Amphitheater

Buddhist Monuments Area, Anupu

An impressively reconstructed amphitheater is built into the side of the hill. Its rectangular floor measures about 17m by 14m (56 feet by 46 feet). The structure seats about 1,000 people, and is known for its fine acoustics. Interestingly, provision was made for visitors to wash their feet upon entering (a drain is still visible). The original amphitheater, like others in ancient India (and Greece and Rome too, for that matter) was a performance space for all sorts of public entertainment, including plays, music, dance, oratory, poetry, athletics, etc.