And again we are glad to see you on the pages. Today, having left the north of Sri Lanka, namely, we set off towards sacred Anuradhapura city with many ancient monuments of cultural heritage, it is also called old town, from where in 1950 all the inhabitants were relocated to a new part of the city. And since we are not too rich travelers, we will share with you the story of how we managed to see all the sights for free.

Bus: Anuradhapura can be reached by bus in 5 hours (it comes to the bus station in the New City).

• Option 1 - after the airport in Colombo we get to the airport bus station (on foot, “tuk-tuk”). direct bus from this station there is no way to Anuradhapura, but from there you can get to Colombo itself and transfer there to a direct bus number 5.
• Option 2 - get to the bus station in Negombo, transfer to the bus to Anuradhapura or to Kurenegala (Kurunegala) where you can again transfer to another bus. Straight the bus is coming via Puttalam. You can also get with a change through Kandy, Matale, Kurunegala (Kurunegala).

Deciding to try public transport, we traveled by bus from Jaffna for 100 rupees (26 rubles).

Having reached the town of Kilinochi (from Kilinochi to Anuradhapura 144 km), we already hitchhiked, but you can use the train (280 rupees per person).

How to get to the holy city of Anuradhapura for free.

Since we got up early, we still had a lot of time left to hitchhike to the desired point and see more sights. In principle, all the most interesting things of the city are located in one large area, where a single entrance ticket costs 3200 rupees (800 rubles) or $25. After all, we still did not know how many passes on Attraction are, although I heard, in some cases very overpriced. And it's not at all that Sri Lanka has the most unique sights in all of Asia, it's just that the policy of the state here is too greedy for money.

Naturally, paying such crazy money for a couple of stupas is too “stupid”, so we walked around the territory a little to the side and climbed over a low fence. The first stop was a 120 meter stupa Jetavanarama, located on the ruins of Jetavana monastery.

Well, yes, a big, big stupa, of which we have seen enough in, differs from the rest only in that it is considered the largest in Sri Lanka. And it is necessary, it is not even stipulated, that it keeps a fragment of some “detail” of the Buddha. This time it's part of his belt.

In principle, even a little impressive in size, and for me personally, it seemed to be the most interesting attraction of Anuradhapura than all the others. archaeological sites old city.

In order to reach the second stupa, we had to overcome the secondary ticket control, which we, of course, did not suspect.

The guard, seeing two large backpacks from afar, immediately jumped up and waved his arms at us. Andrei did not even look in his direction, passing on, I followed his example. The guard, taken aback by our impudence, left his place and in three jumps appeared in front of us, blocking the way and shouting “Ticket! Ticket! I silently shifted my gaze to Andrei, who looked at the guard with a stupid look and, in turn, also waved his hands at him, pretending to be a deaf-mute. The uniformed man's face slowly stretched out and froze for a few seconds. I almost spoiled everything with the desire to laugh when I saw his confused look. Still in shock, he automatically pointed his finger in my direction, hoping that maybe I was "normal". However, I repeated the same "concert", smiling guiltily at the same time. This finally "finished off" the guard, waving his hand, he missed our smiling grateful faces further.

Picnic at the Ruvanvalisaya stupa.

Having walked forward a few meters, we allowed ourselves to have fun from the heart. In order not to run into another employee of the holy city of Anuradhapura, we walked around a large white stupa Ruvanvalisaya on the side.

I would say that it opened from here best view on her.

Another "masterpiece" of Sri Lankan architecture is also known as Mahathupa, Swarnamali and Ratnamali Dagaba.

Here we temporarily left our backpacks to rest in the shade of the trees, sway on the long springy branches like monkeys, and stare at the birds.

By the way, there were enough monkeys here too, I can’t stand them since childhood.

We were not approached and okay.

Acquaintance at the sacred tree Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi (Sri Maha Bodhi).

After a rest, the hike continued to the sacred tree Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, grown from the shoot of the same one under which enlightenment descended on the Buddha. Got it along the way Lovamahapaya (Lovamahapaya)- a building formed in ancient times by 40 rows, each of which contains 40 stone columns, which is a total of 1600 columns. The remains of the latter (and maybe a remake) can be seen right in front of the palace.

Suddenly, a young foreigner appeared in front of me, who greeted me in good English and asked where I was from. What else could I say if not the truth. The guy was from Germany, for the first time he got out of his country and somehow his choice fell on Sri Lanka. He asked where we were staying, noticing two backpacks next to me. He obviously lacked company, perhaps he hoped to join us. I said that we are hitchhikers and sleep in a tent or with locals. At first he was interested in this, and he even squatted down opposite me, but after a few of my stories, he realized that it was unlikely that we were on the way, as quickly saying goodbye as he appeared.

By that time, Andrey had finished examining the sacred plant behind the fence, and answered my questions briefly: “a tree is like a tree, nothing special. The fence is only fenced off from particularly curious eyes and mischievous hands.

The last attraction of Anuradhapura is the Mirisaveti Stupa.

Before leaving the old part of the sacred city of Anuradhapura, Andrey decided to turn to the next stupa Mirisaveti (Mirisaveti Stupa), built on the site of a scepter with relics of the same Buddha.

There was nothing else to do in the city, and we went in search of a bus to the nearest one, 16 km before which we paid 35 rupees (9 rubles). Where we had dinner and found shelter in one of the churches that accidentally remained open all night, but you will learn about these details a little later. Stay with us, subscribe to blog news and don't forget to share your pleasant impressions of what you read with your friends through the social buttons below :).

The most revered city in Sri Lanka is without a doubt Anuradhapura. Although many of its cult objects are in ruins today, a huge part of the cult and historical heritage this region has been saved. Anuradhapura is the perfect destination for history-loving tourists who want to get to know the culture of this tiny country.

Ancient Anuradhapura is full of charm and mystery. Its sights will allow you to plunge into the mystical past of Sri Lanka and even take some unique photos there.

Not far from the Abhayagiri complex, tourists will find the ruins of the old monastery of Ratna Prasada, built in the 2nd century by order of King Kanitta Tissa for the monks of the Abhayagiri order. It was gigantic in size, as evidenced by the powerful, richly decorated columns that can be seen today. In the 8th century, the temple was reconstructed: several floors were added and a golden Buddha statue was installed.

