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Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura
Located in the north-west of the island, Anuradhapura was the capital of Sri Lanka for 1400 Years. It is slightly more than 200KM from Colombo and a drive of around 6 hours Anuradhapura gained much greater prominence with the advent of Buddhism on the island, after which many significant buildings and monasteries were constructed.
Attractions in Anuradhapura
- The three greatest Monasteries of Sri Lanka, the Mahavihara, the Abhayagiri temple and Jethawanaramaya are all located in Anuradhapura. Lately visitors will see mainly the ruins of these Monasteries. The city and its important ruins were rediscovered only in the early 19th century with the help of the British.
- Ruwanvalisaya – Simply known as the Greatest Stupa, was constructed by king Dutthagamini after he becomes king in 161 BC. This was his most ambitious project but sadly the king did not live to see the completion of the Stupa. It is believed that relics of the Buddha are enshrined with in the stupa.
- Sri Maha Bodhi – The sister of Ven. Mahinda came to the island to start the order of bhikkunis (nuns). She brought with her a branch of the sacred bodhi tree from India under which the Buddha meditated and attained enlightment. The tree is believed to be the oldest living planted tree in the world. It’s one of the most sacred and venerated relics in Sri Lanka.
- The Brazen Palace – The brazen palace or “lohapasada”, was first built by King Devanampiya Tissa in the 3rd century BC. It was later redesigned as a chapter house, or Sima hall, by king Dutthagamini for the Mahavihara. One side of the building was 120 meters long and it had thousand rooms within its nine stories.
It is called the brazen palace because its roof was once covered with sheets of bronze tiles. A total of 1,600 stone pillars supported the structure. Most of which can still be seen even today.
- The Thuparamaya temple – This was the first stupa constructed with the introduction of Buddhism in Sri Lanka build by King Devanampiyatissa, it is believed to enshrine the collar-bone of the Buddha.
- Mahasena’s Pavilion – This location is known for its beautiful moonstone, the finest and most well-preserved in Sri Lanka. Moonstones are usually found at the entrances or at the bottom of stairways to temples and other important Buddhist buildings. They are characteristic of ancient Sinhalese artwork.
- The Twin Ponds – These were large bathing tanks that catered to the needs of the monks and staff of the Abhayagiri temple and were built around the 8th century. Water was filtered several times before flowing in to ponds through a dragon headed spout. Other noteworthy features are the beautiful carvings around the ponds and the snake-shaped guard stone.
- The Abhayagiri temple – The Abhayagiri monastery was built by King Vattagamini Abhaya in 88 BC after regaining his throne. This is the largest monastery in Sri Lanka for over 600 years. The Abhayagiri stupa was built by king Gajabhahu in the 2nd Century CE, and stands 72 meters high with a diameter of 94 meters.
- The Samadhi Buddha statue – Constructed in the 4th century and is above 1.75 meters high. The Samadhi Buddha statue is one of the best examples of Sri Lankan sculpture. The statue shows the Buddha sitting cross-legged in a meditating or “Samadhi” posture.
- The Jetawana Stupa – This colossal stupa was built by king Mahasena towards the end of the 4th century and is considered the largest stupa in the world, it was originally about 160 meters tall and an estimated 93 million bricks were needed in its construction. It is believed that a part of the Buddha’s belt relic is enshrined within this stupa and is an excellent example of ancient Sri Lankan engineering and construction.
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