And again we are glad to see you on the pages. Today, having left the north of Sri Lanka, namely we went towards sacred Anuradhapura city with many ancient monuments cultural heritage, it is also called Old Town, from where in 1950 all residents were relocated to the new part of the city. And since we are not very 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 arrives at bus station in the New Town).
- 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 then transfer to direct bus No. 5.
- Option 2 is to get to the bus station in Negombo, change to a bus to Anuradhapura or to Kurunegala, where you can change to another bus again. There is a direct bus via Puttalam. You can also get a transfer through Kandy, Matale, Kurunegala.
Having decided 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 to hitchhike to the desired point and see more sights. Basically everything interesting cities located on one large territory, where a single admission ticket costs 3200 rupees (800 rubles) or $25. We didn’t yet know how many passages there were attractions they cost, although I have heard, in some cases they are very overpriced. And the point is not at all that Sri Lanka has the most unique attractions in all of Asia, it’s just that the state policy here is too greedy for money.
Naturally, paying such crazy money for a couple of stupas is too “stupid,” so we walked around the territory a little to the side and climbed over a low fence. First stop was a 120 meter stupa Jetavanarama, located on the ruins of the Jetavana monastery.
Well, yes, a big, big stupa, of which we saw enough back in, differing from the rest only in that it is considered the largest in Sri Lanka. And necessarily, this is not even specified, it preserves a fragment of some “detail” of the Buddha. This time it's part of his belt.
In principle, it’s even a little impressive in size and for me personally it seemed the most interesting attraction of Anuradhapura than all the others archaeological sites old town.
To get to the second stupa, we had to overcome the secondary ticket control, which, of course, we were not aware of.
The security guard, seeing two large backpacks from afar, immediately jumped up and waved his hands at us. Andrey didn’t even look in his direction, walking further, I followed his example. The guard, taken aback by our impudence, abandoned his place and in three leaps appeared in front of us, blocking the path and shouting “Ticket! Ticket! I silently turned my gaze to Andrey, who looked at the guard with a stupid look and, in turn, also waved his hands at him, pretending to be deaf and dumb. The uniformed man's face slowly lengthened and froze for a few seconds. I almost ruined everything by wanting 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; with a wave of his hand, he let our smiling, grateful faces pass on.
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 the large white stupa Ruvanvalisaya on the side.
I would say that this is where it opened best view at her.
Another “masterpiece” of Sri Lankan architecture is also known under the names Mahathupa, Swarnamali and Ratnamali Dagaba.
Here we temporarily abandoned our backpacks to relax in the shade of the trees, swing on long springy branches like monkeys, and look at the birds.
By the way, there were plenty of monkeys here too, I can’t stand them since childhood.
They didn’t approach us and that’s okay.
Meeting at the sacred Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi tree.
After resting, the hike continued to the sacred tree of Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, grown from a shoot of the same one under which Buddha’s insight descended. Got it on the way Lovamahapaya- a building formed in ancient times by 40 rows, each of which contains 40 stone columns, for 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 stood in front of me, greeted me in good English and asked where I was from. What else could I answer if not the truth? The boy 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 clearly needed company, perhaps he was hoping 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 opposite me, but after several of my stories he realized that we were unlikely to be on our way, saying goodbye as quickly as he had appeared.
By that time, Andrei had finished examining the sacred plant behind the fence, and answered my questions briefly: “a tree is like a tree, nothing special. It’s only fenced off from particularly prying eyes and mischievous hands.”
The last attraction of Anuradhapura is the Mirisaveti Stupa.
Before leaving the old part of the holy city of Anuradhapura, Andrei decided to turn to the next stupa 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 blog news and don’t forget to share your pleasant impressions of what you read with your friends through the social buttons below :).
Anuradhapura is a famous city of ancient monasteries located in northern central Sri Lanka. The ancient monuments of Anuradhapura were discovered in the 19th century, and later included in. This ancient city called the most big city monasteries in the world. In the capital, where 113 kings reigned, where Buddhists make pilgrimages, there are greatest monuments, palaces and monasteries of Sri Lanka. Other famous cultural attractions of Sri Lanka are majestic rock, cave temple and amazing temples.