One of the centers of Sinhalese civilization, Jetavana Pagoda has a diameter of 113 meters and reaches a height 75 meters. At one time, it was the tallest Buddhist building in South Asia. 93 million bricks were used for its construction. Today, next to the pagoda, there is a museum where you can learn the history of the attraction and exhibit an interesting collection of Buddhist statues.

One of Anuradhapura's most colorful structures, the Ruwanveliseya Pagoda is located next to the Ethnographic Museum. An interesting wall that surrounds the pagoda, decorated with images of hundreds of elephants. Seriously damaged by wars and natural disasters, today the landmark is only 55 meters high and is surrounded by a garden teeming with ruins.

Location: Abhayawewa Road.

An interesting tourist site in Anuradhapura is the Isurumuniya Monastery, which attracts attention with its stone sculptures that personify Prince Salia and his beloved, a representative of the Asokamala caste.

Legend has it that the prince gave up the crown in order to marry her. Perched on top of a cliff, the monastery is full of Buddhist relics brought from India in the early 4th century. At the entrance to the temple there is a beautiful lake adorned with imposing elephant statues.

located in picturesque place on the river Tissa Veva, Mirisavetia is a pagoda of impressive proportions. Like all pagodas in Sri Lanka, it has its own legend, which says that King Dutugemunu, who decided to swim in the river, threw off his scepter and his royal insignia. After bathing, he wanted to pick up the scepter, which contained the relics of the Buddha, but could not. To protect them, the king ordered the construction of a pagoda.

Location: Old Puttalam Road.

An attraction that is very popular in Anuradhapura is Tuparama Pagoda built by King Dawaman Pusa. It is considered the oldest in Sri Lanka, dating back to the 3rd century. Tuparama is located north of the Ruwanveliseya pagoda and has a diameter of 18 meters.

Location: Thuparama Mawatha.

The Abhayagiri monastery complex is the largest in Anuradhapura. Its main building, the Abhayagiri Pagoda, is tall 108 meters. The complex of buildings of the monastery covers an area of ​​200 hectares and includes several Buddhist temples. The main attraction of the complex is the Samadhi statue, which is considered one of the most beautiful images of the Buddha.

Built during the reign of King Vijayanahu in the 12th century from wood, stone and clay soil, the palace covered an area of ​​about 2.5 square kilometers. Its southern wing was given over to the pagoda (Maligawa), where the relics of the Buddha were kept. The wood used in the construction did not stand the test of time, but the stone part of the building can still be seen.

Once a magnificent structure covered with a bronze roof, Lohopasada Palace was built over 2,000 years ago for King Dutugemenu in the 13th century. Today you can see the ruins of 1600 columns that supported the building. They say that the grandiose building of the Middle Ages had 9 floors and could accommodate up to 1000 people at the same time.

money museum

In the Anuradhapura Money Museum, you can easily get acquainted with the history of Sri Lanka, starting from the most ancient times. Many of its exhibits are recognized as the oldest in the world. Founded in 1982, the museum is divided into 4 expositions:

• Ancient period.
• medieval period.
• colonial period.
• period of independence.

The oldest coins date back to the 3rd century and are made of silver. Exhibited in the museum are gold coins, as well as foreign ones that appeared here with the beginning of the development of trade.

Location: Stage 1, New Town.

In the temple of Sri Maha Bodhi grows, according to Buddhists, the oldest tree of Terra, planted in 249 BC, grows. According to Buddhist belief, Gautami Buddha attained enlightenment in front of a sacred tree in Buddhagaya, India, and the Sri Maha Bothi tree is an outgrowth of the southern branch of this tree. A trip to Anuradhapura will not be complete if you do not visit this holy place for all Buddhists.

And having gained strength, we had to move to Anuradhapura - the ancient capital of Sri Lanka. In terms of the number of attractions, Anuradhapura ranks first in Sri Lanka and we planned to spend a couple of days on it, but everything turned out quite differently ...

How to get from Negombo to Anuradhapura.
There seem to be no direct buses from Negombo to Anuradhapura, so you must first get to Kurunegala, and then transfer to a bus to Anuradhapura. At 6 o'clock in the morning we got up, packed our things, had a bite to eat, paid off the owners of the guesthouse and caught a passing tuker, with whom we agreed to get to the bus station for 250 rupees. At the bus station, we were kindly told the number of the required bus, we threw our bags next to the driver's seat and waited for the departure.

Sri Lanka transport.
Sri Lanka is well developed transport connection between cities, and there are options that are different in terms of budget and speed. The cheapest option is to ride on old red buses, but they stop at every stop and drive very slowly, literally squeezing the last remaining strength from millions of motors. The second option, which we used most often, is the same large buses, but usually white. They rush from station to station at full speed. This driving is on the edge and how they are still alive is beyond me. At the beginning of each trip, buses stop near small houses with Buddha figurines. There, the controller leaves a small amount as a donation and takes some white powder, smears it on his forehead, the forehead of the driver and the steering wheel of the bus. Perhaps the secret of survival is precisely this. Or maybe in another - all the way the driver and the controller chew betel. These are the leaves of a local plant, which are sold on every corner, and according to the Sri Lankans are an excellent tonic. Teeth rot from it, and eyes become glassy, ​​but still they chew. The third option is to use the services of a high-speed minibus called "express". These are minibuses with exclusively seating, go fast, but the price is higher. In all buses, the controller accepts payment and even issues tickets. The driver only turns the steering wheel. Also, some use the services of tuk-tuks to move between cities, but this, in my opinion, is a mockery. They drive slowly, and the sound of the roar of the engine can drive you crazy on long journeys.

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Kurunegala.
In order to get to Kurunegala, we used the services of a large white bus, sat behind the driver. Usually these places are reserved for monks, but tourists are often put there too. For 2.5 hours and 190 rupees for two, we reached the Kurunegala bus station. They asked the bus drivers there, quickly found a bus to Anuradhapura, and at 9 o'clock we were already driving in the direction we needed. The fare for Kurunegala-Anuradhapura is Rs 140 per person (big white bus). At 11.30 we were at the Anuradhapura bus station. It is worth noting that there are two stations in Anuradhapura, a new one and an old one. First, the bus pulls into the new one, which looks like a regular bus stop with a bunch of buses, and then it goes to the old one, it's more organized, platforms and all. Buses for long distances mostly depart from the old station.

