general information
The city of Anuradhapura was founded by Prince Anuradha in 500 BC. e. In the 3rd century, Shanghamitta planted the fig tree of the Buddha - the "tree of enlightenment" here. The city flourished until 993 when the capital was moved to Polonnaruwa.
Aukana Buddha and the Guardian Stone in Thuparam are attractions of the city hidden for centuries in the jungle. The 13-meter granite Buddha, carved in the 5th century, is said to have been crafted with such precision that drops of rainwater falling on the tip of his nose trickle down to the ground exactly between his big toes. The guard stone at Thuparam is said to hold one of the Buddha's collarbones.
Of great interest is the place where Thero Mahinda, the son of the Indian Emperor Ashoka, proclaimed Buddhism as the main religion of Sri Lanka - it is marked with the revered Bo tree, as well as Ruvanveli Seiya, considered the largest stupa in the world, erected in the 2nd century BC. They say this structure is shaped like a perfect bubble that forms on the water when it rains.
Today Anuradhapura is essentially two cities: modern, well-planned, shady, cozy, and ancient, famous for its monuments. The distance between the monuments of Anuradhapura is much greater than in Polonnaruwa, so you need a taxi or at least a bicycle to explore them.
Modern Anuradhapura is surrounded by three ancient reservoirs: Tisa Veva and Basavakkulama Veva are located in the west, and Nuwara Veva - in the east. Of all the monuments of the past, they were the least affected by time. In the center of the old city, Sri Maha Bodhi, the sacred Bo tree, grows. Like the tooth of the Buddha in Kandy, this tree is one of the most revered Buddhist shrines. After adopting Buddhism, Devanampiya Tissa asked the Indian ruler Ashoka for a branch of a sacred tree, under which Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment. Ashoka sent a branch and a new tree was carefully grown from its cutting. Currently, the Bo tree in Anuradhapura is considered the oldest on earth: it is more than 22 centuries old. Nevertheless, it still looks quite strong and healthy. A platform was built around the tree, with a stone staircase leading to it, at the base of which there was a golden sculpture depicting the planting of a cutting. Believers bow to her first, and then go up to the platform to pray to the tree itself.
Nearby you will see one of the most mysterious places in Anuradhapura. Once there was the majestic palace of Loha Prasad, from which 1,600 gray monolithic columns have survived to this day, placed in 40 parallel rows, 40 columns in each. Some of the columns were barbarously destroyed or removed from their places during the restoration carried out at the beginning of the 20th century. The palace was built during the reign of Devanampiy Tissa (250-210 BC) to receive Indian messengers who brought a sacred branch from the Bo tree.
Dagobas in Anuradhapura are quite numerous, they are the best preserved evidence of the former greatness of the city. These structures are notable for their beauty and magnificent architecture, so it is not surprising that they are considered to be among the most significant Buddhist monuments not only in Sri Lanka, but throughout the world. The height of the Abhayagiri dagoba, or "the dagoba of the Fearless Mountain", is 100 m.
It was built by the ruler of Valagamabahu in 89 BC. e., immediately after repelling the Indian invasion. Even more ancient is the massive white da-goba of Ruvanveliseya, not inferior to Abhayagiri in height. Its construction began under the monarch Dutthagamani (161-137 BC), and ended after his death, during the reign of his brother Saddhatissa (137-119 BC).
The oldest Dagoba of Anuradhapura, and of the entire island, is Thuparama, located just north of the Dagoba Ruvanvelisey. Its height is only 19 m, this is perhaps the smallest religious building in Anuradhapura, but it surpasses the rest in importance. Dagoba Thuparama was built in 249 BC. Devanampiya Tissoy to commemorate his conversion to Buddhism. It is believed that the right collarbone of the Buddha and the dish from which he ate were kept in the dagoba. These items are gifts to a convert from the Indian ruler Ashoka. It is not surprising that Dagoba Thuparama enjoys special veneration and is an object of pilgrimage. Dagoba is bell-shaped and surrounded by four rows of stone columns. Stairs, adorned with elaborately executed bas-reliefs and statues, lead to it.
Dagoba Jetavana on the northern border of the old city cannot be compared with the Dagoba Thuparama in holiness, it deserves attention because it is the largest in Sri Lanka: its height is 120 m, and its diameter is 112 m.The construction of this dagoba belongs to the period of Mahasena's rule (274-301) .
