වෙස්සගිරිය | |
 Rock shelters at Vessagiri | |
  Vessagiriya Shown within Sri Lanka | |
| Location | Anuradhapura,Sri Lanka |
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| Coordinates | 8°21′N80°23′E / 8.350°N 80.383°E /8.350; 80.383 |
Vessagiriya, orIssarasamanarama, is an ancient Buddhist forest monastery that is part of the ruins ofAnuradhapura, one of the ancient capitals ofSri Lanka. It is located about half a mile south ofIsurumuniya, among boulders. Begun in the reign of King Devanampiya Tissa (mid-3rd century BC), the site was expanded during the reign of King Kasyapa (473 - 491 AD) to become home to about five hundred monks.[1]
The Vessagiri monks lived in rock shelters that were constructed by quarrying from local materials. Today's visitor sees only the bare stones - and not all of those, since much of the rock was later carted away and reused elsewhere. But when occupied, the dwellings were finished using wood and other perishable materials.[2]
Above the shelters are inscribed the names of donors written inBrahmi script.[3][4]
Authority control databases: Geographic |
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