Anuradhapura.
Near the old bus station, we turned to tukers with a question about housing. I wanted to find something in the region of 1500 rupees per night. While the tukers were arguing among themselves, a man drove up on a scooter and offered to check into his home guesthouse for 1200 rupees. We agreed to go and see his place. The owner of the guesthouse offered to use the services of one of the tukers. Here we made a mistake and did not agree on the price for a tuk-tuk in advance, we relied on a peasant. As a result, having reached the guesthouse that we liked, the tuker said that money for delivery was not needed and began to offer his services in organizing a tour of Anuradhapura and trump tickets that are not needed at all except for the Insurmuniya temple. We refused his services and he asked 400 rupees for delivery to the guesthouse, which is twice the expected price for a tuk. On objections, he began to cry that Sri Lanka was from e-tar country, vi ar pur people and vi hev but mani. The usual story is shorter. They paid him 300 to fall behind, having learned a lesson for the future - always negotiate a price in advance. By the way, when negotiating a price in guesthouses, also always ask if there are any additional taxes or fees, otherwise it may turn out to be a surprise later.

Tuker left, the owner said that the Buddha would punish him for such prices. And we settled in, asked him where you can have a bite to eat, what the weather is like and how long it takes to visit all the main attractions. In the process of communication, a friendly Sri Lankan offered us a tour of all the temples and dagobas for 4,000 rupees for two. For this money, he promised a tuk-tuk, his guide services and the notorious "tickets". Without thinking twice, we agreed that the price is not so high, but there is an opportunity to quickly see everything without bothering with the question of how to get to one place or another. We agreed on 4 pm and went to look for food.

The weather turned bad. In general, it rains at regular intervals in the center of the country. On the way from the guesthouse we met a lot of different animals - langur, palm squirrel and some kind of heron.

We were heading to the Food City supermarket, which we noticed while riding a tuk to the guest house. He was close and we reached him on foot. A little further down the road was a new bus station. In general, our location was very convenient. In the market we bought groceries for the evening, and on the second floor we ate fried fish in a Chinese restaurant. Portions are huge, prices are outrageous. For 1100 rupees, they ate from the belly. While they were eating, a strong tropical downpour started outside, which ended as suddenly as it began.

We returned exactly at 4 o'clock, in the courtyard of the guesthouse a tuk-tuk hired by the owner was already waiting for us. The weather seemed to have dispersed and we went to see the city.

Landmarks of Anuradhapura.
The first point of our tour was a Hindu temple. It was not included in our itinerary, but passing by, we asked to stop and have a look. In the temple, by a lucky chance, some kind of rite of purification was carried out. A family of parishioners sat on the floor, ministers walked around them with incense and sang songs. Our guide prayed, put white dots on our foreheads and told us about different Hindu gods. It was pretty interesting.

Vessagyria.
Then we went to the caves of the Vessagiriya monastery. This is a complex of several huge boulders and caves under them. The monks hid here from the rain and meditated. There are ancient inscriptions on the walls everywhere. And at the top there is a delightful view of the surroundings, everything is green and the spiers of various dagobas are everywhere. Immediately we spotted a few macaques and saw a flying peacock for the first time.

Insurmunia.
We arrived at the Buddhist temple of Insurmuniya in the rain, which charged with renewed vigor. We bought tickets for 200 rupees, left our shoes in front of the entrance (as is customary in all Buddhist temples) and went to “walk through the puddles”. Wet to the skin almost immediately, despite the presence of 2 umbrellas. The whole complex is very beautiful. On a small rise is an altar with lunar guard stones in front of the entrance. To the right is a small pool with elephants engraved on the rock. On the left is a small extension to the rock, inside which is the reclining Buddha. Right next to a small historical Museum dedicated to the Temple of Insurmuniya. And from the back of the temple is a staircase leading to the very top. Here is the main attraction of the temple - the footprint of the Buddha. By tradition, they throw a coin there and make a wish, which we took advantage of. By this time, the rain had stopped and the territory temple complex many langurs and palm squirrels appeared.

Stargate. Ranmasu-uyana.
Not far from the temple of Insurmuniya is the ruined archaeological complex of Ranmasu-uyana. Sri Lankans call it royal garden pleasures. Not far from each other there are 2 pools, one for women, the other for men. Approaching the complex, our guide asked if we believe in aliens and took us to a place where, according to legend, aliens left their marks on the stone. The figure shows something like a map of the universe.

Behind Ranmasu-uyan and Insurmunia is beautiful lake Tissa Ueva, which sparkled with all the colors in the sun, which came out after a heavy rain.

Stupa Mirissaveti.
The next point of our excursion was the stupa of Mirissaveti. Huge white dogoba. Its dimensions are simply unimaginable. To be honest, before planning a trip to Sri Lanka, I did not even suspect the existence of such architectural structures. Inside the dagoba or stupa (as it is also called), there is usually some kind of relic, but there is no entrance inside. We walked around it, took pictures and went to the next destination.

Sri Maha Bodhi
The sacred fig tree in Anuradhapura, grown from the sprout of the Bodhi tree, under which Prince Gautama attained enlightenment and became a Buddha. The Sri Lankans say that this is the oldest tree on Earth. Some branches rest on golden supports, and below is a temple where thousands of pilgrims converge. We arrived just in time for the evening service. Musicians beat drums, music played, believers brought flowers to a tree and prayed. The Sri Maha Bodhi tree is considered one of the main shrines of Sri Lanka.

Dagoba Ruanveli.
Behind the Sri Maha Bodhi tree is a wide alley. We walked along it to the dagoba Ruanveli. A huge white stupa, like Mirissaveti. It is considered the largest and oldest dagoba of Anuradhapura. Around it, in a single ensemble, there are 4 small stupas and a small temple with a reclining Buddha, inside which the monk told some story to the parishioners.

Thuparamaya Dagoba.
We approached this most beautiful dagoba, surrounded by pillars and small altars, already in the dark. Inside the Thuparamaya dagoba, a piece of the body of the Buddha himself is kept. Despite its modest size, this is one of the most beautiful stupas I have ever seen.

Jetavana Dagoba.
We did not get to this huge brick mortar. Night fell and they saw her only from afar. Tooker drove us as close as possible to take a photo, but without a tripod it was impossible. During the evening we saw so many dagobas that I think we didn’t lose anything.

