Back Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi AN Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi Catalan Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi German Sri Maha Bodhi Hungarian Sri Maha Bodhi Italian スリー・マハー菩提樹 Japanese മഹാബോധിവൃക്ഷം Malayalam ဇေယျာသီရိမဟာဗောဓိ Burmese Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi Portuguese Джайя Шри Маха Бодхи Russian
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| Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi ජය ශ්රී මහා බෝධිය | |
|---|---|
 Sacred Bodhi before c. 1913 and in the recent past | |
 | |
| Species | Bodhi (Ficus religiosa) |
| Location | Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka |
| Coordinates | 8°20′41″N 80°23′48″E / 8.34472°N 80.39667°E |
| Date seeded | 236 BC (planted) |
Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi Tree is a sacred bo tree (Ficus religiosa) in Mahamewuna Garden in the historical city of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. It is believed to be a tree grown from a cutting of the southern branch from the historical sacred bo tree, Sri Maha Bodhi, which was destroyed during the time of Emperor Ashoka, at Bodh Gaya in India, under which Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) attained enlightenment. In 236 BC, the Buddhist nun Sangamitta Maha Theri, a daughter of Indian Ashoka,[1][2][3][4] brought the tree cutting to Sri Lanka during the reign of Sinhalese King Devanampiya Tissa.[1] At more than 2,300 years old, it is the oldest living human-planted tree in the world with a known planting date.[5][6] The Mahāvaṃsa, or the great chronicle of the Sinhalese, provides an elaborate account of the establishment of the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi on the Island and the subsequent development of the site as a major Buddhist pilgrimage site.
Today, the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi is situated on a high terrace, about 6.5 meters above the ground, and surrounded by 4 other lower-level terraces with Bo trees called "Parivara Bodhi" planted for its protection. The site is currently administered by the Chief High Priest of Atamasthana and the Atamasthana Palakasabha, the administrative body of the Atamasthana. It receives millions of pilgrims each year. The site is open to visitors and continuously hosts numerous acts of worship throughout the year. However, access to the uppermost terrace where the bo tree is located is restricted due to the old age of the tree and various acts of vandalism it has endured throughout history, including a terrorist attack by the LTTE in 1985, where around 146 pilgrims were massacred.[7]
- ^ "The Temple – Sri Maha Bodhi". Sri jaya maha bodhi official site. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ^ Shanika Sriyananda (3 July 2011). "Caring for the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi". Sunday Observer. Archived from the original on 13 April 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
- ^ Weerakoon, Rajitha (11 December 2011). "Sanghamitta Theri forged the liberation of Lankan women". Sunday Times. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
- ^ Pelpola, Charith (16 August 1998). "Oldest sacred symbol". Sunday Times. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
- ^ "Sri Maha Bodhiya". Lakpura LLC. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
- ^ "Oldest-known human-planted tree". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
- ^ Gunatilleke, Nadira. "The LTTE's brutal attack on Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi". Daily News. Retrieved 14 October 2022.