Anuradhapura, ancient capital of Sri Lanka
The founding of the city of Anuradhapura practically coincided with the spread of Buddhism in Ceylon. According to legend, the Sinhala ruler Devanampiya Tissa (III century BC) and his entourage became acquainted with the new creed thanks to the son of the Indian king Ashoka - Mahinda. Soon Buddhism became the official religion of the Sinhalese, and the first stupa (dagoba) Thuparama and the Buddhist monastery 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 streets to be laid in this wonderful city, and thousands of houses of barely three floors were built on them. Everywhere in the city there were shops full of all kinds of goods. Elephants, horses and carriages passed without delay through the streets, which were every day swarming with people who took part in the solemn festivities. The entire strip of land off the coast was like one continuous workshop, continuously occupied with the construction of ships...”
Having existed for more than 1,200 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 the Cholas invaded the northern part of the island. The capital of the island was moved to Polonnaruwa, and Anuradhapura became a city of great past, revered as the sacred capital of the island.
Sights of Anuradhapura
The majestic ruins of Anuradhapura, occupying a circle with a diameter of more than 12 km, are located four hours' drive from the modern capital of Sri Lanka, Colombo. This museum city cannot be walked around entirely and explored even in a few days. Meanwhile, perhaps the most significant cultural monuments of the “lion island” are concentrated here.
Ancient chronicles tell that Anuradhapura was once surrounded by high walls with gates facing the four cardinal directions. The city had many ponds and parks, and thousands of sweepers came out to clean the streets every day. The royal palace and numerous Buddhist monasteries (viharas) and stupas (dagobas) were grandiose structures made of stone and wood. In ancient times, there were more than 3 thousand monks alone.
At the same time, each ruler of Anuradhapura sought to build a dagobah, possibly superior in size and splendor to those 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 examples of Buddhist art for Ceylon are the so-called “moon stones”. There are eight of them preserved in Anuradhapura. Usually they were placed in front of the entrance to the “House of Image”. “Moon stones” are semicircular granite slabs with ornamental images carved on them. In the outer semi-ring, 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 the island from India along with Buddhism. The images themselves are on " moon rocks", however, are inspired by Hindu mythology, but they have new content. A lion, for example, is associated with Buddha, lotuses - with detachment from everything earthly.
Today, among the architectural structures of ancient Anuradhapura, the dagobas are the best preserved. The giant stone masses survived despite the ravages of time.
The largest among the dagobas of Anuradhapura is the Ruwanwelisaya dagoba - a masterpiece of Sri Lankan architecture. It is often called the “Great Stupa” - “Maha Thupa”. The round snow-white stone mass, 54 m high, rests on a square base, framed on all sides by reliefs depicting elephant heads. The spire soaring 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 Ceylonese chronicle “Mahavamsa”. The construction of the dagoba was started by King Dutthagamini, one of the most glorious rulers who ruled in Anuradhapura. Having ascended the throne, he found a golden plate hidden in his palace with instructions to build a dagobah. Then the king summoned five hundred of the best architects, showed them the plate and asked what shape the dagobah should be built. One of the architects suggested a bowl turned upside down as a model.
Dagobah was built with extreme care. Even sand intended for construction was sifted repeatedly and then rubbed between stones. The foundation was trampled down by elephants whose legs were wrapped in skins. The inner sanctuary of the dagobah was decorated with silver and gold. A model of the sacred bo tree made of gold and silver with pearls and gems was installed here. The statue of Buddha located here, cast from pure gold, was especially famous.
Shortly before the completion of construction, the king fell ill. Feeling his death approaching, he asked his brother Saddhatissa to see to it that the construction was completed. Saddhatissa promised to fulfill his request. It was he who ordered the dagoba to be painted 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 19th 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. Restoration work took almost a hundred years. It was only during the Second World War that the Ruwanwelisaya Pagoda was finally restored.
One of the most ancient monuments of Buddhism in Ceylon is the Tuparama Dagoba, built in the 3rd century. BC. Devanapiya Tissa was the first Sinhalese ruler to accept Buddhism. According to legend, the collarbone of Buddha is walled up in this stupa, making Tuparama a particularly revered shrine. The height of this elegant, 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. Dagobah is surrounded by stone pillars that once served as supports for a tent over the heads of worshipers.