Satisfied and full of emotions from what they saw, they went home, on the way they bought fruit at the night bazaar. By the way, the bananas here are small, half the size of those we are used to seeing, but they are sweet. And pineapples locals prefer to eat with salt and pepper. Upon returning to the guesthouse, I asked the hostess to peel and cut the pineapple. At my request, she also sprinkled half of the slices with salt and pepper. Delicious of course, but to be honest, I liked the slices without spices more. There will be an opportunity to try.

It was a very interesting day and we did not regret at all that we took our host as a guide. We ourselves would have walked here for 2 days and were pretty tired. So do the same if possible. The city is large and attractions are far from each other.

Before going to bed, we asked the owner of the guesthouse how to get to, a town not far from Anuradhapura. Everyone found out and went to bed. It was planned that early in the morning we will go to Mihintale, inspect everything there before lunch, return and leave Anuradhapura ...

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Hi friends. We talked about the ancient first capital of Sri Lanka. But it’s not enough to tell - you always want to know what interesting things you can see and where to look in a new place. This is the old city, which is unusual place. On the one hand, this is an archaeological zone, on the other hand, it is a place of pilgrimage for thousands of Buddhists. Numerous tourists do not lag behind believers. What is here? All the main attractions of Anuradhapura. We will tell about them today.

I will say right away that the territory of the old city is huge, if you want to see everything, you should take a tuk-tuk and move around on it. Drivers know where it is best to drive up to drop you off, where you can park without a fine, where to meet us. It's comfortable. We did just that. After a little haggling (this must be done), we agreed on $10 and off we went.

As you can see, the main, fully restored objects of the old city are:

• Isuruminia rock monastery
• Temple and Bodhi Tree
• Museum
• Stupas

But of course, there are more interesting objects. Old Anuradhapura is a huge area of ​​about 20 by 20 km. Walk - do not bypass. But since the sights of Anuradhapura belong to the Sinhala Buddhist culture we don't understand much. Well, dagobas and dagobas, I saw one - you know everything. However, it was interesting for us, including observing people. For believers, everything here is full of meaning.

In the IV century BC. Buddhism came to the island. At the same time, a branch of the Bo tree appeared here.

Isurumuniya Vihara

English Isurumuniya Vihara (Originally Meghagiri Vihara)

Here begins the territory of the old city. In 1950, all residents from this territory were relocated to the New City.

The rock palace was built in 307-267 BC. for 500 monk boys from the upper class. Located in the rocks, next to Lake Tisza. Transferred to the disposal of the community of monks. The Isurumuniya temple was one of the buildings of the largest monastery in Anuradhapura.

Here are:

• two temples - old and new

buddha statues

• mortar

• Lake Tisza
• sculptures

• museum

bodhi tree

Full name: Mahabodhi Tree (Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi)

One of the most famous Buddhist shrines in the whole world. The Bodhi Tree, or simply, the Bo Tree is very old, it is 2250 years old. It is grown from a branch of a tree (ficus) in the city of Bodh Gaya, under which Prince Gautami became an enlightened Buddha.

In the 19th century, the main trunk of the Mahabodhi tree in Anuradhapura was cut down by an English fanatic, but a small trunk remains, which is now revered and held up with golden props.

The monks tending the tree take young shoots and grow new trees. There are many Bodhi trees on the temple grounds.

Bronze Palace (Loja Pasada)

Another name is Lovamahapaya. The palace is located next to the sacred tree. Built for monks.

This is amazing building is 2000 years old. It was built under the legendary Anuradhapura ruler Dutugamunu.

Everyone writes that the temple has 9 floors, but I have no idea how high they should be if the height of the entire temple is 4 meters. The temple has over 1000 rooms. Now we hardly see them. There are 1600 columns along the perimeter. Here it is, please. True, while the columns are concrete, they make a strange look, but it's impressive. Once upon a time, the columns were decorated with silver slabs.

The roof is shaped like a pyramid, its vaults were decorated with copper tiles to make it shine in the sun.

The legend says that the appearance of the building is taken from the vision of the monks.

A group of monks saw the temple while meditating. They sketched what they saw with red arsenic and brought the drawing to the king.

The first temple was built of wood and burned down during one of the fires. Today, only the mention of him and the columns remain.

Around the Bodhi tree is the historical territory of Anuradhapura. Long Alley - the ancient street of the city comes from the temple of the Bo tree.

Along it are huge religious buildings, shaped like a bell. These are dagobas or stupas.

Dagoba or Stupa is a Buddhist architectural and sculptural monolithic monumental and religious building with a hemispherical outline. Initially, the stupa was a reliquary, and then became a monument erected in honor of some event in Buddhism. Historically, it goes back to burial mounds built for the burial of kings or leaders. Wikipedia

Mirisaveti Dagoba

English Mirisaweti Stupa

The legend tells: King Dutugamunu with a harem went to Lake Tisza, where the Water Festival was held. He stuck his staff (scepter) into the soft earth, in which the relic was hidden (most likely a piece of Buddha's bone).

After some time, while preparing to return to the palace, the king found that neither he nor any of his retinue could pull the staff out of the ground - it took root and grew into the ground. Dutugamunu regarded this as a sign from above - the relic should remain in this place, and decided to build a dagoba over the staff.

Mirisaveti

The construction of the building took 3 years. The stupa was rebuilt in the 10th century.

You have already understood that inside each stupa there is a reliquary in which some kind of shrine is kept. It can be a piece of Buddha's bone, his alms bowl, a belt, even a footprint or. The Dagobah may be a monument to the event.

English Ruwanwelisaya Stupa

To see the next stupa, you need to go to the Basavakkulam reservoir.

Ruvanveli Dagoba was built in the II - I centuries AD.

The most famous building of King Dutugemunu. It is also called the White Stupa or Mahatupa, which means "great stupa".

The stupa houses the Buddha's begging bowl.

The building is huge. It covers an area of ​​120 hectares.

At present, its height is more than 90 meters, and the diameter at the base is 91 meters.

And this is how the stupa looks on a holiday:

We watched the embellishment take place. This can be seen in the photo report.

Ruvanveli Stupa

The foundation of the stupa is made of golden gravel. It is placed on a pedestal. It looks impressive, solemn and mysterious - there are bas-reliefs of 400 elephants on the pedestal. The symbolic and cosmogonic meaning is that the World stands on Elephants.

