Ratnaprasada

Daniel Bento - Happymindtravels.com

Built in the 3rd-century by King Kanittha Thissa, this ancient chapter house was once a five storied building where Buddhist monks recited the Pratimokṣa every fortnight. The guard stone with carvings of a cobra king holding a “Punkalasa” (Vase of abundance) and a branch of flowers under a dragon’s arch is regarded as one of the finest guardstones uncovered in the Sri Lanka’s history

Pratimokṣa is a compilation of the essentials rules and practices contained within Vinaya Pitaka. In Buddhist culture it is customary to recite Pratimokṣa every fortnight at a meeting among Buddhist monks and confess and correct any mistakes. This chapterhouse was believed to be used for these fortnightly meetings.