Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka: attractions, photos, weather

The city of Anuradhapura is located in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka, 194 km from the actual capital of the country Colombo (Colombo) and 168 km from Colombo International Airport. Anuradhapura is the administrative center of the district of the same name. The sites of the ancient holy city of Anuradhapura are included in the World Heritage List of Sri Lanka.

Anuradhapura is one of the "corners" of the Cultural Triangle of Sri Lanka, which also includes the cities of Kandy and Polonnaruwa. The city was founded in the 6th century BC. on the Malwatu Oya River. During the Middle Ages, from the 4th to the 11th century, the city was the capital of the independent Sinhala kingdom of the same name. The city has been a major religious Buddhist center for centuries.

Anuradhapura Map

Also, Anuradhapura is considered one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world along with Luxor, Alexandria (Egypt), Mexico City, Vera Cruz (Mexico), Dhaka (Bangladesh), Peshawar (Pakistan), etc. Today, this ancient capital of Sri Lanka is considered sacred to all Buddhist world, the area surrounding Anuradhapura monasteries is more than 40 square kilometers, the city is one of the main archaeological sites in the world.

According to the Mahavamsa, the great chronicle of Sri Lanka, the city of Anuradhapura was named after a minister named Anuradha who originally established a village settlement in the area. Anuradha was one of the ministers who accompanied the Indian prince Vijaya who, according to legend, founded the Sinhalese race in Sri Lanka.

Photos of Anuradhapura city

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How to get to Anuradhapura

Anuradhapura is a large city, including a railway station and a bus station. From the major cities of Sri Lanka, Anuradhapura can be reached by train or bus.

How to get to Anuradhapura from Colombo

There are about 8 trains a day from Colombo to Anuradhapura. There is also a direct bus service between the cities of Colombo and Anuradhapura:

• No. 15-1-1 Colombo - Anuradhapura,
• No. 15-1 Colombo - Anuradhapura,
• No. 4-3 Colombo (Colombo) - Anuradhapura (Anuradhapura),
• No. 57 Colombo - Anuradhapura.

How to get to Anuradhapura from Negombo

Negombo is located on a railway line parallel to Anuradhapura, and therefore, in order to get by train, you need to change at Ragama. There are 4 trains a day from Ragama to Anuradhapura. You can also get to Anuradhapura from Negombo by bus. To do this, you need to take a passing bus from Colombo to Negombo, or drive to Colombo and sit there at the final station.

How to get to Anuradhapura from Kandy

You can get to Anuradhapura from Kandy by train with a change at Polgahawela station. There are direct buses from Kandy to Anuradhapura:

• No. 42-2 Kandy (Kandy) - Anuradhapura (Anuradhapura)
• No. 43 Kandy (Kandy) - Anuradhapura (Anuradhapura).

How to get to Anuradhapura from Galle/Matara

By rail, you can get to Anuradhapura from the southwest coast by train with a change in Colombo. You can get to Anuradhapura by bus number 2 / 4-3 Matara (Matara) - Anuradhapura (Anuradhapura). And also with a transfer in Kalutara by bus No. 57/221/420 Kalutara (Kalutara) - Anuradhapura (Anuradhapura).

How to get to Anuradhapura from Trincomalee

Theoretically, you can get to Anurakhdhapura from Trincomalee by train with a change in Maho (Maho), however, due to the passage of the railway tracks on the map with a large detour to the south, it is much more economical in time to use the bus. From Trincomalee to Anuradhapura can be reached by bus number 835 Anuradhapura (Anuradhapura) - Trincomalee (Trincomalee).

How to get to Anuradhapura from Dambulla

Buses from Dambulla to Anuradhapura:

• No. 15-17 Kurunegala (Kurunegala) - Anuradhapura (Anuradhapura),
• №314/580/42 Anuradhapura - Badulla

How to get from Polonnaruwa to Anuradhapura

Buses passing through Polonnaruwa:

• No. 22/75/218 Anuradhapura - Ampara,
• No. 27/218/58 Anuradhapura - Wellawaya.

Sights of Anuradhapura

Sacred Sites of Anuradhapura

Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi Tree
(Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi)

Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi is a sacred fig tree located in Mahamewna Gardens. It is believed that the right southern branch is a sapling of the Sri Maha Bodhi tree in Bodhgaya (Buddha Gaya) in India, the tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment.

Sri Maha Bodhi is one of the most revered Buddhist shrines not only in Sri Lanka, but also in the world. Believers believe that a pilgrimage to the sacred tree helps to heal diseases, helps pregnant women avoid fetal malformations, protects peasant fields from natural disasters, etc.

The existing fence around Sri Maha Bodhi was built in the 18th century. by King Kirti Sri Rajasinha to protect the tree from wild elephants that abounded in the area. The height of the wall is 3 m, the thickness is 1.5 m. The length of the fence from north to south is 118 m, from east to west 83 m. The first golden fence around the sacred tree was built in 1969 in the city of Kandy under the leadership of Yatiravan Narada Tero ( Yatirawana Narada Thero).

The traditional Buddha Image House houses two ancient statues. The stone statue of a cobra is a very rare image. In the southwest of the Sri Jaya Maha Bodhi temple complex are the remains of the Dakkina Tupa dagoba.

Dagoba Ruwanvelisaya
(Ruwanwelisaya)

Ruvanvelisaya stupa, or as it is also called Ratnamali, was built by King Datugemunu in 161 BC. after defeating the Chola invaders from India. The king hired an architect who designed the dagoba, whose dome, according to the monarch, was shaped like a "bubble of milk". King Datugemunu himself did not live to see the completion of the construction, which took over 33 years in total, and the construction was completed by his brother King Saddhatissa.

With a height of 103m and a diameter of 292m, the Ruwanvelisaya Stupa was truly a marvel of architectural excellence of the time. Ancient chronicles describe in detail the materials used in the construction of the dagoba and its foundation. In addition to ordinary stones, gold, silver, pearls, corals and precious stones were used.

The original building was destroyed in the 19th century and then rebuilt in 1940. Near the dagoba there is a sanctuary in which there are 5 limestone statues of a standing Buddha. Four statues belong to the 8th century and symbolize the past incarnations of the Buddha, and the fifth statue symbolizes the future (Maitreya Buddha) with a tiara on his head and a lotus flower in his hands.

Dagoba Ruvanvelisaya is one of the 16 places of worship for Buddhists in Sri Lanka, denoted by the term Solosmasthana. It is believed that the stupa contains part of the ashes of the Buddha. The Dagobah was built in such a way as to be consistent with the Teachings of the Buddha: the dome symbolizes the infinity of the Teachings, the four sides above it represent the Four Noble Truths, the concentric rings indicate the Noble Eightfold Middle Path, and the large crystal at the top of the stupa represents the ultimate goal of enlightenment.

Dagoba Tuparama / Tuparamaya
(Thuparamaya)

The snow-white Tuparam dagoba was erected in the shape of a bell, with a base diameter of 18 m, a height of 50 m. Previously, the Tuparam dagoba had a much larger size, but throughout its history it was repeatedly completely destroyed. The last time the stupa was rebuilt was in 1862.

The base of the stupa is paved with granite slabs, the dagoba is surrounded by 4 rows of stone pillars. The height of the stone pillars, on which the massive roof previously rested, decreases as you move from the outer circle to the inner one. The domed roof over the stupa, which existed earlier but has not survived to the present day, was supported by 176 columns.

Dagoba Tuparam was built in the 3rd century. BC. during the reign of King Devanampiyatissa. The stupa was erected by the king at the request of Mahinda Thero, who brought Buddhism to Sri Lanka, to enclose a relic - the right collarbone of the Buddha. The building has an original design: the vaulted temple of the watadage is, as it were, pushed under the dome of the dagoba.

In the 7th century, the Tuparamaya stupa was completely covered with gold. Including the watadage temple built into it, made of golden bricks, with golden doors. After an attack by South Indian Tamils ​​from the Pandyan kingdom, the stupa was looted and all the gold, jewels and treasures were taken away.