Elephants participated in the construction of the Ruvanveli dagoba. Each elephant's leg was tied with a leather cloth.

The king personally supervised the work. He watched how the relic chamber for the Buddha bowl was created and watched how the bowl was hidden inside.

During construction, delegations from various parts of India came to the stupa, 30,000 monks from Alexandria (in the Caucasus) led by the Indo-Greek monk Mahadharmarakshita (Mahadharmaraksita).

In 1839 the dagoba was rebuilt.

Sanctuary

Near Ruvanveli there is a sanctuary with 5 statues telling about the incarnations of the Buddha. Refer to one of them Special attention. This is a statue of a meditating Buddha. It is believed that she is a portrait of King Duthugamunu. (I have told quite a lot about Datugumunu in the previous article).

Nearby is a smaller copy of the entire sanctuary.

The legend of the stupa and the death of Dutugamunu

King Dutugamunu did not see the completion of the work - the complex was completed after his death by the son of the king. But the Sri Lankans tell a touching story about the last hours of Duthugamun's life.

Ruvanveli Stupa is the favorite brainchild of the king. He dreamed of seeing the building completed, but his health was getting worse and the king held on to the last of his strength. Feeling his imminent death, he hurried his brother, who was now in charge of the construction. And the brother said that there was not much left, although unexpected difficulties delayed the completion of the building.

Seeing that the king was dying, and wishing to make him happy, the brother announced the good news that the stupa was ready. The king was so inspired that his strength returned for a while and he decided to see the creation before his death.

The palanquin with the king was moving towards the dagoba, on the way the king met his old friend, who has now become a monk. They talked about the mortality of old men and how rulers are reborn in the celestial sphere of Tushita immediately after death.

The king died happy, never knowing that his brother Tissa went to deceit: knowing that the king's eyesight had become very weak, the brother pulled the purest white fabric over the frame. Dutugamunu was sure that the stupa was completed.

In fact, it was only half built.

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Jetavana Dagobah

English Jethawanaramaya Dagoba

If you leave the complex and go through the Jetavanarama monastery, you will see another huge stupa.

This is Jetavana Dagoba, the highest stupa in Sri Lanka. Built in the III century BC. where the Nandana gardens were. Here, for seven days, the son of King Ashoka, Prince Arahat Mahinda, who brought Buddhism to Sri Lanka, read a sermon.

Jetavana is a modified Indian word for Jotivana. It translates as "the place where the rays of liberation shone."

Each stupa holds a shrine. Inside this stupa is the belt of the Buddha.

Jetavana Dagoba is the tallest brick building in the world. Of the ancient structures, only two pyramids in Giza are higher than it.

The stupa was completely destroyed. Restoration work began only in 1981. Since then, the dagoba has been open to pilgrims, and services are held here.

If we consider the main historical document of the Sinhalese kingdom - the chronicles of Mahavasma, then we will find out the details of the construction and features of this dagoba.

At its base is an ideal circle with a diameter of 122 meters, which is difficult to do without special measuring tools.

It is known that the construction of this dagoba took about 90 million bricks.

Thuparam Stupa

Anngl. Thuparama Dagoba

Anuradhapura's oldest dagoba. Built in the III century BC.

Located next to Jetavana Dagoba. The oldest dagoba of Tuparam.

The first stupa meant that the king of Sri Lanka had adopted Buddhism.

In the 19th century it was faced with marble.

Abhayagiri dagoba

English Abayagiri Dagoba. It is also called Abyagiri Dagoba.

In the north of the complex are the ruins of the Abhayagiri monastery. It was built specifically for the monks who were expelled from the main monastery.

The monks were declared heretics, but in fact they created the Mahayana Buddhist movement, more liberal than the mainstream.

Abyagiri Dagoba is the center of this current.

This is what Abhayagiri Dagaba looked like quite recently

Inside the monastery there is another interesting dagoba.

During its foundation (XII century) it was the second highest in the Capital.

Tradition says that it was built right above the place where the Buddha's foot touched the ground.

Kuttam Pokuna (Twin Pools)

There is a unique building on the territory of the Abyagiri monastery. These are twin pools built by masters ancient capital.

The name should not confuse you, the pools are not identical. The length of one is 40 meters, the other is only 28 meters. But this is not the main thing: the local water purification system is much more interesting, because the water in the pools is clear and clean.

The pools are considered to be an example of significant achievements in the field of hydro-engineering and architectural-artistic creations of the ancient Sinhalese.

Before entering the tanks, the water passes through a series of narrow underground channels, is filtered by sand and earth, entering the pool completely cleaned of dirt and debris.

For the pools, granite slabs were cut to include the bottom and sides of the pool. And around the pool, a wall is built that encloses and secures the connection.

The entrance to the pool is decorated with a lion's head and an image of a snake, on the walls of the bowl of abundance.

Real live turtles are splashing in the pools themselves.

Finally, we want to give you some useful tips:

Show respect for other religions. A famous scandal erupted in Anuradhapura a few years ago when our tourist was put in jail. She wanted to take a memorable photo against the backdrop of the sacred ancient statue Buddha. They say she turned her back, but I think it was something more serious.

This is the statue of Buddha.

• Dagoba needs to be bypassed in a certain direction - clockwise. This is a ritual bypass, corresponding to the culture of Buddhism.

By the way, in Hinduism it is customary to make a detour as well - clockwise. It is believed that witches and sorcerers for the sake of their black deeds, go counterclockwise.

• To visit any religious places in Sri Lanka, we recommend dressing modestly, in accordance with Buddhist requirements: legs are covered (not shorts), shoulders are covered (not a T-shirt).
• Take off your shoes in front of the temple and leave them in a specially designated place or put them in a bag and carry them with you.
• Enter the temple barefoot. If the stoves are very cold or vice versa - they are hot in the sun, go in socks, but without shoes.
• When visiting sights that are far from the noise and roads, be careful: there may be snakes and monitor lizards in the grass.

(Anuradhapura) is ancient city on the island of Ceylon, which was the first capital of Sri Lanka. The Sinhalese built the city of Anuradhapura already in the 5th century BC! A lot of time has passed since then, but the remnants of this interesting city Sinhalese can be seen in the north of Sri Lanka, having arrived there from Colombo by bus. We wanted to definitely visit its ancient ruins, saturated with the spirit of ancient history!

