The impressive 100m-tall stupa remains the greatest work of Duttu Gemunu, who inaugurated the site in 161 BC but died before it was completed. It is the most revered of the dagobas in the holy city of Anuradhapura. Pilgrims meditate in the silence of the forecourt, where oratories commemorate the kings who built and embellished the building. The pavement is lined with padapittika ? flagstones engraved with footprints marking the places to practice meditation.