South of the sacred Bo tree and just east of the Tissa Veva reservoir is the grandiose rocky monastery of Issaramuniya Vihara. Several monastery premises are located outside the caves. The small museum at the entrance to the cave displays bas-reliefs considered the best in Anuradhapura. Some of them depict members of royal families who lived in different eras. The most famous bas-relief - "Lovers" (IV-V centuries)... Presumably it depicts either a warrior with a lover, or a divine couple. The bas-relief is made in the Indian gupta style.
Although the dagobas erected by the rulers have survived to one degree or another to this day, we, unfortunately, cannot say the same about their residences. Only the remains of Mahasepa's palaces have survived (301-328) and Vijayabahu I (1055-1110) ... Great moon rock, once located in front of the Mahasena palace, today attracts the attention of tourists, but almost nothing remains of the former luxury and grandeur of the palace. Admission is paid or with a single ticket to the "Cultural Triangle".
Surroundings of Anuradhapura
Mikhintale
About 12 km east of Anuradhapura, near Route 12 to Trincomalee, is ancient temple Mihintale, highly revered by the Buddhists of Sri Lanka. The temple was founded in 247 BC. BC, when Mahinda converted the ruler of Anuradhapura to Buddhism.
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Tiny Mihintale is considered the cradle of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. It was here in the 3rd century BC. the first Buddhist monastery appeared and the missionary activity of Mahinda began - in honor of him, Mount Mihintale is also called Mount Mahinda.
Over the years, the monastery grew, gained influence, and until the 13th century was the third largest monastery complex in Sri Lanka. Over the centuries, stupas have been erected here (there were more than 60), and some are quite large.
Today Mihintale is justly considered sacred and visited by pilgrims. This is a working temple: a calm and majestic place, numerous stupas and other ancient structures discreetly, but perfectly fit into the landscape. In one of the oldest stupas there are the remains of Mahinda, on the mountain there is also a large statue of Buddha.
Coordinates: 8.35027500,80.51811200
Bo tree
The Bo tree (or sacred ficus) is one of the oldest trees in the world. It is difficult to imagine its age - 23 centuries. The centuries-old mass grew from a seedling taken from a tree in Budha Goya, Nepal, under which Buddha attained enlightenment. For this reason, of course, the tree is a kind of shrine for all followers of Buddhism.
The scion was brought from Nepal to the island in the 3rd century BC by the nun Sangamitta, daughter of the Indian emperor Ashoka, and found its place in the royal park of Anuradhapura.
It would seem that such an old tree should be very large. But the sacred Bo itself is small, its venerable old age is supported by special props. But the neighboring protective tree is impressively huge.
As befits a shrine, Bo's tree surrounded by a golden fence is carefully guarded. You can't just approach him. But after passing the protective cordons, near the tree you can freeze in awe and, if you're lucky, pick up a fallen leaf as a keepsake of the pilgrimage.
Coordinates: 8.34433100,80.39734800
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Jetavanarama stupa
Jetavanarama is a unique monastery complex created by King Mahasena in 276-303. During the dawn of the monastery, about 3000 monks were housed on its territory, which occupied an area of \u200b\u200b48 hectares. On the central platform of the complex is the Jetavana Stupa, which rises to 120 m and is the tallest brick structure ever built by man. In the IV century AD, during the collapse of the Roman Empire, the Jetavanarama stupa was the third largest structure in the world, second only to the pyramids of Chephren and Cheops in Giza. The structure has a massive brickwork, which goes down to 14 meters deep, so that the weight of the monument falls entirely on the bedrock.
Another uniqueness of the stupa is that it is a perfect circle and contains particles of the physical remains of the Buddha. The site where the structure stands was known in antiquity as the Nandana Gardens. It was here that Arahat Mahinda read a sermon for 7000 people for 7 days. The Jetavanarama Stupa was erected over the imprint of the Buddha's foot, and 93,300,000 bricks were used to build it.
Coordinates: 8.35176200,80.40372100
The Central Bank Money Museum can compete with its collections history museum, because it was in the coins of their kingdoms that the history of Sri Lanka was reflected. Here you can trace all the stages of the country's development from colonial times, when the territory was under the rule of first Portugal, and then Holland and Britain, to the present day. The exhibits from the collections of the money museum are recognized as the oldest in the region.