Compared to the south of the country, in the center and in the north of Sri Lanka, the main cultural attractions have been preserved - the so-called "Golden Triangle". Anuradhapura is part of it. Here are the famous stupas or dagobas, which have spread as an architectural norm throughout South-East Asia, and most high building brick in the world! And we started our acquaintance with Sri Lanka right here in Anuradhapura. practical information and a lot of experience has accumulated, and now we will tell you about everything in detail.

- This is the first capital of the Sinhalese state and was founded in the 5th century BC by the Indian prince Anuradha. Located within the modern city ​​of the same name in Sri Lanka. Its name literally translates as "city of Anuradha".

basic information

Name	Anuradhapura, (English Anuradhapura)
Where is	In the northern central part of the island of Sri Lanka, on the banks of the Aruvi River, at an altitude of 81 m above sea level
What is	The city of Anuradhapura is sacred to Buddhists and consists of the Old City ( historical part+ archaeological area) and the New City across the river (residential areas and tourist area). Is an object world heritage UNESCO since 1982
GPS coordinates	8° 21′ 0″ N, 80° 23′ 7″ E 8.35, 80.385278
Distance to Colombo	206 km
How to get there	From Colombo - by bus, train or taxi; From Matara - by train; By bus from Trincomalee, Vavuniya, Polonnaruwa, Dambulla, Kandy and Kurunegala
Foundation date	5th century BC
Square	36 sq. km
Population	65 thousand people
Climate	Subequatorial, there are two rainy seasons (April-May and October-January). The driest month is June
What to watch	Main attractions: ancient dagobas, the ruins of the palaces of the Sinhalese kings, the Isurumnia rock monastery, the sacred Bodhi tree

View from the top of the monastery in Anuradhapura

Ancient city

Anuradhapura city- it is small modern city in the north of Sri Lanka, which is located next to the impressive ancient ruins of the first capital of the Sinhalese. We arrived here in the afternoon. Our bus stopped at the bus station, and all the passengers got off. Then we got our luggage and went to get acquainted with the new city. At that moment, we really did not know anything about Anuradhapura except that there is an ancient city and outstanding sights of Sri Lanka.

Reading information about Anuradhapura on the Internet, we became very interested in its history. It turned out that the city was built in an area called Rajarata - that is, the "Land of the Kings." Other and more modern name of this region is the Cultural Triangle. Well, it means that there is definitely something to see for independent travelers and tourists!

The city of Anuradhapura is also called the most important of the ancient cities, as it was the center for a long period of time - for almost a thousand years it held the capital status of the Sinhalese kings and the South Indian emperors of the Chola dynasty. There were strong trade relations with China. And it was also an important center of Buddhism not only for its neighbors, but the fame of its power even reached the Mediterranean. Ambassadors from Anuradhapura met in Rome with Emperor Claudius.

Observation deck on a huge megalith

What to watch

They are located on a large territory and are of great interest among numerous tourists. The ruins of palaces and ancient dagobas, as well as the sacred Bodhi tree, are all definitely worth seeing.

It is here, in the eponymous modern city of Anuradhapura, which arose only at the beginning of the 20th century, tourists come who want to learn about the ancient past of Sri Lanka and visit a UNESCO heritage site. Someone is riding with organized tour or get out for a couple of days from the beaches on an excursion, and we traveled here on our own.

Map of Anuradhapura Archaeological Park

Anuradhapura consists of the so-called "Old City" (Old City), which houses the archaeological area and the main attractions of the ancient capital, and the "new city" with a tourist area, cafes, shops, hotels and guesthouses, separated from the old city by a river.

Here is an overview video about Anuradhapura:

From the very beginning, it becomes clear that the city of Anuradhapura is not just standing on the river that connected it with the northern coast (near the island of Mannar). Previously, this was very important for communication with allies represented by the Chola dynasty, which extended its influence not only to its closest neighbors, but also to other states and empires of Southeast Asia.

For example, the Khmers, who built under the influence of the Cholas, and Dvaravati, an ancient state in Thailand. Remember the largest stupa in Thailand - Chedi Phra Nakhom Pathom! And thus it was from Sri Lanka and Anuradhapura that Buddhism spread throughout the world.

Advice. During the tour of the city of Anuradhapura, you should not forget about the sun and take care of your head and skin if you are easily prone to sunburn. During hot days it is better to drink more water.

archaeological zone

Leaving the bus station, we immediately found ourselves in the so-called archaeological zone, which is visited by all tourists. The main tourist office of Anuradhapura is located on Sri Maha Bodhi, 200 meters from the old northern railway station and bus stations. Here we took a map and found out all the information we were interested in. We definitely recommend visiting this useful place.

• Tourist office opening hours: 9.00 - 16.45 on weekdays and 9.00 - 13.00 on weekends.
• Ticket office opening hours: 7.00 - 19.00 daily. And the ruins are open around the clock.
• Ticket costs $25, valid within a day from the date of purchase. Entrance to the Isurumuniya monastery and to the bodhi tree is paid separately - 200 rupees.

It is important to know! In Sri Lanka, it is customary to take off your shoes when you enter holy places. And the dagobas of Anuradhapura certainly belong to them. So be sure to leave your sandals before entering Buddhist shrines. If you do not plan to return to the same place where you entered, or are afraid that your shoes will be stolen, then carry your shoes with you in a bag or put them in a backpack. Since the brick buildings get very hot in the hot sun, and there is a risk of getting a foot burn, we advise you to bring special socks for examining the dagobas. And yet, clothing should also be modest: shoulders and knees should be covered.

How to get there

There are several options for getting to Anuradhapura, which are suitable for tourists. For ourselves, we decided that the easiest way would be to come by bus from Colombo to Anuradhapura. Although it would be possible to buy a train ticket and make a trip across railway. Or take a taxi / minibus, but it will be beneficial and convenient if you are traveling with a large group.