The spire of another dagobah, Abhayagiri, seems to rise from the depths of a huge mountain. This mountain is actually nothing more than a dome covered with grass (also restored in recent years). The name “Abhayagiri” itself is sometimes translated as “Mountain where there is no fear.”
At the foot of the dagoba, a sculpture about two meters high has been preserved, depicting Buddha Samadhi immersed in nirvana (IV or V centuries). The figure is carved rather roughly, but the face with a distinctly absent expression is very expressively worked out.
However, in Anuradhapura there is a much more interesting statue of Buddha, 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 hall of Buddha, decorated with gold, silver and precious stones, where there is his statue of green jade, more than fifty fugues high, sparkling with seven treasures, but in the pose serious and indescribable dignity. In the palm of my right hand lies a priceless stone.”
This statue, which has survived to this day, was actually carved not from jade, but from granite. Buddha is depicted in a meditation pose. sitting cross-legged. His face expresses serenity, the deepest peace of wisdom that has comprehended everything.
Another ancient monument of Anuradhapura, preserved from the time of King Devanampiya Tissa, is the Isurumuniya Monastery, cut 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 Devanampiya Tissa have been preserved. Among them is a composition depicting a group of elephants, as well as the famous bas-relief “Lovers in Stone,” depicting a girl sitting on the lap of her warrior lover.
The construction of Lohapasada - the Bronze Palace, began in the middle of the 2nd century. BC. King Dutthagamani, the same one who built the grand dagoba of Ruwanwelisaya. His reign is associated with the liberation of the north of Sri Lanka and the capital of the island, Anuradhapura, from the rule of South Indian invaders. Uniting the entire 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 under his younger brother.
Stories about the new miracle of Anuradhapura 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. In the throne room there was a throne made of Ivory, 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 states that “precious stones were set into the cornices... The ringing festoons were made of gold.” And the palace got its name - Bronze - because of the bronze sheets covering the roof.
The bronze palace died, as they say, “because of a penny candle”: one day a burning oil lamp fell on the floor, and the fire completely destroyed all this splendor. The building was partially restored, but subsequent wars and the desolation of Anuradhapura led to the fact that today all that remains of the legendary palace is a platform lined with a whole forest of granite columns - there are up to 1,600 of them here!
But Kuttam, the “Double Bath,” built in the 9th century, is perfectly preserved. and having about 8 m in depth. At the edge of the bathhouse stands an elaborate sculpture of a cobra.
Anuradhapura has preserved many architectural monuments that deservedly enjoy worldwide fame. Perhaps no less famous is the thousand-year-old bo tree, growing not far from the Ruvanvelisaya dagoba. It was planted over 2,250 years ago by the first Buddhist king, Devanampiya Tissa, and is probably the oldest tree on earth today. It has survived almost the entire history of Sri Lanka, now captured in the ruins of Anuradhapura.
The tree sapling was brought from India, from the holy city, and, according to legend. is a shoot from the same bo tree under which the Buddha achieved 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 in front of royal palace. Then it was predicted that the tree would bloom and green forever.
It is said that seven days later a miraculous rain fell and the branch immediately sent out eight shoots, which in turn were transported to other places on the island. Today in almost any Sri Lankan Buddhist monastery one can see a bo tree, which is the “grandson”, “great-grandson” or even more distant descendant of the “sri-maha-bodhi” - the “sacred great bo” of Anuradhapura.
The huge ancient tree is carefully surrounded by a cast-iron fence. Its thick branches, full of vital 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, business people come before concluding important deals, ministers come before making political decisions. On the day that marks the anniversary of the Sinhalese's conversion to Buddhism (this holiday is called "poson"), thousands of pilgrims flock to Anuradhapura. Here they pray and light candles near the sacred tree.
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Anuradhapura is the administrative center of the North Central Province of Sri Lanka and one of the oldest cities on the island of Ceylon. For a long time, Anaradhapura, located in a strategically important place - at the intersection of two port areas - 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 its inhabitants.
For almost a thousand years the city stood in desolation, and only in the 19th century an English hunter accidentally came across it in the jungle.
Today, Anuradhapura has largely been restored and is divided into two parts: the Old Town, which is a non-residential security zone, and the New Town, where the entire population of Anuradhapura lives (about 50,000 people) and is a tourist area with hotels, restaurants and shops.