In the middle of the 10th c. the Sinhalese king Mahinda IV restored the dagoba, revetted with gold and installed golden doors in it, but again, at the end of the 10th century, the Tamil tribes from South India Chola (Chola) completely plundered the temple complex. The last restoration of the stupa was completed in the middle of the 19th century, however, in the process of restoration, the ancient stupa completely lost its former architectural features.

Bronze Palace of Lovamahapaya
(Lovamahapaya / Lohaprasadaya)

Lovamahapaya Palace was founded in the 3rd century BC. BC. the first Buddhist king of Sri Lanka, Devanampyatissa, who, at the request of Mahinda Thero, who brought Buddhism to the island, built the first building on this site. A century later, in the 2nd c. BC, King Datugemunu significantly expanded the architectural complex to the scale, traces of which can be seen today.

According to the Sinhalese chronicle Mahavamsa, the building of the Lovamahapaya Palace was a nine-story building 47 meters high, its vaults were supported by 1600 stone columns. The palace was decorated with corals and precious stones, and the roof was covered with copper-bronze plates. Apparently for this reason, the Lovamahapaya Palace is also called Lohaprasadaya, which in Sinhala means "Bronze Palace". The upper floors of the building were made of wood and were destroyed in the 2nd century BC. in case of fire.

During the history of the palace building was rebuilt 7 times. At the beginning of the 3rd century, during the reign of King Sirinaga II (Sirinaga), the palace was rebuilt, but its height was already 5 floors. By the middle of the 3rd c. King Jettatissa added two more floors, making it seven stories high. Then, at the end of the 3rd century, King Mahasena (Mahasena) destroyed the palace, using materials for the construction of the Abhayagiri complex, which caused a sharp conflict with the monastic community of the Mahavihara.

In the 4th c. his son Sirimeghavanna restored the palace again. In this form, the building existed until the 9th century, until it was destroyed by the invasion of the South Indian kingdom of Pandya. At the end of the same 9th c. King Sena II (Sena II) rebuilt the palace, but in the 10th century. the territory of the kingdom was invaded by the Indian invaders of Kol and completely plundered and destroyed. Then the fall of Anuradhapura happened and the city ceased to be the capital of the kingdom, and only in the 11th century, during the reign of King Parakramabahu I (Parakramabhu I), the stone pillars were raised, and the building of the Lovamahapaya Palace was partially restored. In this form, the building of the palace remains to this day.

Dagoba Jetavanaramaya
(Jetavanaramaya)

The red-brick dagoba, Jetavanaramaya, is the largest in Sri Lanka, originally 122 meters high, but over time has decreased to 71 meters.

Dagoba Jetavanaramaya was built at the end of the 3rd century by King Mahasena (273 - 303) and later completed by his son, King Sirimegavanna I. 93 million bricks were used to build a giant stupa, it was built on a rock, on a foundation 8.5 meters deep. Each side of the base on which the stupa is built has a length of 176 meters, the length of the stairs leading to it is 9 meters.

It is believed that the Jetavanarama dagoba was erected on the site of the cremation of Mahinda Thero, the man who brought Buddhism to Sri Lanka.

Like all other buildings in Anuradhapura, this too was destroyed by Indian invaders in the 9th and 10th centuries. After the fall of the Anuradhapura kingdom, the stupa was abandoned and quickly covered with jungle.

In the 12th century, during the reign of King Parakramabahu the Great, the stupa was restored from ruins, but its height was reduced to its current value.

Jetavanaramaya / Patimagara image houses
(Jethawanaramaya Image House/Patimaghara)

On the 48-hectare site of the Jetavana Monastery, west of the Jetavanaramaya Dagoba, is the vaulted building of the Jethawanaramaya Image House, also called Patimaghara.

It is believed that the building was built by King Sena I in the 9th century and then destroyed during the capture of the north of the island by the Indian kingdom of Chola in the 10th century. Subsequently, the House of the Image was restored by the Sinhalese kings already during the decline of the kingdom of Anuradhapura.

The house of the Jetavanaramaya image is the largest found in the ancient cities of Anuradhapura or Polonnaruwa.

Previously, the entrance to the building was closed by a monolithic door supported by stone pillars 8 meters high, and in the House of the Buddha Image itself there was a massive limestone statue 11 meters high and 25 Buddhist relics. According to calculations, the height of the building was 15 meters. Subsequently, vaulted buildings (gedige) of Tuparam, Lankatilak and Tiwank were erected in Polonnaruwa in the likeness of the Jetavanaramaya House of the Image.

Dagoba Mirisavetiyya
(Mirisavetiya Stupa)

Mirisavetiyya Dagoba was built during the reign of King Datugemunu in the 2nd century BC, the building belongs to the Maha Vihara complex. The diameter of the base of the stupa is 43 meters and the height is 59 meters.

The name of the stupa is explained by a popular Sinhalese legend: when King Datugemunu, after his coronation, was going to the water festival in Tissawewa, he left his scepter (Kunt) on this place, inside of which a sacred relic was laid. Then the king returned for the scepter, which seemed to be stuck and no one could move it.

Then the king remembered that he had previously broken the tradition by forgetting to offer the monks a chili stew (Miris) before tasting it himself. It was a common practice in those days to give a portion of all the food prepared in the palace to the priests before the king could taste it. Seeing the miracle and remembering his misdeed, the king ordered to build a stupa on this place and call it Mirisavetiyya (pepper stew stupa).

The Dagobah was rebuilt in the 1980s, but the entire structure collapsed in 1987, destroying one of the finest examples of Anuradhapura era "Vahalkada" architectural gables. Dagoba Mirisavetiyya, observed now, was completed in 1993, but in the process of restoration it lost all the historical features of the original.

Dagobah Lankarama
(Lankarama Stupa)

Lankarama Stupa (Lankaramaya) is located on the territory of the ancient city, south of the elephant pond. Dagoba Lankaramaya was built in the 1st century BC. King Walagamba. The diameter of the Lankarama stupa is 14 meters, and the diameter of the base is 406 m, the height of the base is 3 m.

The stupa is surrounded by the remains of 88 stone pillars that supported the roof of the building, which has not been preserved to this day. During its history, the stupa has undergone reconstruction, what was its form was previously unknown. The dagoba, built in Medirigiriya near Polonnaruwa, was built in the same architectural style as the Lankarama stupa.

Dagoba Lankarama is located 400 meters from Abhayagiri Monastery, its ancient name is Silasobha Kandaka Setiya (Silasobbha Khandaka Cetiya).

The place is named so because after the defeat from the Tamil invaders in 103 BC. The Sinhalese king Valagamba hid from enemies in a place called "Silasobbha Khandaka". After defeating the Tamil invaders and liberating the country in the same year, having returned the throne, he built the Lankarama stupa on this site.

Dagoba Abhayagiri
(Abhayagiri Stupa)

The stupa was built in the 1st century BC. Sinhalese king Valagamba. The Abhayagiri Stupa is the second highest stupa in Sri Lanka.

According to the descriptions of the Chinese monk Fa-Xian in the fifth century, the height of the stupa was 122 meters, its outer surface was decorated with gold, silver and jewels. Also at this place was a statue of Buddha 6m high, made of green jade. The upper superstructure above the dome, called hatharas kotuwa, has been preserved since ancient times.

According to the annals, after King Walagambahu ascended the throne in 104 BC, just seven months later there was a Tamil invasion of ancient Sri Lanka through the port of Mantota. Port after port, city after city, the Tamils ​​took over. The Sinhalese army was defeated and forced to retreat quickly, while the Tamil king captured Walagambaha's wife and several relics and took them to India. King Walagambahu was forced to hide in the jungle where the Tamils ​​could not find him.