• By train: There are 6 trains per day from Colombo. There are three classes of carriages, 2 and 3 can be sleeping. Ticket price - from 100 to 520 rupees. Travel time is 5 hours. The stations are located next to the New Bus Station and 2 km north of the city.
• By bus: there are several options. It takes 5 hours to go from Colombo to Anuradhapura, the ticket price is 100-200 rupees; from Kandy - 3 hours for 70-150 rupees; from Polonnaruwa, the journey time is 3 hours, the ticket price is 50 rupees. You can also take a bus from Negombo (with a change in Kurunegale), the journey will take 6-7 hours and you will have to pay 120-200 rupees.
  Important! All buses coming from the Northern and Eastern direction stop at the New bus station, and from the South - at the Old Northern bus station. It should be borne in mind that no matter which bus station the bus departs from, it will definitely go to the second one and pick up passengers. However, it may no longer be convenient places in the cabin, so it is better to borrow them at the point of departure.
• By taxi A: If you take a car from Colombo or Negombo, then the cost of the transfer will be $150. Driver services with a car throughout the Cultural Triangle will cost $170-200.

Anuradhapura on the map

Where to sleep

Despite the fact that the city is not very big, there is a fairly wide selection of hotels and guesthouses of different price categories. We decided not to stay here in an expensive hotel, because we only needed to spend the night and move on. You can book a room at the Anuradhapura hotel here:

French Garden Guesthouse

In Anuradhapura we stayed in a very decent guesthouse french garden located near the center. We arrived there on the recommendation of the driver. However, the place turned out to be very good and with pleasant prices (3000 rupees for a room with air conditioning and 2500 for a room with a fan). The territory is very beautiful, it has a well-groomed garden in accordance with the name. We were satisfied with the accommodation and service. The only thing I didn’t like is that the guesthouse has a rather expensive restaurant (for example, fried rice costs about 400 rupees), but the food there is delicious. Here you can also rent bicycles to explore the archaeological park and book tours and a guide.

Good hotels in Anuradhapura

To make it easier for you to deal with the search for a hotel, we have studied in detail all the accommodation options, made an overview and We recommend the best hotels in Anuradhapura(links are clickable):

• Rajarata Hotel- grade 7.6 (modern 4* hotel with stylish rooms and swimming pool)
• Gamodh Citadel Resort- grade 8.4 (resort with garden and swimming pool surrounded by ancient ruins)
• Diamond Lake Tourist Rest- grade 8.8 (clean and comfortable guesthouse with its own restaurant)
• Villa Villa- grade 8.3 (family villa with garden close to Lake Nuwara Veva)
• London Palace- grade 8.1 (stylish hotel in the city with good restaurant and garden)

All hotels in Anuradhapura see →

Read also:

We have talked about practical matters related to the trip to Anuradhapura, and now let's move on to the beauties of the northern capital of the island of Ceylon founded by Prince Anuradha in the 5th century BC! Old city It is famous for its dagobas, or bell-shaped stupas, scattered throughout the territory. All of them played some role in different periods of the history of the Sinhalese state of Lanka.

The best way to watch Anuradhapura

Keep in mind that the territory of the old city is simply huge, and the sights are scattered quite far from each other. It will be quite problematic to inspect them on foot in the heat, so you should think about transport. There are several options for how to travel between the sights of Anuradhapura:

• By taxi: the driver will take you to all the sights of the old city for $20;
• On a tuk tuk: cost - 100 rupees per hour;
• By bike: in any hotel or guesthouse you can rent a bike and ride through the ruins on your own. The cost is 200 rupees per day.

We took a taxi with a driver. At first we thought to inspect on our own, but we were glad of the opportunity. However, the cost of his services eventually entered into the total amount that we paid him for a trip around cultural triangle Sri Lanka.

Since we arrived in Anuradhapura quite tired after the flight and the hot bus, the driver came in handy. He drove us to all the sights and sometimes even told something and kindly took photos for us. However, in general, we were not very lucky with the driver, and he even tried to deceive us afterwards. You can see all the details.

We recommend taking a driver or guide for those who do not have much time or who, like us at that moment, do not know much about Anuradhapura. However, if we went to the hotel immediately after the bus and first of all had a good night's sleep, and then well prepared for sightseeing, as we usually do, we would go to the archaeological park in the morning. And would prefer in this case to see the sights of Anuradhapura on bicycles on their own.

Advice. The best place to start sightseeing in Anuradhapura is with a visit to the sacred bodhi tree and the ruins next to it, and then head to Isurumuni Monastery, located in the south. After that, starting from the dagoba of Mirisaveti and the dagoba of Ruvanveli, move north to the palace of Mahasena and the Moonstone. And you can finish the tour at the highest dagoba - Jetavanarama.

On the territory of the old city, it is especially worth noting the sacred for Buddhists bo tree(Sri Maha Bodhi or Mahabodhi), which has been growing here for over 2000 years. Its planting is documented in chronicles, and the seed was brought from India. It comes from the same tree under which the Buddha attained Enlightenment.

Dog at the holy stupa of Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka

Keep in mind that the entrance to the tree is paid separately. It turned out that the main trunk of Mahabodhi was destroyed in the 19th century by an English religious fanatic. However, its small trunk remained, which is supported by numerous props.

Next to the Bodhi tree is bronze palace- the pyramidal structure of King Dutthagamani. Only 1600 granite columns have survived.

Then we went to explore the ruins of the archaeological zone of Anuradhapura. First of all, we arrived at the Isurumuni Monastery (Isurumuni Raja Maha Viharaya), the entrance here is paid separately (200 rupees), and the collected funds allegedly go to restore the object.

Entrance to Isurumuni Monastery

The monastery stands on the shore of Lake Tisza. It is famous for ancient stone reliefs - Lovers, Seated Man and Horse Head. Most of the sculptures and reliefs were transferred to the museum, which is located right next to the monastery.

Relief "Seated Man"

The stones around which and on which the monastery was built seemed huge to us! These are not just megaliths, but super-megaliths, and although they are not processed by man, but simply used in construction, they still inspire respect! Steps to the observation deck are carved right on the rock.

Heap of megaliths

If you go upstairs, they open great views to the neighborhood. Here, apparently, it is good to meet sunset and sunrise, as the panorama is 360 degrees. We, unfortunately, did not manage to see this beauty, and we still regret it.

The monastery has a stone pool

Also not far from the lake is the Mirisavatiya dagoba, where we went straight from Isurumuni. In ancient times, its height reached 61 meters, but in the X century it was rebuilt. Mirisaveti was built the very first in Anuradhapura, immediately after the founding of the city. It is oriented to the cardinal points with four gates. We walked around her, carefully examining the details that seemed interesting to us.

