it as the Elara Sohana or Tomb of Elara.
Clearing of the jungle and debris around the structure began in 1896, and subsequent reports in 1897 and 1898 noted that the edifice was around 60 feet tall and that its three concentric ambulatories and truncated bell-shaped superstructure had been traced. The base of the Dagaba is about 564 feet in perimeter, while the circumference of the bottom of the garbha above the ambulatories is approximately 100 feet...
Clearing of the jungle and debris around the structure began in 1896, and subsequent reports in 1897 and 1898 noted that the edifice was around 60 feet tall and that its three concentric ambulatories and truncated bell-shaped superstructure had been traced. The base of the Dagaba is about 564 feet in perimeter, while the circumference of the bottom of the garbha above the ambulatories is approximately 100 feet...
