Anuradhapura is a major city in Sri Lanka and one of its ancient capitals, famous for the well-preserved ruins of an ancient Sinhala civilization.
Now one of the eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Sri Lanka, the city was the centre of Theravada Buddhism for many centuries. The city lies on the banks of the historic Malvathu River and is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.
It is said that Anuradhapura Sri Maha Bodhi was established by Sanghamitta, the founder of a Buddhist nuns’ order, who carried a cutting from the ‘tree of enlightenment (the Buddha’s fig tree) to this hallowed city in the third century B.C.
After an invasion in 993, Anuradhapura, a Ceylonese political and religious capital that existed for 1,300 years, was abandoned. The magnificent site, with its palaces, monasteries, and monuments, has been hidden for many years in an impenetrable jungle and is now open to the public.
Anuradhapura, a UNESCO World Heritage Site predominantly influenced by Buddhism. Anuradhapura is Sri Lanka’s first Capital Kingdom founded in the 5th Century BC. As you enter this historic city, you will notice brilliant white, dome shaped Ruwanweliseya and Jethawanarama stupas or ‘dagobas’. These two stupas are more than two thousand years old, with the Jethawanarama stupas being the size of the pyramids. Your tour continues with the ‘Samadhi’ Buddha statue, a granite statue of Buddha in a meditative pose and a masterpiece of sculpture. If you wish you can receive a blessing near the sacred Sri Maha Bodhi tree (Ficus Religiosa) which bears a branch brought over from India over 2500 years ago and is considered to be the oldest tree recorded in the world.
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