The city is quite far from coastline, therefore tourists are attracted to Anuradhapura primarily worldwide famous monuments culture and history of Sri Lanka, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
How to get there
Anuradhapura is located a little over 200 kilometers from the capital of the island - Colombo. You can get to the city by train (there are two railway stations here), as well as by bus in 5 hours (it arrives at the bus station in the New Town) or by rented car along the A9 highway in 4 hours.
Search for flights to Colombo (the nearest airport to Anuradhapura)
Transport
Buses and tuk-tuks 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 side of the Malvathu Oya River is very large in area - and you can’t get by without a tuk-tuk. However, in many places in the Old Town, the movement of any transport, even tuk-tuks, is prohibited.
Popular hotels in Anuradhapura
Excursions, activities and attractions of Anuradhapura
As mentioned above, most tourists come to see the monuments of the Old Town. Among them are the so-called dagobas (Buddhist religious buildings intended for storing relics) Thumaparama, Ruanveli with famous stone statues Buddha, Jetavanarama, 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 the monuments that await travelers in the Old Town of Anuradhapura.
Anuradhapura
In the New Town there are many hotels, restaurants and shops, and there is also a market where you can buy souvenirs.
It is worth remembering: although alcohol is sold in establishments aimed at tourists, public drinking of alcoholic beverages is not encouraged in Sri Lanka.
- Where to stay: in one of the highland resorts of Ceylon, where even in colonial times the British took refuge from the heat, namely in Kandy or Nuwara Eliya. In addition, you can stay in the capital of the country
The history of the founding of the city is lost in the centuries. According to one version, after the South Indian prince Vijaya came to the island, among his seven hundred companions there was a man named Anuradha, who founded a small village. The village was named in his honor, 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 Scorpio - Anuradha. Everyone can decide for themselves which theory to choose, but one thing will remain unchanged. Anuradhapura is the holy city and ancient capital of Sri Lanka for 1500 years. Every year thousands of believers make pilgrimages to holy places.
The period in which Anuradhapura directly became the capital of the kingdom began with King Pandukabai establishing 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 ancient chronicles and surviving monuments, Anuradhapura was built according to a specific plan. The four city gates were oriented to the cardinal directions, and the defensive walls surrounding the city already in the 1st century. 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 an inner city, which was formed by royal palace and the most important religious buildings, and the outer city that grew later. Adjacent to the inner city was a park, 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 influenced by the kings of the Indian dynasties. One such Indian ruler was the Tamil prince Elara, who came from South India in 205 BC. He managed to maintain power on the island for 44 years until a little prince named Dutugamunu grew up and decided to expel the Indian invaders from Sri Lanka. His confrontation with Prince Elara lasted for about 15 years, however, in 161 BC. the victory remained with Dutugamunu.
The Indian Chola army, led by Prince Rajaraya the Great, which arrived at the end of the 10th century, destroyed Anurahdapura, but after their overthrow in 1070, the city was rebuilt. The capital of the island, moved by the Cholas to Polonnaruwa, was left there. People slowly left Anuradhapura, which was abandoned and swallowed up by the jungle over time, until 1980, when, under the patronage of the world organization UNESCO, which included 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 Buddhist believers 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 Tissawewa reservoir created by King Devanampiyatissa, the temple was part of the oldest monastic complex, founded in the 3rd century. BC, which includes a Buddhist temple in the rock, with a statue of a reclining Buddha, a pond and bas-reliefs of elephants 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 the lap of her beloved warrior. The work dates back to the 5th century. According to the locals, it depicts King Dutugamunu's son, Salia, and his lover Asokamala, a girl from the lower caste of "untouchables" for whom Salia gave up the throne.
On the shore of Lake Tissa is Mirisaveti Dagoba, built of red brick with a broken point on top. This stupa was built under King Dutugamunu. 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 bathing, the king, with all his strength, could not pull the yoke out of the ground and, taking this as a sign, ordered a dagobah to be laid in this place. The work took about 3 years, and the height of the stupa reached 60 meters, but was rebuilt in the 10th century.