At that time, a Jain monk lived in the place where the Abhayagiri dagoba stands today. As the king was leaving the territory of Anuradhapura, passing through the gate, a Jain monk named Geri shouted insultingly: "Look how the great Sinhalese king fled!" The king ignored this comment, but when he returned to Anuradhapura, 14 years after defeating the invaders, he did not forget the incident.

The king completely destroyed this hermitage and erected a massive stupa and 12 buildings in its place and offered it to Mahathis Thero. The stupa was named Abhayagiri, after the two sides of the conflict - the names "Abhaya" (the name of the king) and "Geri" (Jain monk). Abhayagiri Vihara later became the rival of Mahavihara. The monks of the Mahavihara monastery were followers of Theravada Buddhism, and the monks at the same time, Abhayagiri followed the principles of the Theravada and Mahayana teachings.

Ratna Prasadaya Palace
(Rathna Prasadaya)

The Ratna Prasada / Prasadaya Palace was built in the 2nd century by the Sinhalese king Kanitta Tissa (167 - 186). The name Ratna Prasadaya is translated from Sinhalese as "Palace of Jewels".

Once the palace of Ratna Prasadaya was a multi-storey building, its size can be judged from the remains of the columns that supported the vaults of the building.

In the 8th century, King Mahinda II restored the several-story building and decorated it with many Buddha statues made of gold. However, all these treasures were plundered during the invasion of the South Indian Pandyan Empire during the reign of King Sena I (833-853).

Subsequently, the palace of jewels was again restored by King Seine II (853-887), who returned the treasures to it. The Ratna Prasadaya building was then restored by the Sinhalese king Mahinda IV in the 10th century.

The protective stone, designed to preserve the treasures of the palace, has survived to this day. It is located at the inner entrance of the building and is one of the finest examples of stone carving from the era of the Anuradhapura kingdom.

Kuttam Pokuna Pond
(Kuttam Pokuna)

The Kuttam Pokuna Ponds are an ancient engineering marvel. The real builders of the structure are unknown, it is assumed that the ponds were built during the reign of King Aggabodhi (Aggabodhi I) at the turn of the 6th and 7th centuries.

The ponds of Kuttam Pokuna were used by the monks of the Abhayagiri Monastery for bathing. The walls of the ponds are made of carved granite slabs.

Translated from the Sinhala language "Kuttam Pokuna" means "Twin Ponds". The northern pond (small) was built first, and over time a second larger pond was added to it.

The dimensions of the small northern pond Kuttam Pokuna are 28*15.5 meters, the depth is 4 meters. The dimensions of the southern (large) pond are 40*16 meters, the depth is 5.5 meters.

The water in the ponds was supplied through an underground plumbing and passed through four levels of filtration before entering the pond through a pipe stylized as a dragon's head. Further, the water from both ponds was merged into one channel and then used to irrigate the fields.

Statue of Buddha Samadhi
(Samadhi Statue)

The statue of Buddha in the state of Samadhi is located in the ancient park Mahamevnava (Mahamevnāwa Park). The statue of Samadhi is considered one of the best sculptures of the era of the Anuradhapura kingdom. It is believed that the statue of Samadhi was created during the 3rd or 4th century.

The statue of Buddha in the Dhyana mudra meditation position with crossed legs and open palms placed one on top of the other is made of dolomite marble. The ancient statue has a height of 2.2 meters.

In 1886, this statue was found in the same place where it is at the moment, having fallen, her nose was damaged. After that, the statue was re-installed, and the nose was reconstructed.

In 1914, the statue was again damaged by treasure hunters and restored again. The eyes of the statue are currently hollow, indicating that they were previously adorned with crystals or precious stones. It is not known whether this statue was brought from another monastery or whether it was originally located here.

It is believed that if you look at the statue from three different sides, then looking from the right and left sides, her face will express sadness, and if you look at the statue from the right, then her face smiles slightly.

Objects of the ancient city of Anuradhapura

Lake Tissa Veva
(Tissa Wewa)

The ancient man-made reservoir Tissa Veva was built by the Sinhalese king Devanampyatissa, who ruled the country in the 3rd century BC. The dimensions of the embankment erected to form the ancient reservoir are impressive: the length of the embankment is 3.4 km and the height is 7.5 meters.

The surface area of ​​the Tissa Veva reservoir is 2.2 sq. km. The purpose of creating such a voluminous reservoir, according to the ancient Sinhalese chronicle Mahavamsa, was to feed the gardens and parks located in the ancient city of Anuradhapura, as well as to irrigate the surrounding rice fields during the dry season.

The man-made lake Tissa Veva receives water through the ancient structure of Jaya Ganga, a canal that connects the reservoir and the Kala Veva River. Excess water from the reservoir is discharged into the Malvathu Oya River.

According to archaeologists, the ancient Tissa Veva reservoir was built so reliably that even after 1,200 years it can supply water to the now modern city of Anuradhapura.

Lake Nuwara Veva
(Nuwara Wewa)

The ancient reservoir of Nuwara Veva is the largest of the three man-made reservoirs of Anuradhapura. Nuwara Veva translates as "City Lake".

The exact time of construction of the reservoir is unknown. It is believed to have been built in the 1st century BC. e. King Vattagamini Abaya.

According to historians, the original structure of the embankment was made of bricks used in the construction of the Abhayagiri dagoba. The embankment was renovated in the 3rd and 5th centuries.

The Nuwara Veva reservoir has a surface area of ​​31.8 square kilometers and was filled using a dam and canal on the Malwathu Oya River. The dam lasted until 1873, when the construction of an automobile bridge across the river was started.

The depth of water in the channel connecting the lake and the river is 1.2 meters, the depth of the reservoir is 45 meters at the dam. Currently, the canal is used to divert excess water from Nuwara Veva back into the river during floods.

Isurumuniya Temple
(Isurumuniya)

The ancient Buddhist temple of Isurumuniya is located on the banks of the Tissa Wewa reservoir. The temple was founded by King Devanampiya Tissa at the end of the 4th century. BC. The temple was previously known as Megagiri Vihara. The temple is known for its unusual stone carvings, made in different architectural styles, depicting different subjects:

• carving Isurumuni Lovers

  The carving was probably created in the 6th century. in the Gupta style shows a man and a woman sitting on his lap, in one version personifying King Kuvera Vaisrawana and his Queen Kuni, in another version of the god Shiva and his wife Parvati, in the third the scene captured a prince, the son of King Datugemunu, who renounced the throne in order to marry a girl of the lower class.

• carving Royal family (Royal Family)

  The carving was probably created in the 8th century, the work was done in the architectural tradition of the Gupta Kala; the image carved on a granite slab includes 5 human figures, in the center of the composition, King Dutugamunu is supposedly depicted.

• carving Elephant Pond

  The carving was probably created in the 7th century, made in the Pallavian tradition. The image depicts elephants bathing, but what is remarkable: the images of elephants correspond to images in stone carvings in Mamallapuram (Mamallapuram) in southern India.

Isurumuniya Temple is the first place in Sri Lanka where the tooth of the Buddha was placed upon arrival on the island. The stupa near the temple and the statue of Buddha inside it are modern. part of the caves near the temple used to serve as a refuge for monks, but now many bats live there.

ransimalakaya temple
(Ransimalakaya)

Across the road from the bronze palace of Lovamahapaya are the ruins of Ransimalakaya. Between the sacred tree of Sri Maha Bodhi and the huge dagoba of Ruvanveliseya is a section of ruins with towering stone pillars.

The site was surveyed by archaeologists from the Royal Asiatic Society, who discovered the building's foundations there, first excavating in 1895.

The current ruins of the building indicate that it was an open building without walls, and its roof, which has not survived to this day, was previously supported by 8 rows of 10 granite pillars.

Few of these pillars can be observed today. The building can be entered through four entrances located on each side of the building.

According to the Department of Archeology of Sri Lanka, this building was used as a meeting room by the monks of Maha Vihara in the Middle Ages. The body of Maha Mahinda Thero was kept in the same building until cremation.

