Begun by King Duttugamunu (Dutugemunu) to house relics, this is one of the most impressive of all Sri Lanka’s dagobas. Built with remarkable opulence, the king, who was said to have great luck, found rich vein of silver from Ridigama to cover the expenses. Monks from as far away as Alexandria were recorded as being present at the enshrinement of the relics in 140 BC. The King however fell ill before the Ruwanweliseya dagoba’s completion, so he asked his brother Saddhatissa to complete the work for him. Saddhatissa covered the dome with bamboo reeds and painted them with lacquer and imitation gold so that the king could witness the ‘completion’ of his magnum opus on his deathbed. Today, the dome is 80 meters in diameter at its base and 53 meters high.