To the right of the oldest reservoir is Basavakkulam, built during the reign of King Pandukabai in the 4th century. BC, with an area of about 120 hectares, one can see one of the most ancient and revered stupas of Sri Lanka - Ruvanvalisaya, founded, according to legend, by King Dutagamunu in the 2nd century BC in honor of his victory over the Indian prince Elara. However, unfortunately the king did not live to see the completion of construction. Ruvanvelisaya is otherwise called the White Stupa or Mahatupa, which means Great Stupa in Sinhala, 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 meaning of these elephants is explained in two ways. On the one hand, the elephants support the platform on which the dagobah 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 great workers. Unfortunately, after repeated restorations began in 1893, the stupa lost its original shape.
If you walk clockwise around Ruwanwelisaya, you will see a modern sanctuary containing five standing Buddha statues. Four of them, made of limestone, date back to the 8th century and symbolize the four incarnations of Buddha on earth, and the fifth modern statue symbolizes the future Buddha and is crowned with a tiara and holds a lotus flower in his hand. As you continue around Ruwanwelisai, you will see a statue facing the dagobah. According to legend, this is the figure of King Datugamunu himself, built by his son Siddatissa, who completed the construction of his father’s stupa and erected his statue so that he could enjoy his majestic creation. Nearby you can see a small model of the original Ruwanwelisaya stupa.
One of the shrines revered by Buddhists all over the world is the Bo or Bodhi tree. It is reputed to be the oldest plant on earth, and its age is about 2250 years. The tree grew from a sapling taken from the Buddha tree in India, under which, according to legend, Prince Gautama achieved enlightenment. The sapling 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 grows to this day, despite the fact that the city was regularly attacked and conquered by Indian invaders who destroyed the ancient capital. Numerous shoots of this Bo tree have been planted throughout Sri Lanka and in many countries. South-East Asia. Now the mighty branches of the tree growing on top of the terrace support special gilded iron supports that can be seen around. All visitors, when approaching the tree, should remove their hats and shoes in accordance with the customs of Buddhism, meaning respect for shrines.
To the right of the sacred Bodhi tree can be seen the Lohapasada Palace or "Bronze Palace", which is a strange and wonderful structure built by King Dutugamunu over 2000 years ago. The palace is a 9-story 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, reminiscent of 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 was restored first to the 7th floor, and after another fire in the 4th century only to the 5th. When Anuradhapura was captured by the Indian Chola army, the Bronze Palace was completely 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 from 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 stands a gigantic stupa, about 120 meters high. On June 4, 2009, the grand opening of Jetavan Dagobah took place for visiting and holding Buddhist ceremonies. Work to restore Dagobah began in 1981 and lasted about 28 years. Dagoba is equipped with a special lighting system that allows the stupa to be illuminated during religious holidays.
According to the main Sri Lankan chronicle, the Mahavamsa, King Mahasena built this huge Dagobah, 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 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, preached for seven days. From then on, the name Jetavana (modified from Jotivan) came about, literally meaning “the place where the rays of liberation shone.” Ancient records from the 13th century say that a fragment of the sash with which Buddha was girded was walled up in the mortar.
The original height of the stupa was about 160 meters, which made it possible to call it the third tallest structure in the world after famous pyramids in Giza. During conservation and restoration work, it was discovered that the foundation of the stupa went more than 8.5 meters into the ground rock and now the height of Jetavan Dagobah 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 Buddha image. Judging by the surviving doorway, 8 meters high, it was an impressive building.
Returning to the road leading past the Bassavakkulam reservoir, you can see the oldest dagobah of Anuradhapura - Thuparama, which literally means “stupa”. Thuparama Stupa is the first religious structure of Anuradhapura and the first stupa built in Sri Lanka in the 3rd century BC. by King Devanampiyatissa as a sign that he had accepted Buddhism. Its height is only about 19 meters, and inside is a piece of the Buddha’s right collarbone. In the 6th and 13th centuries, the stupa was completed and even covered with a wooden roof, from which only numerous columns supporting it remained. The stupa you can see today was restored and covered with white marble in 1862.
In the northern part of Anuradhapura is the Abyagiri Monastery, 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 movement of Mahayana Buddhism, which was more liberal, in contrast to the traditional strict Theravada teachings. At the center of the monastery is the Abyagiri Stupa, built by King Gajabahu. In the 12th century, King Parakramabahu built the dagobah to a height of 115 meters, which made it the second tallest dagobah 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 Buddha.
Statue of Samadhi Buddha in a meditation pose. The statue was carved from limestone in the 4th century and according to legend the eyes of the statue were made of natural stones. Those who want to get closer must remove their shoes and hats.