Ruins of the Toluwil complex
(Toluwila Ruins)

The ruins of the Buddhist complex of Toluvila are located near the railway station of Anuradhapura, outside the boundaries of the ancient city. The Toluvil complex was supposedly part of the Pabbatha Vihara.

The estimated time of construction of the monastery of the Toluvila complex is the period between the 7th and 9th centuries.

According to chronicles, in Toluville in the 3rd century BC. stopped by Mahinda Thero (the man who brought Buddhism to Sri Lanka) during his pilgrimage from Chathiya Pabbatha to Maha Vihara.

In the house of the image of Toluvila, a statue of the Buddha sitting in the Samadhi posture was discovered and taken to the National Museum of Sri Lanka, located in Colombo, which is considered the most skillful such statue in Sri Lanka.

The house of the image of the Buddha, which was on a hill, is surrounded by a large number of remains of outbuildings made in a unique architectural style, and the Toluvila complex itself is surrounded by a moat.

Ruins of the Temple of the Tooth Relic Daladage
(Dalada Maligawa / Daladage)

To the northeast of the Vijayabahu royal palace are the ruins of the ancient Maha Pali complex, the Dalada Ge Temple of the Tooth Relic, and the two Gedige Domed Buddha Image Houses. All four buildings are located at a distance of 50 meters from each other.

The ruins of the building, known as Daladage, are believed to be the remains of the Temple of the Tooth Relic, built by the Sinhalese king Mahinda IV in the 10th century after the defeat of the Sinhalese army by the South Indian Chola Empire and the control of the northern part of the island.

The remains of the temple of the tooth of the Buddha Daladage stand on a tetrahedral body measuring 60x65 meters. The temple consists of a large building with wide compartments on three sides (out of four) and two small ancillary buildings that have almost disappeared to the northwest and northeast of the temple.

The main entrance to the Daladage building is in the center on the north side of the temple. The inscription above its entrance, made during the reign of Mahinda IV, allowed archaeologists to identify the purpose of the premises.

Elephant Pond at Pokuna
(Eth Pokuna)

Not far from the Lankaramaya stupa is an ancient irrigation miracle - a huge artificial pond Et Pokuna. The name of the pond from the Sinhalese language is translated as "Elephant Pond".

Et Pokuna Pond is the largest pond not only on the territory of Abhayagiri, but also on the territory of the ancient city of Anuradhapura.

The dimensions of the ancient pond Et Pokuna are very impressive: its length is 159 meters and its width is 52.7 meters. The Et Pokuna Pond is 9.5 meters deep and holds 75,000 cubic meters of water.

The water for the Et Pokuna Pond is supplied from the Periyamkulam Reservoir through a network of underground channels. Visitors can still see parts of the elements of the plumbing system that supplies the pond.

Water supply channels were made by ancient craftsmen from stone blocks. Previously, the pond was used by the monks of the Abhayagiri monastery for ablutions and other daily needs, their number at that time exceeded 5,000 people.

Ruins of the Mahapali complex
(Mahapali Alms Hall)

The Mahapali Mercy Hall was supposedly built by King Devanampyatissa in the 3rd century BC. and was subsequently expanded by other kings who ruled during the period of the Anuradhapura kingdom.

The ruins of the Mahapali complex are located north of the Vijayabahu I palace, their area is 0.5 hectares. To this day, massive granite columns have survived that previously supported the roof of the building of the Maha Pali Hall.

After the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka in the 3rd century BC, the island became one of the largest centers of Buddhism in the world.

In the cities of ancient Sri Lanka, thousands of monks lived, providing them with food was the responsibility of the king, so the halls of mercy (Alms hall) appeared - a place for monks supplied with food.

One of the main attractions of the place is a deep well that supplied water to the buildings of the Mahapali complex. The walls of the well are built of granite and brick, the steps located around the perimeter of the square well allow you to go down to the water.

Gedige Temple
(Gedige)

The temple with the once vaulted dome of Gedige is located on the territory of the Maha Pali complex. The Gedige Building (also known as the Gedi Ge) is a brick structure more or less similar in appearance to the house of the Buddha image.

Gedige is considered the sanctuary of the Mahayana tradition, which preached tantra, because of which they had a conflict with the followers of Theravada, which ended in a complete victory for the latter. The history of construction and the time of creation of this building are unknown.

Gedige and the Buddha Image House of the Maha Pali Complex are the only known Image Houses in Anuradhapura made entirely of masonry, with only the door and window frame being made of granite.

Previously, the building of the House of the Image of the Buddha was decorated with a vaulted dome, stone stairs led to the second floor, and a sanctuary was located inside. Gedige occupies an area of ​​10 square meters. meters, the House of the image of the Buddha 11 sq. meters.

Mayura Pirivena Training Center
(Mayura Pirivena)

This training center is one of the main training centers belonging to the Maha Viharaya complex during the era of the Anuradhapura kingdom. The Mayura Pirivena training center was built by King Buddhadasa in the 4th century.

To date, the Mayura Pirivena building has been completely destroyed, only the foundation with several pillars that previously supported the roof remained from the building.

The Mayura Pirivena Learning Center is believed to be the former location of Granthakara Pirivena, where the Indian Buddhist monk Buddhagosha Tera was engaged in compiling commentaries on Theravada sacred texts in the 5th century. While in India and finding a text for which the commentary on the Tripitaka had been lost, Buddhagosha went to Sri Lanka to study the Sinhalese commentary, which at that time was preserved in the Maha Vihara monastery in Anuradhapura. There Buddhagosha began to study the large body of commentaries that had been collected and preserved by the monks of the Maha Vihara.

The interpretations presented by the Buddhagosha generally constituted an orthodox understanding of Theravada sacred texts from at least the 12th century. Buddhagosha's writings have been recognized by Western scholars and Theravada monks as the most important Theravada commentaries. Buddhagosha described the center of Mayura Pirivena as "beautifully located, well-maintained, cool and with ample water supply".

Monastery of Vessagiriya
(Vessagiriya)

The ancient forest monastery is located on the territory of the ancient city of Anguradhapura, a couple of hundred meters south of the Isurumuniya temple, on the Anuradhapura-Kurunegala road. The place may also be called Issarasamanarama. The monastery is located among huge stone boulders.

The Buddhist monastery of Vessagiriya was founded in the 3rd century BC. and expanded in the 5th century during the reign of King Kasyapa (Kasyapa), up to 500 people lived on its territory.

At the moment, only the remains of 23 stone caves are observed in this area. Now the visitor can only see the stones, because. all other structural elements were made of fragile materials and have not been preserved.

In the natural stone shelters that served as a shelter for the monks, inscriptions were found in the Brahmi language, one of the oldest writing systems. Archaeologists also found the ruins of a building with a round foundation whose purpose is unknown; during excavations, 70 rare coins were found there. On the territory you can see the remains of the buildings of the refectory for the monks and several dagobas.

Royal Palace of Vijayabahu I
(Vijayabahu I Royal Palace)

The Royal Palace is located to the southwest, across the road from the Maha Pali complex. The palace was built by the Sinhala king Vijayabahu I (1055 - 1110) in the 11th century during the era of the Anuradhapura kingdom.

In 1070, the Sinhalese king overthrew the South Indian invaders from the Chola empire, who ruled the kingdom, and after a military campaign that lasted 18 years, united the country. After defeating the Cholas, the Sinhalese king recreated Buddhism, which had been practically destroyed during the reign of the Tamils, and restored ancient infrastructure and irrigation projects.

During the reign of the king, the capital was the city of Anuradhapura, but, having celebrated his dedication to the monarchs, the king moved the capital of the country to the city of Polonnaruwa.

It is believed that the building of the royal palace was used for official celebrations and ceremonies. The building is 39 meters wide and 66 meters long.

Two massive protective stones at the entrance to the building depict "Sankhanihi" and "Padmanidhi" - the servants of the god Kubera. On the walls of the palace, you can still observe the remains of ancient plaster.

