The sacred city of Anuradhapura. Attractions Anuradhapura - the old city. Mahasena Palace and Moonstone

Anuradhapura from A to Z: map, hotels, attractions, restaurants, entertainment. Shopping, shops. Photos, videos and reviews about Anuradhapura.

Last Minute Tours to Sri Lanka
Tours for May Worldwide

Anuradhapura is the administrative center of the North-Central Province of Sri Lanka and one of the oldest cities in Ceylon. For a long time, Anaradhapura, located in a strategically important place - at the intersection of two port zones - and hidden in the depths of the jungle, was the capital of the state - until 1017, when the city was seriously destroyed by invaders from South India and abandoned by the inhabitants.

For almost a thousand years, the city stood in desolation, and only in the 19th century, an English hunter stumbled upon it in the jungle.

Today Anuradhapura has been largely restored and divided into two parts: the Old City, which is a non-residential protected area, and New town, where the entire population of Anuradhapura (about 50,000 people) lives and there is a tourist area with hotels, restaurants and shops.

The city is quite far from coastline, therefore, tourists to Anuradhapura are attracted primarily by the world-famous cultural and historical monuments of Sri Lanka included in the List World heritage UNESCO.

How to get there

Anuradhapura is located 200 kilometers from the capital of the island - Colombo. You can get to the city by train (there are two railway stations), as well as by bus in 5 hours (it comes to the bus station in Novy Gorod) or by rented car on the A9 highway in 4 hours.

Search for flights to Colombo (nearest airport to Anuradhapura)

Transport

Buses and tuk-tuk run around the New Town, but there is little need for them - this small area can be easily walked from end to end in half an hour. But the security zone on the other bank of the Malvathu-Oya river is very large in territory - and you can't do without a tuk-tuk. However, in many places of the Old City, the movement of any transport, even tuk-tuk, is prohibited.

Popular hotels in Anuradhapura

Excursions, entertainment and attractions of Anuradhapura

As mentioned above, most tourists come to see the monuments of the Old City. Among them are the so-called dagobas (Buddhist religious buildings intended for storing relics) Thumaparama, Ruanveli with the famous stone statues of Buddha, Jetavanarama, which is considered one of the tallest brick structures in Ancient world, as well as the statue of Buddha Aukana and the sacred Bodhi tree, considered the oldest known tree, with the Mahabodhi temple built around it. And this is only a small part of those monuments that await travelers in the Old City of Anuradhapura.

Your browser does not support iframes

Anuradhapura

In the New Town, there are many hotels, restaurants and shops, there is also a market where you can buy souvenirs.

It is worth remembering that although alcohol is sold in tourist-oriented establishments, public drinking is not encouraged in Sri Lanka.

Where to stay: at one of alpine resorts Ceylon, where even in colonial times the British hid from the heat, namely in Kandy or Nuwara Eliya. Alternatively, you can stay in the country's capital

Anuradhapura - famous city ancient monasteries located in the northern part of Central Sri Lanka. The ancient monuments of Anuradhapura were discovered in the 19th century and later entered into. This ancient city is called the largest city of monasteries in the world. In the capital, where 113 kings ruled, where Buddhists make pilgrimages, there are greatest monuments, palaces and monasteries of Sri Lanka. Other famous cultural attractions in Sri Lanka are the majestic rock, the cave temple and amazing temples.

Anuradhapura, the ancient capital of Sri Lanka

The founding of the city of Anuradhapura almost coincided with the spread of Buddhism in Ceylon. According to legend, the Sinhalese ruler Devanampiya Tissa (3rd century BC) and his entourage got acquainted with the new doctrine thanks to the son of the Indian king Ashoka - Mahinda. Buddhism soon became the official religion of the Sinhalese, and the first stupa (dagoba) Tuparama and the Buddhist monastery of Isurumuniya were built in Anuradhapura. During this era, the city experienced its heyday.

The ancient Sri Lankan chronicle “Mahavamsa” testifies: “The great and wise king ordered to build streets in this wonderful city, and on them were built thousands of houses barely even three stories. Everywhere in the city there were shops full of all kinds of goods. Elephants, horses and carriages passed without delay through the streets, every day teeming with people who took part in the solemn festivities. The entire strip of land off the coast was like one continuous workshop, constantly busy building ships ... "

Having existed for over 1200 years as the capital of Sri Lanka, Anuradhapura was destroyed at the end of the 10th century, when the troops of the South Indian state of Cholov invaded the northern part of the island. The capital of the island was moved to Polonnaruwuand Anuradhapura became a city of great past, revered as the sacred capital of the island.