The unique structure of the Abyagiri Monastery is the Twin 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 dirt settles to the bottom, A pure water enters the smaller pool through a hole topped with a dilapidated lion's head. The stone sculpture of a snake nearby symbolizes good luck. The two pools are connected by a small diameter pipeline.
For the traveler
Entrance fee: $25/12.5 or 4500/2250 adult/child.
The ticket is valid only for the day! But many Anuradhapuras can be visited for free, so if you plan to explore it for more than one day, it makes sense to visit paid places on one day - Abyagiri, Citadel, Jetavanarama, museums and the main Architectural Museum, and on the remaining days to explore the rest. The ticket office is located near the Architectural Museum. Tuk tukers may offer to take you around the complex without buying tickets by paying them personally, but the amount is less than the cost of the tickets.
The sights of Anuradhapura can also be explored in the evening when the lights turn on and Sri Lankans come to religious sites for ceremonies. After 18:00 the ticket office is closed and you can walk around all the attractions for free.
Quadcopters are prohibited in Anuradhapura.
Around the clock
4500/2250 rupees adult/child
Time for inspection - 4 hours
Hello friends. We talked about the ancient first capital of Sri Lanka. But it’s not enough to tell - you always want to know what interesting things you can see and where to look in a new place. In it - Old city, representing unusual place. On the one hand, this is an archaeological zone, on the other, a place of pilgrimage for thousands of Buddhists. Numerous tourists do not lag behind the believers. What is here? All the main attractions of Anuradhapura. We will tell you about them today.
I’ll say right away that the territory of the old city is huge, if you want to see everything, you should take a tuk-tuk and get around on it. Drivers know where it’s best to drive up to drop you off, where you can park without a fine, and where to meet us. It's comfortable. That's what we did. After haggling a little (you definitely have to do this), we agreed on $10, I think, and off we went.
As you can see, the main, completely restored objects of the old city are:
- Isuruminiya Rock Monastery
- Temple and Bodhi tree
- Museum
- Stupas
But of course, there are more interesting objects. Old Anuradhapura is a huge area of approximately 20 by 20 km. Walking doesn't mean getting around. But since the sights of Anuradhapura belong to the Sinhala Buddhist culture, there is much that we do not understand. Well, dagobas and dagobas, I saw one - you know everything. However, it was interesting for us, including observing people. For believers, everything here is full of meaning.
In the 4th century BC. Buddhism came to the island. Then a branch of the Bo tree appeared here.
Isurumuniya Vihara
English Isurumuniya Vihara (Originally Meghagiri Vihara)
The territory of the old city begins here. In 1950, all residents from this territory were relocated to the New Town.
The rock palace was built in 307-267 BC. for 500 upper class boy monks. Located in the rocks, next to Lake Tissa. Transferred to the disposal of the community of monks. The Isurumuniya Temple was one of the buildings of the largest monastery in Anuradhapura.
Here are:
- two temples - old and new
Buddha statues
- mortar
- Lake Tissa
- sculptures
- museum
Bodhi tree
Full name: Mahabodhi tree (Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi)
One of the most famous Buddhist shrines all over the world. The Bodhi Tree, or simply the Bo Tree, is very old, 2250 years old. It was grown from a branch of a tree (ficus) in the city of Bodh Gaya, under which Prince Gautami became the Buddha who achieved enlightenment.
In the 19th century, the main trunk of the Mahabodhi tree in Anuradhapura was cut down by an English fanatic, but a small trunk remained, which is now revered and supported by golden supports.
The monks tending the tree take young shoots and new trees are grown. There are many Bodhi trees on the temple grounds.
Bronze Palace (Loja Pasada)
Another name is Lovamahapaya. The palace is located next to the sacred tree. Built for monks.
This amazing structure dates back 2000 years. It was built under the legendary ruler of Anuradhapura, Dutugamunu.
Everyone writes that the temple has 9 floors, but I can’t imagine how tall they should be if the height of the entire temple is 4 meters. The temple has more than 1000 rooms. Now we are unlikely to see them. There are 1600 columns along the perimeter. Here it is - please. True, while the columns are concrete, they look strange, but it is impressive. Once upon a time, the columns were decorated with silver slabs.
