Abhayagiri Vihāra was a major monastery site of Theravada Buddhism that
was situated in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. It is one of the most extensive
ruins in the world and one of the most sacred Buddhist pilgrimage
cities in the nation. Historically it was a great monastic centre
as well as a royal capital, with magnificentmonasteries rising
to many stories, roofed with gilt bronze or tiles of burnt clay glazed in
brilliant colors. To the north of the city, encircled by great walls and
containing elaborate bathing ponds, carved balustrades and moonstones, stood
"Abhayagiri", one of seventeen such religious units in Anuradhapura
and the largest of its five major viharas. One of the focal points of the
complex is an ancient stupa, the Abhayagiri
Dagaba. Surrounding the humped dagaba, Abhayagiri Vihara was a seat of the
Northern Monastery, or Uttara Vihara.
The term "Abhayagiri
Vihara" means not only a complex of monastic buildings, but also a
fraternity of Buddhist monks, or Sangha, which maintains its own historical records,
traditions and way of life. Founded in the 2nd century BC, it had grown into an
international institution by the 1st century AD, attracting scholars from all
over the world and encompassing all shades of Buddhist philosophy. Its
influence can be traced to other parts of the world, through branches
established elsewhere. Thus, the Abhayagiri Vihara developed as a great
institution vis‑a‑vis the Mahavihara and
the Jetavana Buddhist
monastic sects in the ancient Sri Lankan capital of Anuradhapura.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abhayagiri_vih%C4%81ra
