Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi Tree is a sacred bo tree (Ficus religiosa) in Mahamewuna Garden in the historical city of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. It is believed to be a tree grown from a cutting of the southern branch from the historical sacred bo tree, Sri Maha Bodhi, which was destroyed during the time of Emperor Ashoka, at Bodh Gaya in India, under which Siddhartha Gautama (Lord Buddha) attained enlightenment. In 236 BC, the Buddhist nun Sangamitta Maha Theri, a daughter of Indian Ashoka, brought the tree cutting to Sri Lanka during the reign of Sinhalese King Devanampiya Tissa. At more than 2,300 years old, it is the oldest living human-planted tree in the world with a known planting date. The Mahāvaṃsa, or the great chronicle of the Sinhalese, provides an elaborate account of the establishment of the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi on the Island and the subsequent development of the site as a major Buddhist pilgrimage site.
These days there is not one but many bodhi trees here; the oldest and holiest stands on the top platform. Railing and other structures around the trees are festooned with prayer flags.
April and December are particularly busy months as pilgrims converge on the site for snana puja (offerings or prayers).