The roof is shaped like a pyramid; its arches were decorated with copper tiles so that it would shine in the sun.
Legend says that appearance the building is taken from the vision of the monks.
A group of monks saw the temple while meditating. They sketched what they saw with red arsenic and brought the drawing to the king.
The first temple was built of wood and burned down during one of the fires. Today only mentions of it and columns remain.
Around the Bodhi tree is the historical territory of Anuradhapura. Long Alley - An ancient city street leading from the Bo Tree Temple.
Along it there are huge religious buildings, shaped like a bell. These are dagobas or stupas.
Dagoba or Stupa is a Buddhist architectural and sculptural monolithic monumental and religious structure with hemispherical outlines. Initially, the stupa was a reliquary, and then became a monument erected in honor of some event in Buddhism. Historically, it dates back to burial mounds built for the burial of kings or leaders. Wikipedia
Mirisaveti Dagoba
English Mirisaweti Stupa
The legend tells: King Dutugamunu and his harem went to Lake Tissa, where the Water Festival was taking place. He stuck his staff (scepter) into the soft ground, in which a relic was hidden (most likely a piece of Buddha’s bone).
After some time, while preparing to return to the palace, the king discovered that neither he himself nor any of his retinue could pull the staff out of the ground - it had taken root and grown into the ground. Dutugamunu regarded this as a sign from above - the relic should remain in this place, and decided to build a dagoba over the staff.
Mirisaveti
Construction of the structure took 3 years. In the 10th century the stupa was rebuilt.
You have already realized that inside each stupa there is a reliquary in which some kind of shrine is kept. It could be a piece of Buddha's bone, his alms bowl, a belt, even a footprint or. Dagobah may be a monument to the event.
English Ruwanwelisaya Stupa
To explore the next stupa, you need to go to the Basavakkulam reservoir.
Ruvanveli Dagoba was built in the 2nd - 1st centuries AD.
The most famous building of King Dutugemunu. It is also called the White Stupa or Mahatupa, which means “great stupa”.
The begging bowl of Buddha is kept in the stupa.
The building is huge. It covers an area of 120 hectares.
Currently, its height is more than 90 meters, and its diameter at the base is 91 meters.
And this is what the stupa looks like on holiday:
We watched the decoration take place. This can be seen in the photo report.
Pedestal of Ruwanveli Stupa
The foundation of the stupa is made of golden gravel. It is placed on a pedestal. It looks impressive, solemn and mysterious - there are bas-reliefs of 400 elephants on the pedestal. The symbolic and cosmogonic meaning is that the World stands on Elephants.
Elephants participated in the construction of the Ruvanveli Dagoba. Each elephant's leg was tied with leather cloth.
The king personally supervised the work. He watched as the relic chamber for the Buddha's bowl was created and watched as the bowl was hidden inside.
During construction, delegations from various parts of India, including 30,000 monks from Alexandria (in the Caucasus) led by the Indo-Greek monk Mahadharmaraksita, came to the stupa.
In 1839, Dagobah was rebuilt.
Sanctuary
Near Ruwanveli there is a sanctuary with 5 statues telling about the incarnations of Buddha. Pay special attention to one of them. This is a statue of a meditating Buddha. It is believed to be a portrait of King Dutugamunu. (I talked quite a bit about Datugumunu in a previous article).
Nearby is a smaller copy of the entire sanctuary.
The Legend of the Stupa and the Death of Dutugamunu
King Dutugamunu did not see the completion of the work - the complex was completed after his death by the king's son. But Sri Lankans tell a touching story about the last hours of Dutugamunu's life.
Ruwanveli Stupa is the favorite creation of the king. He dreamed of seeing the building completed, but his health was getting worse and the king held on with his last strength. Feeling his imminent death, he hurried his brother, who was now in charge of the construction. And the brother said that there was not much left, although unexpected difficulties delayed the completion of the construction.
Seeing that the king was dying and wanting to make him happy, the brother told him the good news - the stupa was ready. The king was so inspired that his strength returned for a while and he decided to see the creation before his death.
The palanquin with the king moved towards Dagobah, on the way the king met his old friend, who had now become a monk. They talked about the mortality of old men and the fact that rulers are immediately reborn in the Tushita celestial sphere after death.
