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Anuradhapura is Sri Lanka's first capital, a potent symbol of Sinhalese power,
and the most extensive and important of Sri Lanka's ancient cities. The city has
been classed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
The old section of Anuradhapura, now preserved as an archaeological park, is the
best known of Sri Lanka's ancient ruined cities. In the immediate vicinity are
huge bell-shaped dagobas (Buddhist commemorative shrines, or stupas) built of
small sun-dried bricks, as well as temples, sculptures, palaces, and ancient
drinking-water reservoirs.
The Jetavanarama Dagoba is the largest remaining structure and may once have
been over 100m in height and housed an estimated 3000 monks. It is massive, and
there are enough bricks in it to build a three meter high wall, running all the
way from Edinburgh to London! Near the dagoba the best executed Guard Stone of
the country can be seen.
The Kuttam Pokuna, translated the 'Twin Ponds' are the most beautiful ancient
pools of Anuradhapura, and possibly of the country. They were used by monks as
ritual baths.
The Samadhi Buddha is one of the best executed Buddha statues in the country,
dating back to the 4th Century. Interesting detail is that when looked at from
the left, the Buddha appears to be smiling, but not from the right.
There are also museums that invite exploration and immense tanks built to
provide irrigation water for the growing of rice. The
city also contains an ancient pipal tree that is believed to have originally
been a branch of the Bo tree at Buddha Gaya, under the shade of which
Gautama attained to buddhahood. The Bo tree branch was planted at Anuradhapura
about 245 B.C. and it may be the oldest tree in existence of which there is any
historical record. The best way to explore the area is by bicycle. However it is not only a city, but also one of the great centres of Buddhism in South Asia visited by thousands of pilgrims and tourists each year. The site consists of a central ten metre high mound covered in jungle, marking the old urban core, surrounded by over thirty square kilometres of Buddhist monasteries and huge reservoirs. Amongst the most spectacular of the Buddhist monuments are four great stupas, solid domes of earth and brick built over a Buddhist relic, which reach heights of over eighty metres and dominate the landscape of paddy fields and coconut trees. |
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The Thuparama Dagoba is the oldest dagoba of the country. It is especially
noteworthy for the splendid example of the remains of a vatadage (a mostly
wooden construction covering a dagoba). It is believed to contain the right
collarbone of Buddha.
The Ruvanweli Seya Dagoba is considered the greatest dagoba of Anuradhapura.
With its 55 meters (180 feet) in height and snowy white colour, it can be quite
a hurt to the eyes in the direct sunlight. Elephant Wall carries the terrace and
the dagoba.
Isurumuniya, rock temple (and adjacent museum), is very beautiful and
interesting for the great bas-reliefs that have been found here. Most of them
can be found in the museum, the most important of them the 'Isurumuniya Lovers',
but some are still in place on the living rock, especially noticeable is the
depiction of a joyous, bathing elephant.
