Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi — Sacred Fig Tree of Anuradhapura

Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi — Sacred Fig Tree of Anuradhapura

Tradition

Buddhist / Theravada / Sri Lankan — 288 BCE to present

Location

• Anuradhapura, North Central Province, Sri Lanka (8.3567°N, 80.3887°E)

Timeline

Foreign Traveler Quotes

"In the great city of Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka, there is a sacred Bodhi tree which is descended from the original tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment. This tree is reverenced by all Buddhist pilgrims and is kept under constant watch by monks who tend it with great devotion." — Faxian (Fa-Hien), Chinese Buddhist pilgrim, Fo-Kwo-Ki, c. 400 CE

"The island of Sri Lanka contains many Buddhist monasteries and sacred places. The most revered is the Bodhi tree at Anuradhapura, which is said to be a direct descendant of the tree at Bodh Gaya where the Buddha attained enlightenment." — Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang), Chinese Buddhist pilgrim, Si-Yu-Ki, c. 640 CE

"In the island of Sri Lanka, I visited the sacred Bodhi tree which the people revere as the most holy place after the Buddha himself. They say it was planted from a cutting of the tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment in India." — Ibn Battuta, Moroccan traveler, Rihla, c. 1344 CE

Sacred Narrative

Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi — planted in 288 BCE by King Devanampiya Tissa — is the oldest living tree in Sri Lanka and one of the most sacred Buddhist shrines. The sapling was brought from Bodh Gaya by Mahinda (Ashoka's son), making it a descendant of the original Bodhi Tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment.

The tree is the only ancient Bodhi tree to survive continuously to the present — over 2,300 years old. It is protected by a wall and attended by monks who maintain the sacred precinct.

Chinese pilgrims Faxian (5th century) and Xuanzang (7th century) both visited and described the sacred tree. Ibn Battuta (14th century) also visited, describing the pilgrim reverence.

Vesak celebrations at Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi are among the most spectacular in Sri Lanka. The Poson festival also draws millions to the Anuradhapura region. The tree represents both the Buddhist connection between India and Sri Lanka and the living tradition of pilgrimage that continues today.