Where no stupa stood before, a new one now rises at the historic Divulapitiya Aarannya Senasnaya - built entirely through the personal funding of Mr. Nishantha Thilakarathne, with the labor of the Dayaka Sabha and local villagers, and completed with a traditional crowning ceremony.
Overview
This project brought a stupa into existence for the first time at the historic Divulapitiya Aarannya Senasnaya, part of the Arisimala Forest Hermitage complex - a site that, until now, had no stupa of its own. The entire construction, from foundation to the final crowning ceremony, was personally funded by Mr. Nishantha Thilakarathne, with additional support from well-wishing friends and the voluntary labor of the Dayaka Sabha and villagers of the surrounding community. The project reached its culmination with a traditional Buddhist ceremony to place the crown (koth) atop the newly built stupa, marking its formal completion and consecration as a place of worship at Padavi Sri Tissapura, Yaya 11, Lassanagama.
Background
The Divulapitiya Aarannya Senasnaya, part of the historic Arisimala Forest Hermitage complex at Padavi Sri Tissapura, Yaya 11, Lassanagama, had served monks and devotees in the area for meditation and religious life, but had no stupa of its own. Building one from the ground up was beyond what the hermitage's Dayaka Sabha and surrounding villagers could fund on their own.
The Problem
A stupa is a central feature of Buddhist religious practice, yet Divulapitiya Aarannya Senasnaya had none. The cost of constructing an entirely new stupa - from foundation to the ceremonial crown - was far beyond the means of the local Dayaka Sabha and villagers, who had the willingness and labor to contribute but not the funding to see such a project through.
Objectives
To build a stupa where none previously existed at the historic Divulapitiya Aarannya Senasnaya, giving the resident monks and devotees a place of worship the hermitage had long lacked; to fund the entire construction personally, from foundation to crown, so that its completion did not depend on the limited resources of the Dayaka Sabha or surrounding villagers; and to mark its completion with a traditional crowning ceremony that brought the community together in shared merit.
Implementation
Activities: Mr. Nishantha Thilakarathne personally funded the entire construction of the new stupa at Divulapitiya Aarannya Senasnaya, from the foundation through to completion. Well-wishing friends contributed additional support, while the Dayaka Sabha and villagers of the surrounding area provided voluntary labor throughout the build. The project concluded with a formal alms-giving and religious ceremony (pin mahotsava) to place the crown atop the completed stupa.
Construction was carried out in coordination with the resident monks and Dayaka Sabha of Divulapitiya Aarannya Senasnaya, from initial groundwork through to the stupa's structural completion. Funding was provided personally throughout each stage of the build, while villagers and temple supporters contributed labor and helped organize the final ceremony. The project concluded with a traditional Buddhist crowning ceremony, conducted according to custom, with the community gathering to witness the stupa's completion.
Project Timeline
Started
January 27, 2024
Completed
October 20, 2024
Outcomes
Divulapitiya Aarannya Senasnaya now has a stupa of its own for the first time - built entirely from the ground up and formally completed with its ceremonial crown. The project gave the hermitage a permanent place of worship it had long lacked, and brought monks, the Dayaka Sabha, and the surrounding community together in a shared moment of religious devotion.
Challenges
Constructing an entirely new stupa, rather than restoring or extending an existing one, required funding and coordination across every stage of the build - from foundation to crown - while ensuring the final ceremony was conducted correctly according to tradition and on an auspicious date.
Lessons Learned
Building a stupa from nothing is a significant undertaking, and this project showed that personal funding paired with genuine community labor - from the Dayaka Sabha and surrounding villagers - can bring a place of worship into existence where none stood before.
Future Plans
Continued support for the upkeep of the new stupa and the wider Divulapitiya Aarannya Senasnaya grounds is planned, alongside similar support for other hermitages in need of new religious structures.
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