A Stupa In Polonnaruwa, Srilanka Stock Photo

Rankoth Vehera is a stupa located in the ancient city of Polonnaruwa in Sri Lanka. The stupa was built by Nissanka Malla, who ruled the country from 1187 to 1196. The Rankoth Vehera has been built according to the tradition of the stupas of Mahavihara of the Anuradhapura period, and bears a close resemblance to the Ruwanweli Seya stupa. In fact, a stone inscription situated close to the stupa even identifies it by the name Ruwanweli. However, it has later come to be known by the currently used name, Rankoth Vehera. In Sinhalese, ran means gold, kotha is the name given to the pinnacle of a stupa, and vehera means stupa or temple. Thus, the name Rankoth Vehera can be roughly translated to English as Gold Pinnacled Stupa. Along with the Kiri Vehera, it is one of the most revered stupas in Polonnaruwa.