SRI MAHA BODHI

The Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi is a sacred Bo tree located in the Mahamewna Gardens of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. It holds immense religious and historical significance.

1. Origin and Significance:

• The tree is believed to have grown from a cutting of the southern branch of the original Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, India.
• The Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya is where Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) attained enlightenment.
• In 236 BC, the Buddhist nun Sangamitta Maha Theri, daughter of Indian Emperor Ashoka, brought the tree cutting to Sri Lanka during the reign of Sinhalese King Devanampiya Tissa.
• It is considered the oldest living human-planted tree in the world with a known planting date, surpassing 2,300 years of age.
  
  
  

2. History and Vandalism:

   • The tree has a recorded history dating back to Lord Gautama Buddha’s time.
   • It endured acts of vandalism, including a terrorist attack by the LTTE in 1985, where around 146 pilgrims were massacred.