The king died happy, never knowing that his brother Tissa had committed a deception: knowing that the king’s vision had become completely weak, his brother pulled the purest white fabric onto the frame. Dutugamunu was confident that the stupa was completed.
In fact, it was only half built.
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Jetavana Dagobah
English Jethawanaramaya Dagoba
If you leave the complex and go through the Jetavanarama monastery, you will see another huge stupa.
This is Jetavana Dagoba, the tallest stupa in Sri Lanka. Built in the 3rd century BC. on the site where Nandana's gardens were located. Here, for seven days, the son of King Ashoka, Prince Arahat Mahinda, who brought Buddhism to Sri Lanka, read a sermon.
Jetavana is a modified Indian word Jotivana. Translated as “the place where the rays of liberation shone.”
Each stupa contains some kind of shrine. Inside this stupa is the Buddha's belt.
Jetavana Dagoba is the tallest brick building in the world. Of the ancient structures, only two pyramids in Giza are taller than it.
The stupa was completely destroyed. Restoration work began only in 1981. Since then, Dagoba has been open to pilgrims, and religious services are held here.
If we consider the main historical document of the Sinhalese kingdom - the Mahavasma chronicles, then we will learn the details of the construction and features of this dagoba.
At its base is an ideal circle with a diameter of 122 meters, which is difficult to do without special measuring instruments.
It is known that the construction of this dagobah took about 90 million bricks.
Thuparama Stupa
English Thuparama Dagoba
The oldest dagobah of Anuradhapura. Built in the 3rd century BC.
Located next to Jetavana Dagoba. The oldest dagobah is Tuparama.
The first stupa meant that the king of Sri Lanka accepted Buddhism.
In the 19th century it was faced with marble.
Abhayagiri dagoba
English Abayagiri Dagoba. It is also called Abyagiri Dagoba.
In the north of the complex are the ruins of the Abhayagiri Monastery. It was built specifically for monks who were expelled from the main monastery.
The monks were declared heretics, but in fact they created the Mahayana Buddhist movement, more liberal than the main one.
Abyagiri Dagoba is the center of this movement.
This is what Abhayagiri Dagaba looked like recently
Inside the monastery there is another interesting dagobah.
At the time of its foundation (XII century) it was the second tallest in the Capital.
Tradition says that it was built right above the place where Buddha's foot touched the ground.
Kuttam Pokuna (Twin Pools)
There is a unique building on the territory of the Abyagiri Monastery. These are twin pools, built by the masters of the ancient capital.
The name should not confuse you; the pools are not identical. The length of one is 40 meters, the other is only 28 meters. But this is not the main thing: the local water purification system is much more interesting, because the water in the pools is transparent and clean.
The pools are considered an example of significant achievements in the field of hydraulic engineering and architectural and artistic creations of the ancient Sinhalese.
Before entering the reservoirs, the water passes through a series of narrow underground channels, is filtered by sand and earth, entering the pool completely cleared of dirt and debris.
For the pools, granite slabs were cut to include the bottom and sides of the pool. And around the pool a wall is built that covers and secures the connection.
The entrance to the pool is decorated with a lion's head and an image of a snake, and on the walls there are cups of abundance.
Real live turtles splash in the pools themselves.
Finally, we want to give you some useful tips:
Show respect for other people's religions. A famous scandal erupted in Anuradhapura several years ago when our tourist was sent to prison. She wanted to take a memorable photo against the backdrop of the sacred ancient statue Buddha. They say she turned her back, but I think it was something more serious.
This is the Buddha sculpture.
- You need to go around Dagobah in a certain direction - clockwise. This is a ritual circumambulation according to the Buddhist culture.
By the way, in Hinduism it is customary to walk around in a clockwise direction. It is believed that witches and sorcerers walk counterclockwise for the sake of their dirty deeds.
- To visit any religious places in Sri Lanka, we recommend dressing modestly, in accordance with Buddhist requirements: legs covered (not shorts), shoulders covered (not a T-shirt).
- Take off your shoes in front of the temple and leave them in a specially designated place or put them in a bag and carry them with you.
- Enter the temple barefoot. If the stoves are very cold or, on the contrary, hot in the sun, wear socks, but without shoes.
- When visiting attractions located away from noise and roads, be careful: there may be snakes and monitor lizards in the grass.