Attractions Anuradhapura

The majestic ruins of Anuradhapura, spanning over 12 km in diameter, are a four-hour drive from the modern capital of Sri Lanka, Colombo. This city-museum cannot be completely bypassed and viewed even in a few days. Meanwhile, here are concentrated perhaps the most significant cultural monuments of the "lion's island".

Ancient chronicles tell that Anuradhapura was once surrounded by high walls with gates facing the four cardinal directions. There were many water bodies and parks in the city, and thousands of sweepers went out to clean the streets every day. The royal palace and numerous Buddhist monasteries (viharas) and stupas (dagobas) were grandiose structures of stone and wood. In ancient times, there were more than 3 thousand monks alone.

At the same time, each ruler of Anuradhapura strove to build a dagoba, possibly surpassing in size and splendor those that were erected by his predecessors. In particular, the Jetavana Dagoba, which lay in ruins, but was partially restored, reached 80 m in height - i.e. was taller than many Egyptian pyramids.

Typical and extremely characteristic of Ceylon examples of Buddhist art are the so-called "moonstones". Eight of them have survived in Anuradhapura. Usually they were placed in front of the entrance to the "House of the Image". "Moon stones" are semicircular granite slabs with ornamental images carved on them. In the outer semicircle, various animals and birds were located in a clockwise direction.

The next half-ring was a wreath of lotus leaves. The sun was depicted in the center. This symbolism is associated with ancient cosmogonic ideas, and penetrated to the island from India along with Buddhism. The images themselves on the "moonstones", however, are inspired by Hindu mythology, but they have new content. Leo, for example, is associated with Buddha, lotuses - with detachment from everything earthly.

Today, of the architectural structures of ancient Anuradhapura, the dagobas are the best preserved. Giant stone masses have stood despite the destructive effect of time.

The largest among the dagobas of Anuradhapura is the Ruvanvelisaya Dagoba, a masterpiece of Sri Lankan architecture. It is often called the "Great Stupa" - "Maha Thupa". A round snow-white stone mass, 54 m high, rests on a square base framed on all sides by reliefs depicting elephant heads. The spire, directed into the sky, once sparkled with gold.

The Ruvanvelisaya stupa is about two thousand years old, and the history of its construction is described in detail in the ancient Ceylon chronicle "Mahavamsa". The construction of the dagoba was started by King Dutthtagamini, one of the most glorious lords who ruled in Anuradhapura. Reigning on the throne, he found a gold plate hidden in his palace with instructions to build a dagoba. Then the king called five hundred of the best architects, showed them the plate and asked what form the dagoba should be built. One of the architects proposed an upside-down bowl as a model.

Dagoba was built with extreme care. Even sand intended for construction was repeatedly sieved and then rubbed between the stones. The foundation was trampled by elephants, whose legs were wrapped in skins. The inner sanctuary of the dagoba was decorated with silver and gold. A model of a sacred bo tree made of gold and silver with pearls and gems was installed here. Especially famous was the statue of Buddha, which was cast from pure gold.

Shortly before the completion of the construction, the king fell ill. Feeling the approach of death, he asked his brother Saddhatissa to see that the construction was completed. Saddhatissa promised to fulfill his request. It was he who ordered to paint the dagoba white, which it retains to this day, although the color has to be regularly renewed: Subsequent kings also decorated the dagoba in all available ways.

In the middle of the XIX century. this building was threatened by the fate of many other buildings in Anuradhapura. The dilapidated dome resembled a natural hill, overgrown with trees and bushes, in which monkeys galloped and jackals hid. The restoration work has been going on for almost a hundred years. Only during the Second World War, the Ruvanvelisaya Pagoda was finally restored.

Among the most ancient monuments of Buddhism in Ceylon is the Tuparama Dagoba, built in the 3rd century. BC. Devanapia Tissa - the first Sinhalese ruler to convert to Buddhism. According to legend, the collarbone of the Buddha is immured in this stupa, thanks to which Tuparama is a particularly revered shrine. The height of this graceful, surprisingly proportional structure. resembling a bell, is about 17 m.

One can only marvel at the skill and artistic taste of the Sinhalese craftsmen who created this magnificent structure more than twenty-two centuries ago. Dagoba is surrounded by stone pillars, which once served as a support for a tent over the heads of worshipers.

