The Buddha and the Sacred Site

This stupa reliquary is believed to have been deposited in a larger stupa. The small chamber in the central crystal dome contains what appear to be gold and amber relics. The container is crowned by a pole that supports the customary three tiers of umbrellas, all of gold. Sinhalese relics of the Buddha or important monks were often kept in stupa-form reliquaries (karanduva) made of gold and/or rock crystal. These reliquaries were often placed in stone reliquary caskets within the relic chamber of a stupa.