The museum was established in April 1982 to house the complete collection of the country's numismatics. But over time, the exhibits became more and more, they covered wider time periods and the collection was divided into four thematic expositions: "Ancient period", "Medieval period", "Colonial period" and "The period of independence since the creation of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. ".
In the first two, you can find the oldest coins that were in circulation in Sri Lanka. They were called Kahapana and date back to the 3rd century BC. They were of the most varied forms and were made mainly of silver. The kahavanu gold coins appeared on the island only four centuries later. The first foreign coins appeared with the development of navigation and trade. Many coins of Greek, Indo-Greek, Roman, Chinese and Arabic origin have been found in Sri Lanka.
Coordinates: 6.93427600,79.84226900
Twin Pools Kutam Pokuna
Kutam Pokuna Pools (Twin Pools) - Ancient Pools Of the ancient worldof great hydrological, engineering, architectural and artistic value. The pools were intended for the bathing of Buddhist monks.
The pools were built in the 8th century in the kingdom of Andradhapura. In fact, the pools are not twins, as the first is 28 meters long and the second is 40 meters.
The pools are carved from granite slabs that cover the bottom and walls. They are also led by stepped walls in the form of shelves, on which, when bathing, monks put pots for ablution and other objects.
Pools are different unique system water purification: before entering the pool, water passes through a series of depressions next to the structure, and all the dirt settles at the bottom. The pools are connected to each other by means of a pipeline.
Coordinates: 8.37110200,80.40159700
Abhayagiri stupa
The stupa in Anuradhapura is the second tallest building in the Ancient World, built in the 1st century BC by King Watt Gamini Abhaya. The height of the stupa is over 112 meters.
In front of the entrance to the stupa, two stone statues are installed, which are considered the guardians of the god Kuvera. The name of the stupa consists of two names - the name of King Abhay and the name of Jain, known as Giri. The stupa houses an interesting library of the Ancient World, which even foreign scholars interested in studying Buddhism seek to visit.
It is believed that the stupa is decorated with gold, silver and precious stones.
Next to the stupa, a monastery of the same name was built, in which 5,000 monks once lived. They worshiped a statue of Buddha made of green jade.
Coordinates: 8.37101700,80.39550300
The most popular attractions in Anuradhapura with descriptions and photos for every taste. Choose the best places for visiting famous places Anuradhapura on our website.
Places to be sure to visit on the island of Sri Lanka are not decreasing. Having quickly regained strength in the waterfalls of the Sinharaja reserve, without delay, we set off on a new road.
This time our way will go to the North, to the so-called Upper Cultural Triangle. The format of the trip, which we have already loved, is an excursion marathon: a new day - a new city - new attractions. Principle: I carry everything with me.
Stages of the excursion marathon:
- Bus Hikkaduwa-Colombo-Anuradhapura. Transfer by tuk-tuk to Mihintale - the birthplace of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. Botha tree. Lost City;
- 2nd day. Anuradhapura. Isurumuniya Royal Palace. Express method of checking karma. Exploded stupa. Moving to Dambulla;
- ... Sigiriya. Visit to the residence of the Master of the World. Pidurangala is a golden rock. Photo from two peaks. Moving to Polonnaruwa;
- ... Polonnaruwa is the medieval capital of Sri Lanka. Testing your cycling ability? Moving to Trincomalee;
- ... Ford Frederick. Temple of Koneshwaram. Nilaveli beaches. Trincomalee-Colombo Night Express. Return to Hikkaduwa.
Articles about this trip are united under the general title "Upper Cultural Triangle" and are divided into travel days. Events are presented in chronological order.
Good plan. Let's sit down on the track!
Anuradhapura - the first capital of the Sinhalese kingdom
January 2, 2016. (1 $ ~ 140 rupees). We didn’t like the hotel, but as they say, there is fish for fishlessness and cancer. I didn't have to choose late last night. Fortunately, we are leaving her. But there is a wonderful market nearby, where we bought bananas for breakfast.
Prices, compared to the coast, are significantly lower.
There are a lot of sights left in Anuradhapura, and we continue exploring them on the second day. I would like to visit the places of our yesterday's night adventures in the light of day.
A lost city awaits us! It is called lost because people have forgotten about its existence for many years. Perhaps they all died or were driven into slavery as a result of another invasion of invaders from India. Discovered this huge group of ancient buildings by accident.
