Ancient stupas of Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka, there are very old and important structures called stupas. These are like big round towers made out of stone or brick, and they often have a pointy top called a spire.

These stupas were built a really long time ago, by people who followed a religion called Buddhism. Buddhism teaches people to be kind and peaceful and to try to understand the world around them.

The builders of the stupas wanted to build something special to show their devotion to Buddhism and to the Buddha, who was a very important teacher in their religion. They believed that building the stupas would earn them good karma, which is like a reward for doing good things.

People would come from all over to see these stupas, and they would leave offerings like flowers, incense, and candles as a sign of respect. Sometimes they would even meditate at the stupas or pray to the Buddha.

Over time, some of the stupas got damaged by things like weather, earthquakes, or wars. But people still think they are really important and try to restore them when they can.

So, the ancient stupas of Sri Lanka were these big round towers built a long time ago by people who followed Buddhism. They were built to show devotion to Buddhism and the Buddha and are still considered important today.