The so-called "elephant wall" of Ruvanvälisǟya is located inside the courtyard enclosed by the outer wall with gate-houses at the four cardinal points. It was about 7 feet high (or 9 feet according to some sources) and had been decorated with a row of heads (with trunks and tusks) and the front legs of elephants; the wall supported the terrace of the stūpa. Badly damaged, the elephants have now been reconstructed. The octagonal pillar, 20 feet, 4 inches in height with a circumference of about 3 feet, 5 inches, is nearby the northern gateway of Ruvanvälisǟya and now covered by a roof. Its purpose is unknown, but a similar pillar exists at Yatala Vehera, one of the most ancient stūpas of Sri Lanka. The Mahavamsa refers to the pillar at Ruvänveliseya as the "sila yupa." Yupa in Hinduism refers to a sacrificial stone pillar used by Brahmins. This pillar may have been a later adaptation of the yupa stone at a Buddhist stūpa (Buddhist do not participate in any sacrificial acts).
If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.
Share your story
Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.