There are so many ancient monuments here that you just don't know where to start your acquaintance. We chose the direction into the thick of artifacts and began to examine everything that would be nearby.
On the way to the center of yesterday's events, we visited a not badly preserved Hindu temple.
All Hindu temples are free to visit. We have already visited several of them and there was no need to buy an entrance ticket anywhere.
On the way to it, we witnessed the training of novice drivers. Basically, training takes place on tuk-tuk. It looks funny!
Not reaching 1 km to the Bodhi tree is located royal Palace Isurumunia.
It was carved into the rock at the direction of King Devanampiy Tissa (pr. 307-267 BC). A large pool was built in front of the palace, next to the Temple with a statue of Buddha and frescoes on the walls, there is a cave with a large colony of bats.
Isurumunia is also famous for its rocky bas-reliefs:
images of bathing elephants. If you look above, you can see another image of a seated man with a horse's head carved above his right shoulder.
In front of the entrance to the main room of the temple, carved into the rock, there is a specially made depression. It is located at a distance of about three meters from the visitor, and below there is a moat with water. All comers are invited to check the state of their karma: to throw a coin into this depression.
If you hit, then everything is fine with you, if the coin fell into the water, then there is something to work on, like in biathlon - a penalty loop. Although, no one forbids making several consecutive throws. Most do so.
Not all of my companions hit the mark the first time.
A visit to the temple is paid. Entrance ticket costs 200 rupees (~ 1.5 $).
Ruins of impressive size were visible from the top of the meditation rock. We decided to definitely go there.
During our hikes, we noticed that some of the tourists, mostly practical Chinese, move around on rented bicycles. This saves a lot of time and effort. Take bicycles, you won't regret it!
Having reached the large ruins, we saw an unfinished stupa. There was a guard post nearby.
The police told us that this stupa was blown up by terrorists 30 years ago. The huge monolithic stupa is almost completely destroyed. Obviously the explosion was of enormous force.
Restoration work is underway, but it is open for inspection. Here we saw with our own eyes that there are no internal rooms in the mortar. The entire volume is bricked. Each brick has a brand name.
Destruction of a stupa in Buddhism is considered one of the greatest sins. The one who did this deed ends up in hell immediately after the end of this life. The chain of reincarnation (transmigration, reincarnation of the soul) is interrupted.
Eastern religions believe that after the death of one body, life continues in a new one. According to Hindu beliefs, the soul transmigrates into another body. So she takes life after life different bodies, better or worse, depending on her deeds in previous incarnations.
Vladimir Vysotsky in his "Song of the Transmigration of Souls" popularly explained the essence of the problem.
For less dangerous crimes, the punishment is milder. For example: termination of reincarnation with a delay of 3 lives, 5 lives, etc. There is time to correct and improve karma.
The hands of the clock tell you it's time to move on. Saying goodbye to the lost city, we deftly, almost on the move, performed boarding a bus that had slowed down. For 12 rupees per person we get to the old bus station. I will say in advance that on this day we were in a hurry. IN lost city one could see one more attraction.
We sit down on the Anuradhapura-Dambulla bus. The fare for one person is 90 rupees (~ 0.6 $), 1.5 hours on the way. Buses run very often, so there is no need to arrive at a certain time. Dambulla is not far from the destination of our trip tomorrow.
Arriving in Dambulla and eating in one of the many cafes, we went to look for the hotel indicated in the booking. There have been conflicting reviews about him, but good price... After examining the rooms, we found out that the price is much higher than that indicated on the site. The owner said that he would be the first to spit in the eyes of the person who posted this price on the Internet. We didn’t like everything in this hotel, but there was also treason with the price. We went on looking for shelter. The owner of the rooms was not happy and in the end he dispersed so much that he began to shout something after us and stamp his feet at his porch.
And very quickly we found two wonderful rooms for 3500 Rs (~ 25 $). The hospitable hostess gave us delicious fresh juice from an unknown fruit to drink, and the hotel owner had a detailed map
short road to Sigiriya.
Here we were able to rest well
and gain strength for the next, third day of our tourist marathon.
Anuradhapura. Photo credit: Joseph Clerici, Flick
Modern Anuradhapura consists of two parts - the Old City and New town... The old city is essentially a huge historical park with ancient ruins of city palaces, gardens, Buddhist temples, monasteries and dagobas and stupas. Most of the hotels, guest houses, shops and restaurants are located in the new city.
