The Mirisawetiya is a substantial dagoba on the bank of the Tissa Wewa, the great ancient reservoir on the western side of the sacred city. King Dutugemunu built it in the 2nd century BC after his victory over the South Indian king Elara, fulfilling a vow he had made to dedicate his royal sceptre — said to contain a Buddha relic — to a stupa before he ate even a chilli (miris). Hence the name, which translates roughly as "the chilli stupa."
The white dome has been restored several times and now stands about 60 metres tall, its scale less overwhelming than Ruwanwelisaya but its setting on the water more peaceful. The Tissa Wewa itself, dating to the 3rd century BC, is one of the great ancient irrigation tanks that made Anuradhapura's civilisation possible.