UNESCO to rescue Jethavana Stupa from further distress

The Maha Sangha archeologists and intelligentsia have been alleging that the cracks emerged on the surface of the dome of the historic Jethawana Stupa in Anuradhapura Sacred city starting from the area beneath the ‘Hathares Kotuwa’ downwords are attended at a snail’s pace.

The Central Cultural Fund claims that the allegations are baseless and unfounded.

It is learnt that one of these cracks found in the south west side of the stupa. While spreading vertically downwards has penetrated horizontally inside the stupa up to ten meters in depth.

The Jethavana stupa at 400 feet in height was built by King Mahasen (275-301 AD) on the cremation site of the Most Venerable Arahant Mahinda thera. It is said that at the collapse of the Roman empire in the 04 th Century AD the Jetavana Stupa was the third tallest building structure in the world being surpassed only by two pyramids at Giza.

The project manager of the both Jetavana and Abayagiri sites Ananda Jayawardhana joined by the Jethavana’s Chief Preservation Supervisor Priyantha Kumara Rathnayaka told Daily News that the allegation of certain sections that the restoration of crackings were not properly attended and unnecessarily delayed thus jeopardizing the well existence of stupa were baseless since the cracks were detected in 2016 and initially a number of sophisticated monitoring and preservation strategies are being executed to detect the exact cause for the eight cracking lines on the dome of stupa. Certain responsible stakeholder parties have been on the full alert to observe any harmful developments of the cracks occurring.

Since 1981 a series of explorations excavations and preservation activities were carried out at then fully dilapidated stupa and opened to the public in 2009. In 2014 a disastrous thunderbolt hit the summit of the Jethavana stupa and damages were restored. In 2016 we identified two major cracks in the North Western and the South Western sides of the top portion of the stupa. The fact that these cracks could be resulted from the gravity of the thunderbolt has yet to be ruled out. In February 2022 the National Buildings Research Institute Conducted a exclusive Ground Penetrating Redar (GDR) test and detected that the South West crack has developed 10 m deep in to the dome. Following this detection on the recommendation of the experts committee the brick structure of the South West crack three feet in depth was removed and filled with a special mixture consisted of lime, tile, powder and sand. Later for identification of any relationship between the cracks and the rain a specially designed rain gauge was installed by the meteorology department. Last year the Survey Department installed 12 mini prisms round the dome to obtain scientific measurements of the stupa to detect whether there is any sign of sinking, tilting etc of the stupa and the data are awaited. This information is decisive in taking further protective and preservation measures, Jethawana Project Manager Ananda Siriwardhana said.

Central Cultural Fund Director General Prof. Gamini Ranasinghe commenting on the cracks issue said that the emergence of cracks on the top surface of the Jethavana Stupa and its development at present seemed to have been subsiding. “Long term observation and vigilance is essential in such and episode concerning a monument of great historic cultural and religious importance like the Jethavana Stupa which is a world heritage. “We are required to act patiently regarding the cracks at the stupa while filling the cracks and water proofing and adopting scientifically advanced monitoring systems and also to be on alert to see what is going on”.

“To my knowledge during the last one year no new cracks were detected and the present cracks are not harmfully expanding to create any alarm. I have made submissions to UNESCO to intervene in this matter to avoid any complications.

The CCF is alive to the episode and highly grateful to the experts committee and various institutes and professionals supporting unconditionally in the sacred task of saving the glorious cultural asset from any irreparable disaster, Prof. Gamini Ranasinghe said.

He said that for attending to the restoration activities of the cracks and scientific maintenance work a sum of Rs. 128 Mn has been allocated for 2024.

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