Stupa Sangamitta
(Sangamittha Stupa)

The Sangamitta red brick stupa is located 150 meters east of the famous Tuparamaya Dagoba. The ancient stupa was supposedly named after the daughter of the Indian emperor Ashoka named Sangamitta Teri (Sangamiththa Theri).

The emperor's daughter arrived in Sri Lanka in 249 BC, bringing with her to the island a branch of the original sacred Sri Maha Bodhi tree.

The princess made her way to the neighboring country with her brother Mahinda Thero, who is the man who brought Buddhism to Sri Lanka. Arriving on the island, the son and daughter of Emperor Ashoka devoted their lives to spreading the Buddhist Teachings in the country and are still revered as the founders of Buddhism.

The ancient chronicles mention that the Sinhalese king Uttiya (Uttiya) laid the ashes of the arhat Sangamitta Teri in a small dagoba east of the Tuparam stupa. Archaeologists suggest that it was about the Sangamitta stupa.

Stupa Dakkina
(Dakkhina Tupa Stupa)

The ruins of an ancient temple, apparently unfinished, are located south of the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi temple complex and the Mayura Pirivena training center.

The name of the place in Sinhalese means "Southern Monastery", it is considered the place of cremation of several Sinhalese kings.

This site was identified as the Dhakkhina Stupa by Professor Paranavitana in 1946. According to the ancient chronicles of Sri Lanka, at the place where the Sinhalese king Datugemunu, who ruled in the 2nd century BC, was cremated. Dakkina stupa was erected.

Initially, after the cremation of the king, the volume of the dagoba was much smaller, but during the course of history it was rebuilt several times and eventually reached its present size.

Next to the stupa are stone pillars with elegant carvings depicting Vaisravana and Kalpawruksha.

Nakha Vihara Temple
(Nakha Vihara)

The Nakha Temple belongs to a unique type of square brick building, being one of four such unusual buildings found in Sri Lanka.

The temple building was built presumably during the period of the Anuradhapura kingdom in the range of 7-10 centuries. and belongs to the Mahayana tradition.

The size of the base of the temple is 9x9 m, next to the Naka temple, the ruins of the House of the Buddha Image were found, but the object has not survived to our time.

Excavations carried out by archaeologists in the area of ​​the Naka temple revealed the presence of several layers of clay plaster, which presumably indicates that the building, before it was abandoned, was active and inhabited for a long time.

The Nakha temple is rarely visited by tourists, the most popular of the four being the Satmahal Prasada brick building in Polonnaruwa, the other two are in Anuradhapura on the grounds of Abhayagiri Monastery.

Ruins of the Dagoba Padalanchana / Strength of Chetiyya
(Padalanchana Chethiya / Sila Chethiya)

Fifty meters from the famous Tuparam stupa are the ruins of a small ancient dagoba Padalanchana Chetiya. The place is also called Sila Chethiya, Kujjatissa or Digha Stupa.

The stupa is an archaeological site with features from the late period of the Anuradhapura kingdom, likely indicating that it was rebuilt or restored.

The power of Chetiya is one of the 16 main places of worship in Sri Lanka, called Solosmasthana. The Dagobah was built at the beginning of the 2nd century. BC. King Lagnatissa.

According to the Sinhalese chronicles Mahavamsa, Dipavamsa and Mahabothivamsa, the Buddha left his mark on the site of the Padalanchana stupa during his third visit to Sri Lanka.

According to the Mahavamsa, it is also believed that this place is one of the four places where all the Buddhas (Kakusanndha, Konagamana, Kassapa and Gautama Buddha) came to the island at one time and left their footprints before leaving it.

Ruins of the pavilions of Padanagar
(Padanagara)

The two sites, called the Padanagara Pavilions, are located to the west of Abhayagiri Monastery, away from other ancient structures.

The granite base of the building was erected on a cliff.

The pavilions are located outside the ancient city of Anuradhapura and were used by the monks, presumably for meditation and retreat.

The structure of the pavilions surrounds the moat. The building, above the ruins of which rows of stone pillars rise, is devoid of any decorations and ornaments, with the exception of a small amount of them near the stone toilet building, located to the right of the pavilion.

The first pavilion of Padanagar is smaller than the second. Both pavilions are equipped with ancient plumbing, with aquifers running under the foundations of the ancient structure, and stone toilets.

Ranmasu Uiyana / Magul Uiyana Park
(Ranmasu / Magul Uyana)

Even before the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka in the 3rd century. BC. parks were a common part of urban planning. The founder of the park, Ranmasu Uiyana, is unknown.

It is believed that the park was built as an alternative to the parks that existed earlier and given by King Devanampyatissa with the advent of Buddhism to the island, the monastic community (Sangha).

According to an inscription found in the ancient monastery of Vessagiriya, the water for the needs of the park came from the Tissa River and was then distributed over the fields in the area of ​​the Isurumuniya temple.

There are several small ponds in the park, where goldfish used to swim and lotuses bloomed. The stone framing of the ponds is decorated with traditional carvings depicting bathing elephants.

Ranmasu Uiyana Ancient Park is located on an area of ​​16 hectares. The park is an excellent example of ancient Sri Lankan park architecture of the pre-Christian era. On the territory of the park there are "star gate" Sakwala Chakraya.

Petroglyphs of Sakwala Chakraya
(Sakwala Chakraya)

In Ranmasu Uiyana Park, an ancient drawing called Sakwala Chakraya or Bawa Chakraya is depicted on a large boulder.

The creator, purpose and time of creation of the petroglyph are unknown.

One of the assumptions is that the image represents the oldest existing map of the world: the cosmographic graphs of the Universe or the "map of the worlds" described in ancient Buddhist texts.

According to another theory, the Sakwala Chakraya are some kind of star gates, similar to those found in Peru near Lake Titicaca and in the Abu Sir pyramid complex.

The kingdom of Anuradhapura existed from about 400 B.C. before the beginning of the second millennium, however, there is a version that the age of this artifact is at least 5000 years old, and refers to the period of the reign of King Ravana.

Weather in Anuradhapura

The best time to visit Anuradhapura is from January to September inclusive - at this time the city has the least rainfall, the weather is favorable for walking tours of the ancient city.

The high season to visit Anuradhapura is from June to September, the driest time of the year. The rainiest months, the rainy season in Anuradhapura, are October, November and December, influenced by the northeast monsoon.

During the year, the air temperature in the city is stable and varies slightly from season to season: night air temperatures fluctuate within +21 C +24 C; daily air temperatures range from +29 C to +34 C.

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”). There is no direct bus from this station 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. The direct bus goes through Puttalam. You can also get with a change through Kandy, Matale, Kurunegala (Kurunegala).

Deciding to try public transport, we took a 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 of the city is located on one large territory, 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 went 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 necessarily, it is not even stipulated, 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 the most interesting attraction of Anuradhapura than all the other archaeological sites of the old city.

To get to the second stupa, we had to go through 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 was from here that the best view of it opened.

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 in front of me, but after a few of my stories, he realized that it was unlikely that we were on the way, saying goodbye as quickly 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 the blog news and don't forget to share your pleasant impressions of what you read with your friends through the social buttons below :).

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

In Sri Lanka, transport links between cities are well developed, and there are options that vary in budget and speed. The cheapest option is to take 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 places, they 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. Kurunegala-Anuradhapura fare 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 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 there was no need for money for delivery and began to offer his services in organizing an excursion around Anuradhapura and trump tickets that are not needed anywhere 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.

Sights 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. There is also a small historical museum dedicated to the temple of Insurmuniya nearby. 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 many langurs and palm squirrels appeared on the territory of the temple complex.

Stargate. Ranmasu uyana

Not far from the temple of Insurmuniya is the ruined archaeological complex of Ranmasu-uyana. Sri Lankans call it the Royal Pleasure Garden. 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 Insurmuniya is the 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.

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 locals prefer to eat pineapples 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 sleep. It was planned that early in the morning we will go to Mihintale, inspect everything there before lunch, return and leave Anuradhapura ...

