This rectangular enclosure, measuring 43 x 34 meters, is protected by a 1.6-meter-high stone fence. The enclosure has four entrances, one at the center of each side, oriented to the four cardinal points.
The specific function of this shrine remains unidentified, but several features offer clues. The presence of stone seats, pedestals, and fragments of images, as well as its resemblance to the "Gandhakuti" type construction, suggest to some scholars that it was an image house. Meanwhile, the presence of a square pit identified as the spot where a Bodhi tree was planted, along with a water course leading to it, leads others to believe that it might have been a "Bodhigara" (Bodhi Tree Shrine).
According to the Mahavamsa, there was a Bodhigara within the Jethavanarama monastery during the reigns of King Agrabodhi II (608-618 A.D.) and King Dappula II (815-831 A.D.). A golden image of the Buddha was reportedly donated to this Bodhigara by one of these kings. Given these historical references and the architectural features, it is possible that the shrine was used at different times as both a Bodhigara and an image house. This dual usage underscores the shrine's significance and versatility in the religious practices of the time.