The spire of another dagoba, Abhayagiri, seems to rise from the depths of a huge mountain. This mountain is actually nothing more than a dome overgrown with grass (also restored in last years). The very name "Abhayagiri" is sometimes translated as "Mountain where there is no fear."

At the foot of the dagoba, there is a sculpture about two meters high, depicting the Buddha Samadhi immersed in nirvana (IV or V centuries). The figure is carved rather roughly, but the face is very expressively worked out with a markedly absent expression.

However, in Anuradhapura, a much more interesting statue of Buddha has survived, which is the oldest in Sri Lanka - it was erected 1800 years ago. The Chinese traveler Fa Xian, who visited Anuradhapura in 411, wrote: “Here ... there is a Buddha's hall, decorated with gold, silver and precious stones, where his statue of green jade, more than fifty fugues high, sparkling with seven treasures, but in a pose serious and indescribable dignity. A priceless stone lies in the palm of his right hand. "

This statue that has survived to this day is actually not carved from jade, but from granite. Buddha is depicted in a meditation posture. sitting cross-legged. His face expresses serenity, the deepest peace of all-attained wisdom.

Another ancient monument of Anuradhapura, preserved from the time of King Devanampiya Tissa, is the Isurumuniya monastery, carved into a large rock. Later restorations significantly changed its original appearance. Several bas-reliefs carved into the rock monolith dating back to the time of Devanampia Tissa have survived. Among them - a composition depicting a group of elephants, as well as the famous bas-relief "Lovers in the Stone", depicting a girl sitting on the knees of her beloved warrior.

The construction of Lohapasada - the Bronze Palace, began in the middle of the 2nd century. BC. King Dutthagamani, the one who built the grandiose dagoba Ruvanvelisaya. The liberation of the north of Sri Lanka and the capital of the island of Anuradhapura from the rule of the South Indian invaders is associated with his reign. By uniting the whole island under his rule. Dutghagamani began extensive construction in his capital. His life was not enough for this, and the construction of the Bronze Palace was completed already under his younger brother.

The stories of Anuradhapura's new miracle spread far beyond the island. Legend has it that it was built "in the image of the sky." The palace had nine floors and a thousand rooms decorated with wood carvings. An ivory throne was installed in the throne room, on which the sun, moon and stars, made of gold, silver and pearls, sparkled. The rooms of the palace were also decorated with pearls, gold and silver. The Mahavamsa says that "precious stones were inserted into the cornices ... The ringing festoons are made of gold." The palace got its name - Bronze - because of the bronze sheets covering the roof.

The bronze palace perished, as they say, "because of a penny candle": once a burning oil lamp fell to the floor, and the fire completely destroyed all this splendor. The building was partially restored, but the subsequent wars and the desolation of Anuradhapura led to the fact that today only an area, covered with a whole forest of granite columns, has remained from the legendary palace - there are up to 1600 of them!

But the Kuttam - "Double Bath", built in the 9th century, has been perfectly preserved. and about 8 m deep. At the edge of the bath is an elaborate sculptural image of a cobra.

In Anuradhapura, many architectural monuments have been preserved, deservedly enjoying world fame. Perhaps no less famous is the thousand-year-old bo tree, which grows not far from the Ruvanvelisaya dagoba. It was planted over 2,250 years ago by the first Buddhist king, Devanampya Tissa, and is probably the oldest tree on earth today. It survived almost the entire history of Sri Lanka, now captured in the ruins of Anuradhapura.

The tree sapling was brought from India, from holy city , and, according to legend. is an outgrowth of the very bo tree under which Buddha attained enlightenment. The branch, placed in a golden pot, was brought to Anuradhapura by the nun Sanghamitta, the daughter of Emperor Ashoka. With the greatest solemnity, the precious branch was planted in the park before royal palace... Then it was predicted that the tree would bloom and bloom forever.

It is said that seven days later a miraculous rain fell, and the branch immediately launched eight shoots, which in turn were delivered to other places on the island. Today, in almost any Sri Lankan Buddhist monastery, you can see the bo tree, which is a "grandson", "great-grandson" or even more distant descendant of "sri-maha-bodhi" - the "sacred great bo" from Anuradhapura.

A huge ancient tree is carefully surrounded by a cast-iron fence. Its thick branches, full of life juices, indicate that this tree will not die soon. There is hardly a Buddhist in the whole country who has not made a pilgrimage to this tree at least once in his life. Students come here before exams, they come business people before making important deals, ministers before making political decisions. On the day of the anniversary of the conversion of the Sinhalese to Buddhism (this holiday is called "poson"), thousands of pilgrims come to Anuradhapura. Here they pray and light candles by the sacred tree.