The history of the founding of the city is lost for centuries. According to one version, after the south Indian prince Vijaya came to the island, among the seven hundred of his associates there was a man named Anuradha, who founded a small village. The village was named after him, and over time, the small settlement turned into a large one. According to another legend, the city was named after a star in the constellation of Scorpio - Anuradha. Which of the theories to choose, everyone can decide for himself, but one thing will remain unchanged. Anuradhapura is a holy city and the ancient capital of Sri Lanka for 1500 years. Every year, thousands of believers make a pilgrimage to holy places.

The period when Anuradhapura directly became the capital of the kingdom began with King Pandukabai, who approved the city as the capital in 380 BC. e. To the west of the city, he built the Basava Kulam reservoir to supply water to the growing population of the city, established a sewerage system, laid out parks, and built palaces.

Judging by the ancient chronicles and surviving monuments, Anuradhapura was built according to a certain plan. Four city gates were oriented to the cardinal points, and the defensive walls surrounding the city were already in the 1st century BC. BC. reached a height of about 2 meters. In the II century. BC. the walls of Anuradhapura were built on and supplemented with watchtowers. Ancient Anuradhapura consisted of the inner city, which formed the royal palace and the most important religious buildings, and the outer city that grew later. A park adjoined the inner city, which King Devanampiyatissa donated to the Buddhist community. It should be noted that during its heyday, the territory of Anuradhapura exceeded 12 km. in diameter, and more than 300,000 people lived in it.

Due to its location, Anuradhapura was a very vulnerable city to foreign invaders. She was constantly attacked and periodically under the influence of the kings of the Indian dynasties. One such Indian ruler was the Tamil prince Elara, who came from South India in 205 B.C. He managed to hold power on the island for 44 years until a little prince named Dutugamun grew up, who decided to expel the Indian invaders from Sri Lanka. About 15 years lasted his confrontation with Prince Elara, however, in 161 BC. the victory went to Duthugamunu.

The Indian army of the Cholas, who arrived at the end of the 10th century, led by Prince Rajaray the Great, destroyed Anurakhdapura, but after their overthrow in 1070, the city was restored. The capital of the island, transferred by the Cholas to Polonnaruwa, was left there. People slowly left Anuradhapura, which over time was abandoned and swallowed up by the jungle, until 1980, when, under the patronage of the UNESCO world organization, which recorded the ruins of Anuradhapura on the World Heritage List, a comprehensive restoration of the ruins of the first ancient capital of Sri Lanka began.

Anuradhapura is undoubtedly one of the most attractive places for both pilgrims and tourists from all over the world. Like many centuries ago, monks and believing Buddhists come here. Students and schoolchildren often come to the ancient capital to once again remember their great history and better understand the present.

Built around two huge boulders below the Tissaveva reservoir, created by King Devanampiyatissa, the temple was part of the oldest monastic complex, founded in the 3rd century BC. BC, which includes a Buddhist temple in the rock, with a statue of the reclining Buddha, a pond and elephant bas-reliefs carved into the rock, preserved in their original form. Some of the sculptures remained in their places, but some of them were moved to a specially created museum nearby.

One of these famous bas-reliefs is the image of a girl on her knees with her beloved warrior. The work dates back to the 5th century. According to the locals, it depicts the son of King Duthugamunu, Salia, and his beloved Asokamala, a girl from the lower caste of the “untouchables”, for whom Salia relinquished the throne.

On the shore of Lake Tisza is Mirisaveti Dagoba, built of red brick with a broken point on top. This stupa was built under King Duthugamunu. According to legend, the ruler went for a swim, sticking a symbol of power into the ground - a royal yoke with the relics of Buddha. At the end of the bath, the king, with all his strength, could not pull the yoke out of the ground and, regarding this as a sign, ordered to lay a dagoba in this place. The work was carried out for about 3 years, and the height of the stupa reached 60 meters, but it was rebuilt in the 10th century.

To the right of the oldest reservoir, Basavakkulam, built during the reign of King Pandukabay in the 4th century. BC, with an area of ​​​​about 120 hectares, one of the most ancient and revered stupas of Sri Lanka, Ruvanvalisaya, laid, according to legend, by King Dutagamunu in the 2nd century BC, in honor of his victory over the Indian prince Elara, opens up. However, unfortunately the king did not live to see the completion of construction. Ruvanvelisaya is otherwise called the White Stupa or Mahatupa, which in Sinhalese means the Great Stupa, although it is only the third largest of all the stupas of ancient Anuradhapura and soars 55 meters in height.

The stupa was built on a foundation of golden gravel and is located, as it were, on a pedestal, on the outer wall of which 400 elephants standing shoulder to shoulder are carved. The significance of these elephants is explained in two ways. On the one hand, the elephants support the platform on which the dagoba stands, as if supporting the earth in accordance with Buddhist cosmology. On the other hand, they say that the elephants simply helped in the construction of the stupa and this is a tribute to the memory of the majestic workers. Unfortunately, after multiple restorations started in 1893, the stupa lost its original shape.

If you follow Ruvanvelisai clockwise around Ruvanvelisai, you will see a modern shrine with five statues of a standing Buddha. Four of them, made of limestone, date back to the 8th century and symbolize the four incarnations of the Buddha on earth, and the fifth modern statue symbolizes the future Buddha and is crowned with a tiara, and holds a lotus flower in her hand. Continuing around Ruvanvelisai, you will see a statue facing the dagoba. According to legend, this is the figure of King Datugamun himself, built by his son Siddatissa, who completed the construction of his father's stupa and placed his statue so that he could enjoy his majestic creation. Nearby you can see a small model of the original Ruvanvelisai stupa.

One of the shrines revered by Buddhists around the world, the Bo tree or bodhi. It is reputed to be the oldest plant on earth, and its age is about 2250 years. The tree grew from a seedling taken from the Buddha tree in India, under which, according to legend, Prince Gautama attained enlightenment. The seedling was brought to the island by Princess Sangamitta, daughter of the Indian emperor Ashoka and sister of Prince Mahinda, who brought the idea of ​​Buddhism to Sri Lanka. The original tree has not survived, but the sacred shoot in Anuradhapura still grows to this day, despite the fact that the city was regularly attacked and conquered by Indian invaders who destroyed the ancient capital. Numerous offshoots of this Bo tree have been planted throughout Sri Lanka, as well as in many countries of Southeast Asia. Now the mighty branches of the tree growing at the top of the terrace support special gilded iron props that can be seen all around. When approaching the tree, all visitors should take off their hats and shoes in accordance with the customs of Buddhism, meaning respect for shrines.

To the right of the sacred Bodhi tree, you can see the Lohapasada Palace or "Bronze Palace", which is a strange and wonderful structure built by King Duthugamunu over 2000 years ago. The palace is a 9-storey building with 1000 rooms, the roof of which is supported by 1600 columns, about 4 meters high. In ancient times, all the columns were decorated with silver plates, and the roof of the palace building, resembling a pyramid, was covered with bronze copper sheets, which gave it its name "bronze". Since the palace was built of wood, it was destroyed several times as a result of fires and restored first to the 7th floor, and after another fire in the 4th century, only up to the 5th. When Anuradhapura was captured by the Indian Chola army, the Bronze Palace was finally destroyed. The columns that have survived to this day were assembled from the remains of more ancient buildings by King Parakramabahu the Great in the 12th century.

At the exit of the Mahavihara monastery complex, consisting of the Bodhi tree, the Bronze Palace and Ruvanveli Dagobda, on the right is the Jetavanarama Monastery, on the central platform of which rises a gigantic stupa, about 120 meters high. On June 4, 2009, Jetavan Dagoba was inaugurated for visiting and conducting Buddhist ceremonies. Work on the restoration of the Dagoba began in 1981 and continued for about 28 years. Dagobah is equipped with a special lighting system of lights that allows you to highlight the stupa during religious holidays.