According to legend, this dagoba was ordered by King Dutthagamani to be built on the spot where he laid down his royal regalia, in which the relics of the Buddha were kept. The king went to swim, but on his return he could not take his things back. So he realized that it was on this place that the dagoba should be placed. After all, a stupa (or chedi), according to Buddhists, is a burial mound, and the holy relics of the Buddha should be kept inside.

Among the ruins you can sometimes find such unexpected surprises.

Dagoba Ruwanveli

Another interesting Ruvanveli Dagoba (Ruvanvelisaya dagoba) stands out among other attractions of Anuradhapura in that it is surrounded by a wall of 400 elephants. The construction of this dagoba was also started by King Dutthagamani in the II BC, and its height is 54 meters. The original name of the dagoba is Mahathupa, that is, the Great Stupa. Such a name is not associated with height (it was the third among the stupas of Anuradhapura), but with a meaning - a golden bodhi tree is hidden inside.

Interesting fact: when the reconstruction of the shrine began in the 19th century, Buddhists from Burma donated precious stones to decorate the spire.

Ruwanweli Dagoba in Sri Lanka surrounded by elephants

Walking along the wall with elephants at the Ruvanveli Dagoba, we involuntarily remembered and compared the Sri Lankan shrine with. And although the material and style are completely different, there are similar features - the same veneration of elephants in Sri Lanka and in. Elephants in the first capital of the Sinhalese are drawn with almost biological accuracy, but among the Khmers they are more like a conventional image of a beloved animal.

Dagoba Thuparama

And then we ended up near the smallest of the stupas of ancient Anuradhhapura - the Thuparama dagoba (Thuparama dagoba). Its height is only 19 meters - it was founded in the III century BC as a sign of the adoption of Buddhism. And this means that this dagoba is the oldest in Sri Lanka. The clavicle of the Buddha is kept inside. This is a gift from Mahinda, the son of the Indian king Ashok.

Dagoba Thuparama

When the dagoba was rebuilt in the 13th century, a roof was built over it. The wooden building rotted away over time, but the stone columns remained. Such a building is called wat-dage. It seemed interesting to us, we have never seen anything like this before.

Also built in Wat Dage style, the Lankarama dagoba is not a very large stupa. It was erected in the 1st century, and fully corresponds to the canon, which was popular in Anuradhapura, and later will not disappear in the second capital of the Sinhalese - in Polonnaruwa. We looked at her from the side, but if we had more time, we would definitely come closer. She's worth it.

Vijayabahu Palace

The territory of the former palace of the local ruler seemed very interesting to us. And although only columns remained from the Vijayabahu Palace itself, built in the 9th century, you can still see a huge pool and a refectory here. The dimensions of the so-called rice and curry pans really impressed us!

The bath of the ruler amazed us with its size

"Refectory" of Vijayabahu Palace. At first I did not believe that rice was cooked here!

Mahasena Palace and Moonstone

We continued to explore the archaeological area on the territory of another popular palace. Compared to other attractions in Anuradhapura, Mahasena's palace famous for its moonstone. And the era of this king was marked by a temporary victory of Mahayana Buddhism over Theravada Buddhism. The change in emphasis led to a change in construction - filigree stone carving became quite popular. And the moonstone is the best and most famous cast of that time - the 7th-8th centuries. We saw a similar moon rock later in Polonnaruwa.

Dagoba Abhayagiri

Another one Dagoba Abhayagiri(Abhayagiri dagoba) was built in the 1st century BC and is 115 meters high. However, now, after restoration, the dagoba rushed up only 75 meters. Next to it used to be one of the largest monasteries in the country, in which about 5,000 monks lived. Too bad I didn't get to see him.

According to legend, the name Abhayagiri is associated with the flight of King Valagambahu from enemies. Seeing him running, the monk Giri ridiculed the king. And he promised to return and ... take revenge. After 14 years, the king really returned to his capital, found the monk Giri and executed him. And at the place of execution he built a stupa, naming it in honor of his mocker.

We saw one of the highest dagobas standing in the forests. Apparently, she was expecting an ambulance reconstruction. We hope that you will be able to see what it has become after the repair.

And there is also Kuttam Pokuna Basin, which was built specifically for the Abhayagiri monastery. It seemed interesting to us that it consists of two parts connected with each other. No wonder it was done!

In general, the ancient buildings of Anuradhapura are very impressive. They do not look like they were built for monks, but rather for kings.

But the most important thing to see in the ancient city is the brick Dagaba Jetavanarama(Jetavanarama dagoba). This is one of the few stupas in Anuradhapura not covered in white paint. The dagoba was built in the III century by King Mahasena, and its height was 122 meters in antiquity, and now it is only 70 meters. Nevertheless, it was the largest (tall) brick building in the world. During the heyday of the Sinhalese states, it was one of the tallest structures in the world, second only to the ancient Egyptian pyramids. It is interesting to know that now the highest stupa in the world is the heiress of the Sri Lankan dagobas - in Thailand.

The restoration of the dagoba is still going on (since 1981), so you can walk on its territory without taking off your shoes.

The height of this stupa is mesmerizing. We had to move far away to fit it into the frame, and the people who were inspecting the Buddhist shrine at that moment and walking along the foundation seemed very small.

Did you immediately notice the people below?

Our impressions of Anuradhapura

Despite the fact that we spent only half a day in Anuradhapura, we can definitely say that this is a grandiose place that is worth visiting for everyone interested in Buddhism, its history and the countries of Southeast Asia. After all, Anuradhapura is not only the first capital of Lanka, but also a missionary who spread Buddhism to other countries.

We were especially impressed by the ancient dagobas, which at first glance seem similar to each other, but nevertheless set interesting records - the oldest, the highest! Each of them has its own legend. We were also struck by the evidence of monastic life under these dagobas! Just imagine how rice was cooked in these giant stone vats?!

During the inspection of the city of Anuradhapura, we were especially interested in the practical hydraulic system, consisting of artificial pools and irrigation canals. Previously, she supported the successful life of the city, located in a rather arid area.

We really enjoyed Anuradhapura, and we did not regret that we put this ancient city in first place in our travel itinerary in Sri Lanka, which we continued after. So we started the history of the island from the very beginning. Although it would be a little more correct to first look at Mihintal, the place from where Buddhism spread throughout Lanka itself. But you can visit the shrine the next day, as we did.