The most revered city in Sri Lanka is without a doubt Anuradhapura. Although many of its iconic sites are in ruins today, a huge part of the area's iconic and historical heritage has been preserved. Anuradhapura is the ideal destination for history-loving tourists who want to get to know the culture of this miniature country.

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

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

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

One of the most colorful structures in Anuradhapura, Ruwanvelisseya Pagoda is located next to ethnographic museum... An interesting wall that surrounds the pagoda, decorated with images of hundreds of elephants. Seriously damaged by war and natural disasters, the site is now only 55 meters high and surrounded by a garden teeming with ruins.

Location: Abhayawewa Road.

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

Legend has it that the prince gave up the crown in order to marry her. Perched atop a cliff, the monastery is full of Buddhist relics brought from India in the early 4th century. There is a beautiful lake at the entrance to the temple, decorated with imposing statues of elephants.

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

Location: Old Puttalam Road.

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

Location: Thuparama Mawatha.

The Abhayagiri monastery complex is the largest in Anuradhapura. Its main building, Abhayagiri Pagoda, is 108 meters away... The complex of buildings of the monastery covers an area of \u200b\u200b200 hectares and includes several Buddhist temples. The main attraction of the complex is the Samadhi statue, which is considered one of the most beautiful images of Buddha.

Built during the reign of King Vijayanahu in the 12th century from wood, stone and clay soil, the palace covered an area of \u200b\u200babout 2.5 square kilometers. Its southern wing was given under the pagoda (Maligawa), where the relics of the Buddha were kept. The wood used in the construction did not stand the test of time, but the stone part of the building can still be contemplated.

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

Money museum

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

Ancient period.
Medieval period.
Colonial period.
The period of independence.

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

Location: Stage 1, New Town.

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

we went to Anuradhapura as usual by bus. Drive 3 hours, cost of 2 tickets - 300 rupees. And, as usual, we were not dropped off 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 buses. 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 very south of the island. By e-mail the owner of our booked villa 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. Upon learning that we were planning to take a bus, the hostess expressed great doubts about the success of our venture.

The distance Anuradhapura-Colombo-Unawatuna is not very large by Russian standards, and, in our opinion, it is quite surmountable in a daylight. But buses in Lanka are really in no hurry, and the owner of the house, although she was a New Zealander, 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 take tickets for 1st or 2nd grade (some horrors were written about 3rd grade), you need to take tickets in advance. Therefore, we had to go 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 which one we needed was unknown. 100 rupees (40 rubles) is a small amount and, having specified that we need a station from which we can go to Colombo, we went. At the station, we went to the window with the inscription "1st, 2nd grade" and asked for two tickets for the day after tomorrow to Colombo in the first class. We were told that there are no first-class cars on this route for any train. And not only on the day we need, but in general. I had to take 2 second class tickets with departure the day after tomorrow at 9 am. The cashier took 1,800 rupees from us and issued a sheet perforated along the edges in half A4 format, where the date, time, class of the carriage and the numbers of seats C7, C8 were indicated. We asked 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 will not have to stand in the aisle and fight for seats.

At the exit from the station, an overweight man in a shirt, sarong and sandals with bare feet approached us. "Taxi, sir?" - he turned to her husband. Taxi?! Is there really a taxi here ?! Not a knock-knock, 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, freezing 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. It is always easier and more comfortable with a taxi. Only until now 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 the vastness of rice fields. It was even called Heaven Upon Rice Fields - "Heaven over rice fields". That's why I chose it, I liked it for the description and reviews. Our driver knew the object we had booked. On the way, he asked about our plans. We replied that today we would like to visit Mihintale and would gladly do it by car. He literally jumped up in the seat and clapped his hands - he was ready to take us. After unloading our suitcases at the hotel and giving 200 rupees, we asked the driver about the price of a trip to Mikhintale by car. He named the price at Rs 2,500. 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, I wanted to take a shower and have a snack from the road first.

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

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

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 Mikhintale. We replied that we were really going to Mihintale, but we had already agreed with another driver. In response, he told us that Abi (the name that the previous driver wrote to us) is his brother, and that he is busy now. 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 Mikhintale. But we did not agree so! We were going to go on our own, and not in the company of strangers, and we did not want to adapt ourselves to someone, nor to force someone to adjust to us. We turned back decisively. The driver trotted after 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 - "just for you." The time was 16 o'clock, the owner of the hotel said that he could, if necessary, arrange a tuk-tuk for us. But knock knock, not a car. Time was more expensive now, I didn't want to waste it looking for another car. We agreed.

