The Buddhist Scriptures narrate stories of King Asoka having destroyed the Bodhi Tree and then regretting his deeds restored it to its full height again. History has also recorded that King Asoka's daughter Sanghamitta took a sampling of the Bodhi Tree to Sri Lanka. The tree still stands at Anuradhapura and has a continually recorded history. The present tree was planted in 1876 by the Archaeologist Sir Alexander Cunningham after the previous Bodhi Tree has decayed and fallen over the west wall during a storm.
Some scholar say that the present tree was planted in 1879 by the Mahant after the previous Bodhi Tree has decayed and fallen over the west wall during a storm and he was planted two trees another tree is for Hidusim.