Allocate at least one full day to Anuradhapura Old Town
why go
Don't miss in Anuradhapura
- Rent a bike to explore the magnificent Old Town of Anuradhapura.
- Watch beautiful ceremonies near the ancient sacred Bodhi tree, around which the second most sacred temple of Sri Lanka - Bodhi Tree Temple was built.
- Don't miss the magnificent dagobas (Buddhist stupas): Ruwanwelisaya, Thuparamaya and Jetawanarama.
- Walk around the ancient Abhayagiri Monastery, located in the northern part of the city, and admire the royal gardens and original architecture of the rock-built Isurumuniya Temple in the south of the city.
- Take a day to visit Mikhintale, one of the most sacred sites Sri Lanka.
Bodhi tree
The Bodhi tree is perhaps one of the most sacred relics of Buddhism. According to legend, under the Bodhi tree in the Indian town of Bodg Haya, Buddha meditated and achieved enlightenment, therefore Bodhi trees are cultivated in many Buddhist monasteries. The original tree has been destroyed. But, again, according to legend, the Bodhi Tree in Anuradhapura was grown from the sprout of the original tree brought from India. Years later, a new tree was grown from the sprout of an Anuradhapur tree on the site of the original felled tree at Bodg Haya.
Given the legends and stories, it is not surprising that the temple built around the Bodhi Tree in Anuradhapura is one of the holiest sites for Buddhists in Sri Lanka. It is always crowded here, there are many pilgrims who regularly hold beautiful ceremonies.
Bodhi tree in Anuradhapura. Photo credit: Mario Feierstein, Flickr
Pilgrims to the Bodhi tree. Photo credit: David & Bonnie, Flickr
Dagoba Anuradhapura
Dagobas are ancient Buddhist stupas of the original form, inherent in ancient Sri Lankan architecture. At the base, the dagobas have the shape of a huge dome erected on a massive platform, which is crowned with a small pointed tower.
The four most important dagoba of Anuradhapura: Jetawanarama - the largest dagoba in Sri Lanka, Thuparamaya - the most sacred dagoba of the island, Ruwanwelisaya - a magnificent white dagoba, which is considered the most beautiful dagoba of the island and the most atmospheric dagoba of the island - Abhayagiri, located on the territory of the monastery of the same name.
Dagoba Abhayagiri. Photo credit: Chandana Witharanage, Flickr
Sun rays after heavy rainfall - Dagoba Thuparamaya. Photo credit: lesterlester1, Flickr
Visit to the old city of Anuradhapura
The cost of visiting the Old Town and all attractions is about $ 25, in terms of local currency. Tickets are sold in Archaeological Museum... In Anuradhapura there is no main entrance where tickets are bought and / or presented, there is also no wall between the old and the new city. In fact, you can walk around the old city and not meet checking tickets, but still we would recommend not to succumb to the temptation of "free cheese" and still buy tickets).
Inspect old city best by bike. An alternative is to walk or rent a tuk-tuk. You can rent a bike or a tuk-tuk and take a card at any guest house in the city. Take a full day to explore the local attractions. Wear clothing that covers your shoulders and knees, and remove your shoes where they take off your shoes locals... There are stalls in the park where you can buy food and drinks.
Keep track of your belongings - local monkeys are still thieves, they can easily steal a bag, glasses, a camera and in general everything that lies or hangs on a person)
Little residents of Anuradhapura. Photo credit: Nadun Wanniarachchi, Flickr
Anuradhapura. Photo credit: lesterlester1, Flickr
Mikhintale
The tiny town of Mihintale, located 12 km from Anuradhapura, is considered the birthplace of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. According to legend, here, at the top of the mountain, the fatal meeting of the Indian monk Mahinda, the son of the Indian emperor Ashoka and King Devanampiyatissa, took place, from whose reign Buddhism began to spread on the island.
To climb to the top of Mihintale to the spectacular white dagoba and white Buddha statue, you need to climb 1840 steps. The ascent consists of several levels, along the way you can see the relics and stupas of the first Buddhist monastery of the island.
You can get to Mihintale from Anuradhapura by tuk-tuk, bicycle, train or regularly running minibuses. Take a day to travel.
Statue of Buddha in Anuradhapura. Photo credit: Daniel Kosla, Flickr
Ascent to the top of Mikhintale. Photo credit: k.dexter fernando kariyakarawanage, Flickr