According to the main Sri Lankan chronicle Mahavamsa, King Mahasena built this huge Dagoba, 112 meters in diameter, from red brick in the 3rd century BC. About 90 million bricks and a quarter of a century were spent on the construction. The stupa is a perfect circle. It is known that in ancient times, on the site where the stupa was built, there were Nandana Gardens, where Arahat Mahinda, the son of King Ashoka, who brought Buddhism to Sri Lanka, read a sermon for seven days. Since then, the name Jetavana (changed from Jotivan) has gone, literally meaning "the place where the rays of liberation shone." In ancient records of the 13th century, it is said that a fragment of a sash was immured in the mortar, which was used to gird the Buddha.

The original height of the stupa was about 160 meters, which made it the third tallest building in the world after the famous pyramids in Giza. During the conservation and restoration work, it was found that the foundation of the stupa went more than 8.5 meters into the ground rock and now the height of Jetavan Dagoba is 71 meters. However, it remains the largest stupa in the world built entirely of brick.

To the west of the stupa is the house of the image of the Buddha. Judging by the preserved doorway 8 meters high, it was an impressive building.

Returning to the road leading past the Bassavakkulam reservoir, you can see the oldest dagoba of Anuradhapura - Tuparama, which literally means "stupa". The Tuparama Stupa is the first religious building in Anuradhapura and the first stupa built in Sri Lanka in the 3rd century BC. King Devanampiyatissa as a token of his acceptance of Buddhism. Its height is only about 19 meters, and inside is a particle of the right collarbone of the Buddha. In the 6th and 13th centuries, the stupa was completed and even covered with a wooden roof, from which only numerous columns remained that supported it. The stupa that you can see today was restored and faced with white marble in 1862.

In the northern part of Anuradhapura is the monastery of Abyagiri, which covers an area of ​​about 235 hectares. The monastery was built in the 1st century. BC. King Valagambahu for a group of monks expelled for heresy from the Mahavihara monastery, who created a new trend of Mahayana Buddhism, which was more liberal, in contrast to the traditional strict teachings of Theravada. In the center of the monastery is the Abyagiri Stupa, built by King Gajabahu. In the 12th century, King Parakramabahu completed the dagoba to a height of 115 meters, which made it the second highest dagoba of the ancient capital, but today the height of the stupa does not exceed 75 meters. According to legend, the stupa was built over the footprint of the Buddha.

Statue of Samadhi Buddha in meditation posture. The statue was carved from limestone in the 4th century and, according to legend, the eyes of the statue were made from natural stones. Those who wish to come closer must remove their shoes and hats.

The unique building of the Abyagiri monastery is the Twins pools, built in the 8th century by monks. In fact, the pools cannot be considered twins because one of them is 28 meters long and the other 40. The uniqueness of the pools lies in the water purification system, which, before entering the pool, passes through a series of small depressions to the right of the structure, where the dirt settles to the bottom, and pure water enters a smaller pool through an opening surmounted by a dilapidated lion's head. A stone statue of a snake next to it symbolizes good luck. The two basins are interconnected by a small diameter pipeline.

Traveler

Entrance fee: 25/12.5 $ or 4500/2250 adult/child.

The ticket is valid only during the day! But many Anuradhapura can be visited for free, so if you plan to visit it for more than one day, then it makes sense to visit paid places on one day - Abyagiri, the Citadel, Jetavanarama, museums and the main Architectural Museum, and on other days to see the rest. The ticket office is located near the Architectural Museum. Tuk tukers can offer to take you around the complex without buying tickets by paying them personally, but the amount is less than the cost of tickets.

The sights of Anuradhapura can also be seen in the evening when the lights turn on and the Sri Lankans come to religious sites for ceremonies. After 18:00, the box office is closed and you can walk around all the sights for free.

It is forbidden to use quadrocopters in Anuradhapura.

around the clock

4500/2250 rupees adult/child

Time for inspection - 4 hours

we went to Anuradhapura by bus as usual. The ride takes 3 hours, the cost of 2 tickets is 300 rupees. And, as usual, we were dropped off not at the station, but somewhere in the city. First of all, we wanted to go to the railway station. Until now, we have traveled around Lanka by bus. However, now they decided to use the services of the Sri Lankan railways. The fact is that the next point of our trip was Unawatuna. located almost in the south of the island. By e-mail, the hostess of the villa we booked in Unawatuna asked what time we would arrive. We reported that we were already in Sri Lanka and on the appointed day we would arrive from Anuradhapura in the evening. Having learned that we were planning to travel by bus, the hostess expressed great doubts about the success of our undertaking.

The Anuradhapura-Colombo-Unawatuna distance is not very large by Russian standards, and, in our opinion, it is quite surmountable in a daylight. But buses in Lanka are really not in a hurry, and the mistress of the house, although she was a New Zealander, has lived here for a long time. There is no direct railway connection from here to Unawatuna, you need to go through Colombo. We read that in order to get tickets for the 1st or 2nd class (some horrors were written about the 3rd class), you need to take tickets in advance. That's why we had to get to the station first. We started looking around, trying to get our bearings. We were quickly noticed by a tuker and offered to take us to the railway station for 100 rupees. We knew that there were two stations in Anuradhapura, but we did not know which one we needed. 100 rupees (40 rubles) is a small amount and, having specified that we need a station from which we can go to Colombo, we set off. At the station, we went to the window with the inscription "1, 2 class" and asked for two tickets for the day after tomorrow to Colombo in the first class. We were told that there were no first-class carriages for any train in this direction. And not only on the day we need, but in general. I had to take 2 tickets of the second class with departure the day after tomorrow at 9 am. The cashier took 1,800 rupees from us and gave us a half-A4 sheet perforated along the edges, where the date, time, carriage class and seat numbers C7, C8 were indicated. We checked with the cashier whether this inscription exactly means the numbers of our seats, and received an affirmative answer. The mood has improved: it means that we won’t have to stand in the aisle and fight for seats.

At the exit of the station, a heavy man in a shirt, sarong and sandals on his bare feet approached us. "Taxi, sir?" he turned to her husband. Taxi?! Is there really a taxi here?! Not a tuk-tuk, but a normal car with a trunk and even air conditioning?! Riding a tuk in any country does not give us pleasure. Driving in the heat, inhaling the exhaust gases of passing cars, dust, dying from the driver's pirouettes, and then figuring out why the price turned out to be higher than agreed is not the most pleasant experience. Taxi is always easier and more comfortable. Only so far we have not been able to see a taxi in Sri Lanka, except at the airport. Joyful, we threw our things into the trunk and plunged into the air-conditioned coolness of the car interior. Our hotel was located in the strip between urban development and expanses of rice fields. It was even called Heaven Upon Rice Fields - "Heaven over the rice fields." That's why I chose it, I liked the description and reviews. Our driver knew the object we booked. On the way he asked about our plans. We answered that today we would like to visit Mihintale and would be happy to do it by car. He literally jumped up on the seat and clapped his hands - he was ready to take us. Having unloaded the suitcases at the hotel and paid 200 rupees, we asked the driver about the price of a trip to Mihintale by car. He quoted a price of 2,500 rupees. As we knew from the network, the trip was supposed to cost no more than 1500. As a result, we bargained until 1700, agreed on the time of departure, we wanted to take a shower and have a bite to eat first.

A palm squirrel jumped into our room through the open doors of the balcony.

We wanted to treat her, but she turned out to be so frightened that, after running for a minute along the eaves and curtains, she quickly jumped out. From the windows - really a view of the rice fields and Mount Mihintale, where we planned to go today.

