Mahapali Dana Shalawa

About Mahapali Dana Shalawa

The Mahapali Hall is believed to be built by king Devanampiyatissa in the 3rd century BC,his has been the alm hall where Buddhists monks of the Mahaviharaya monastery gathered for their meals. The alms hall is also known as the Mahapali Alms Hall. The hall consists of a massive trough which is built on the model of a canoe and measures up to 45 feet in length and 2 feets in depth. It was identified that in the ancient times this trough must have been surrounded by a series of small rooms or a cloister under an arcade. and had been expanded and supported by many other soverings in the Anuradhapura kingdom.

Massive granite pillars where a massive building stood and a rice trough made of granite lies within these ruins of Mahapali Alms Hall covering over 1/4 acres. One of the main attractions is the deep well which would have supplied water to the alms hall. Built with granite and bricks, steps are placed around the perimeter of the square well so you can climb down the water.