The period of the builder of this shrine associated with this fence known as the “Buddhist Railing” is not known. The rectangular enclosure, 23 X 34 meters in extent, is protected by a 1.6 meter high stone fence. Its four entrances, one at the center of each side, are oriented to the four cardinal points. The function of this shrine is yet to be identified, but the presence of stone seats, pedestals, fragments of images and the resemblance to the Gandhakuti type construction has led some scholars to believe that it was an image house, which the presence of the pit identified as the spot where a Bodhi-tree was planted and the water course leading to it has tended others to suggest that it was a Bodhigara (Bodhi-tree shrine). According to the Mahavamsa, there had been a Bodhighara within the Jetavana Monastery during the reigns of King Agrabodhi (607-618 AD) and King Dappula II.
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