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At the appointed time, a minibus drove into the yard. A completely different person came out of it and asked if we were going to Mihintal. We replied that we were really going to Mihintal, but we had already agreed with another driver. In response, he told us that Abi (the name that the previous driver wrote us) is his brother, and that he is currently busy. We approached the minibus and saw a guy and a girl in the cabin. To our question, the driver said that they were also going to Mihintale. But we didn't agree! We were going to go by ourselves, and not in the company of strangers, and did not want to either adapt ourselves to someone, or force someone to adapt to us. We resolutely turned back. The driver trotted behind us, convincing us that we would not interfere with each other at all. Then he said that he would make a discount of up to 1,500 rupees - "only for you." The time was 4 pm, the owner of the hotel said that he could, if necessary, organize a tuk-tuk for us. But knock-knock, not a car. Time was now more expensive, I did not want to waste it in search of another car. We agreed.

The couple in the minibus was from the Czech Republic. When asked what language they prefer to communicate in - English or Russian - they confidently chose Russian. The guy was from Karlovy Vary (probably the most “Russian” Czech city), understood Russian tolerably well and, although slowly and carefully choosing his words, he spoke quite well. He said that they came from Colombo, where they spent two days, and that Colombo is a boring and uninteresting city with absolutely nothing to do. We shared our impressions.

Now about Mihintal. It is located just 12 kilometers from Anuradhapura. Very atmospheric place, we recommend it for mandatory viewing. There were statements that Mihintale is even more interesting than Anuradhapura herself. It's hard to compare, but we really liked this place. It is known for the fact that it was from here that Buddhism began to spread across the island, the first teacher of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, Mahinda, preached here. The complex includes three hills: Mango Plateau (Ambastala), Royal Hill (Rajagiri), Elephant Mountain (Anaikutti). Climbing Mount Mihintale is quite difficult: the height of the mountain is 305 meters and in order to get to the top, you need to overcome 1840 steps.

But by transport, you can drive up to the upper parking area, which will cut the path in half, although a couple of less interesting sights will remain unseen, as we read. But almost next to the parking lot there are 68 caves, and the ruins of Medamaluwa, and the Mango Plateau.

After getting out of the car, we parted ways with fellow travelers, without agreeing on when we would return to the car. We intended to take our time to examine everything that we had outlined.

It is better to climb here early in the morning, before it is too hot, or after the midday heat, as we did. Be sure to stock up on water and take socks with you (you will have to walk around the entire complex, as always in Lanka, without shoes). We did not seek to see all the ruins here. In addition to the Mango Plateau (tickets for two - 1000 rupees), other attractions of Mihintale are available for free, but are located quite far from each other.

Directly from the upper parking area, a narrow staircase leads to the right to the Kantaka Chetya Stupa (II century BC), which is one of the oldest structures in Lanka.

To the southwest of Kantak, Chetya are heaps of huge boulders, followed by a ridge of 68 caves.

A little higher up the stairs and to the side is Cobra Pond, a natural reservoir filled with rainwater. The edges of the Pond are lined with stones, and an image of a five-headed cobra with an open hood is carved on the rock. According to legend, Mahindu bathed here. But its main value was as a source for the irrigation system of the entire Mihintale complex.

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The mango plateau is the place where the main attractions of Mihintale are concentrated. It is a platform in the center of which the Ambasthala Dagoba Stupa (Ambasthala Dagoba) is installed, the columns around it previously supported the already unpreserved roof of the vata-da-ge (in Sinhalese - “round house of relics”)

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monkeys feast on lotuses on the altar.

Next to the stupa is a rounded piece of unworked stone embedded in the platform - the place where King Devanampiya Tissa first met Mahindu. The stone is protected by a fence and a roof, and strewn with money donated by the faithful.

behind rises the main hill of Mihintale - Aradhana Gala (Aradhana Gala), from which Mahindu read his sermons

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upstairs you need to climb the carved steps, and then the iron stairs. There are great views from there.

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on the left is the statue of the Buddha (Buddha Statue), it does not represent historical value, but adds appropriate color to the environment

on the right - the white stupa Mahaseya Dagoba - the largest in Mihintal, its construction belongs to the king Mahadathika Mahanaga (beginning of the 1st century). According to legend, Buddha's hair is immured in it.

view from the platform next to the stupa

bodhi tree

endemic birds of Sri Lanka feast on candle wicks without any reverence

pond with fish and turtles

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Mahindu Stupa (Mihindu Seya) (on the map), where the ashes of Mahindu himself are kept.

If you walk along the path between the Stupa Ambastala and Aradhana Gala, you can go to the Cave of Mahinda, where he lived and meditated. There you can see the so-called bed of Mahinda - a flat rock slab.

Mihintale is saturated with some goodness and peace. Whether this is somehow connected with Buddhism (there is a small functioning temple in the middle between the stupas) or just a natural place of power, I don’t know. But from the visit there was a feeling of received spiritual strength and health. We were very pleased with the visit.

It took us about two hours for a leisurely inspection of everything, but, I repeat, we did not examine the numerous ruins below the parking area. In general, we are of the opinion that one should not be too tired and make extra efforts when sightseeing. Museum or archaeological complex - after 3 hours, fatigue and dullness of perception sets in, and then the effect and impressions are not at all the same. Too little is always better than too much, in my opinion.

When we returned to the minibus, it turned out that the Czechs were already there. Their bored look said that they were obviously waiting for us for more than five minutes. It turned out to be half an hour. We were a little uncomfortable, but it was not to refuse to view everything that we wanted in a mode that was comfortable for us ... Here is the result of a joint trip of different people. True, then the guy, apologetically, asked us to let the driver first take them to where they could buy beer, and only then to the hotel. We gladly agreed, compensating them for their time of waiting.

In our hotel, dinner was ordered, because judging by the reviews, it’s better not to take risks here, but to eat at your hotel. Moreover, it cost 600 rupees per person, everything is very tasty (curry with another variety of sauces). In general, we really liked the hotel and the owners (young family). I have a review on booking

In the evening we asked the owner of the hotel to call our friend Abi and order a car for us to see Anuradhapura. The objects are located far from each other, and it is best to inspect the complex, and even in the heat, by transport.

In the morning, at the appointed time, a minibus drove into the courtyard of our hotel - another one again - not the same as yesterday. The driver was different. Young guy. From a conversation with him, it turned out that he had come for us, and Abi was his uncle. In general, a family clan. This time there were no fellow travelers, it was possible to comfortably inspect everything that was interesting to us, cooling each time in the saving air-conditioned atmosphere of the car after the next object under the scorching sun.

We had a printout of the map of Anuradhapura tourist sites. At the beginning of the trip, we considered the Abhayagiri monastery complex as an object to visit (1 ticket 30 dollars). But already now we decided to refrain from examining it for the time being, or, in any case, to leave it for last. The driver, when asked if it was worth going to Abhayagiri, shrugged doubtfully and said that "Abhayagiri is not very important." In addition, the following opinion was met on the Internet: “Many tourists generally refuse to buy a ticket, go around the sights on their own, without entering the territory of Abhayagiri, visiting only free ones. Paid and free dagobas are generally the same, and you will most likely get bored after the third or fourth.

Anuradhapura is the first ancient capital of the Sinhalese kingdom. The main tourist sites in the city are stupas. Some of them are just gigantic. One of them is brick Jetavana. It is really just huge, visible from afar. It is the highest brick dagoba in the world (originally 122 m, III century). The belt of the Buddha is allegedly immured inside.

The rest of the stupas are also quite interesting and completely free. Particularly liked Ruvanvelizia. The most revered of all the other stupas, because it contains the most relics.

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The stupa is located on a platform decorated with bas-reliefs of more than a hundred elephants (elephants participated in the construction of the dagoba).

Around the stupa are located: a sanctuary with 5 statues of Buddha and frescoes,

4 mini-dagobas, a model of a dagoba in a glass cube and a sculpture of King Dutugemunu.

The height of the stupa is 92 m, the diameter is 90 m. Almost nothing remains of the original appearance. We even saw the next restoration work, in which both the monks and the local population participated.

Thuparam Stupa(Thuparama Dagoba) - the very first stupa in Sri Lanka, dedicated to the emergence of Buddhism.

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The clavicle of the Buddha is immured in the Stupa, around the remains of the destroyed buildings of the old city.