Walking up to the Thuparamaya Dagoba, I was struck by its modest yet dignified presence. Known as the first stupa built in Sri Lanka after the introduction of Buddhism, it holds a relic of the Buddha—a fragment of his collarbone. King Devanampiya Tissa constructed this stupa in the 3rd century BC, marking the beginning of Sri Lanka’s deep connection to Buddhist culture. Surrounding the stupa, I noticed rows of stone pillars that once supported a circular structure called a vatadage designed to protect the sacred monument. Although the original structure has long since vanished, the remnants of these pillars are…