peepul or sacred fig-tree, Ficus religiosa (Urti.). It is regarded as sacred because, it is said, on the day when Gautama attained Buddhahood he sat down under it on a throne which had miraculously sprung up for him on the instant: බෝධිපර්ය්යංකය.
Carter, Charles. A Sinhalese-English dictionary. Colombo: The "Ceylon Observer" Printing Works; London: Probsthain & Co., 1924.