The couple in the minibus turned out to be 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), he understood Russian tolerably well and, although slowly and carefully choosing his words, spoke quite well. He said that they came from Colombo, where they had been for two days, and that Colombo is a boring and uninteresting city, in which there is absolutely nothing to do. We shared our impressions.

Now about Mikhintal. It is located just 12 kilometers from Anuradhapura. A very atmospheric place, we recommend it for a must-see. We have seen statements that Mihintale is even more interesting than Anuradhapura herself. Difficult to compare, but we loved this place. It is known for the fact that it was from here that Buddhism began to spread throughout the island, here the first teacher of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, Mahindu, preached. The complex includes three hills: Mango Plateau (Ambastala), Royal Hill (Rajagiri), Elephant Mountain (Anaikutti). The ascent to the Mikhintale mountain is quite difficult: the height of the mountain is 305 meters and 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, as we read, will remain unseen by less interesting sights. But practically next to the parking there are 68 caves, and the ruins of Medamaluva, and the Mango Plateau.

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

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

Straight from the upper parking area, a narrow staircase leads to the right to the Kantaka Chetya Stupa (2nd century BC), one of the oldest structures in Lanka.

To the southwest of Kantak Chetya there are heaps of huge boulders, behind them stretches a ridge of 68 caves.

A little higher up the stairs and to the side is the Cobra Pond, a natural reservoir filled with rainwater. The edges of the Pond are lined with stones, and the 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.

1 of 2

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 is installed, the columns around previously supported the vata-da-ge roof that has not been preserved (in Sinhalese - "round house of relics")

1 of 4

monkeys feast on lotuses on the altar.

Next to the stupa is a rounded piece of rough 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 believers.

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

1 of 2

upward you need to climb the carved steps, and then the iron stairs. Great views from there

1 of 2

on the left is a Buddha Statue, of no historical value, but adds the appropriate color to the environment

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

view from the site next to the stupa

bodhi tree

endemic birds of Sri Lanka indulge in candle wicks without any reverence

pond with fish and turtles

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

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

Mihintale is imbued with some kindness and peace. Is it somehow related to Buddhism (in the middle between the stupas there is a small functioning temple) or is it just natural place strength - I do not know. But the feeling of the received mental strength and health remained from the visit. We were very pleased with the visit.

It took us two hours for a leisurely inspection of everything, but, again, we did not inspect the numerous ruins below the parking lot. In general, we are of the opinion that one should not get 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 completely different. In my opinion, undershoot is always better than overshoot.

When we got back 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 - half an hour. It was a little uncomfortable for us, but we couldn't give up watching everything we wanted in a mode that was comfortable for us ... This is the result of a joint trip of different people. True, then the guy, apologizing, asked us to let the driver first take them to where they could buy beer, and only then to the hotel. We agreed with pleasure, compensating them for their waiting time.

In our hotel, dinner was ordered, because judging by the reviews, it is better not to risk it 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 (a young family). I have a review on the booking

In the evening we asked the hotel owner 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 explore 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 - again another - not the same as yesterday. The driver was also 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 of interest to us, cooling each time in the saving air-conditioned atmosphere of the car after another object under the scorching sun.

We had a printout of the Anuradhapura tourist sites map. At the beginning of the trip, we considered the Abhayagiri monastery complex as an object to visit (1 ticket $ 30). But already now they decided to refrain from examining it, or, in any case, leave it for last. The driver, when asked whether it is worth going to Abhayagiri, shrugged his shoulders doubtfully and said that "Abhayagiri is not very important." In addition, the following opinion was met on the Internet: “Many tourists refuse to buy a ticket at all, they go around the sights on their own, without entering the territory of Abhayagiri, visiting only free ones. Paid and free dagobas are generally monotonous, 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 these 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 tallest dagoba in the world, built of bricks (originally 122 m, 3rd century). The belt of the Buddha is allegedly immured inside.

The rest of the stupas are also quite interesting and completely free. I especially liked Ruvanvelisia. The most revered of all the other stupas, since the most relics are stored in it.

1 of 6

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 there are: a sanctuary with 5 Buddha statues 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, diameter 90. From the original appearance almost nothing was left. We even saw regular restoration work, in which both monks and the local population took part.