And having gained strength, we had to move to Anuradhapura - the ancient capital of Sri Lanka. In terms of the number of attractions, Anuradhapura ranks first in Sri Lanka and we planned to spend a couple of days on it, but everything turned out quite differently ...
How to get from Negombo to Anuradhapura
There seem to be no direct buses from Negombo to Anuradhapura, so you must first get to Kurunegala, and then transfer to a bus to Anuradhapura. At 6 o'clock in the morning we got up, packed our things, had a bite to eat, paid off the owners of the guesthouse and caught a passing tuker, with whom we agreed to get to the bus station for 250 rupees. At the bus station, we were kindly told the number of the required bus, we threw our bags next to the driver's seat and waited for the departure.
Sri Lanka Transport
Sri Lanka is well developed transport connection between cities, and there are options that are different in terms of budget and speed. The cheapest option is to ride on old red buses, but they stop at every stop and drive very slowly, literally squeezing the last remaining strength from millions of motors. The second option, which we used most often, is the same large buses, but usually white color. They rush from station to station at full speed. This driving is on the edge and how they are still alive is beyond me. At the beginning of each trip, buses stop near small houses with Buddha figurines. There, the controller leaves a small amount as a donation and takes some white powder, smears it on his forehead, the forehead of the driver and the steering wheel of the bus. Perhaps the secret of survival is precisely this. Or maybe in another - all the way the driver and the controller chew betel. These are the leaves of a local plant, which are sold on every corner, and according to the Sri Lankans are an excellent tonic. Teeth rot from it, and eyes become glassy, but still they chew. The third option is to use the services of a high-speed minibus called "express". These are minibuses with exclusively seating places, they go fast, but the price is higher. In all buses, the controller accepts payment and even issues tickets. The driver only turns the steering wheel. Also, some use the services of tuk-tuks to move between cities, but this, in my opinion, is a mockery. They drive slowly, and the sound of the roar of the engine can drive you crazy on long journeys.
Do you need cheap flights to Sri Lanka?
Kurunegala
In order to get to Kurunegala, we used the services of a large white bus, sat behind the driver. Usually these places are reserved for monks, but tourists are often put there too. For 2.5 hours and 190 rupees for two, we reached the Kurunegala bus station. They asked the bus drivers there, quickly found a bus to Anuradhapura, and at 9 o'clock we were already driving in the direction we needed. The fare for Kurunegala-Anuradhapura is Rs 140 per person (big white bus). At 11.30 we were at the Anuradhapura bus station. It is worth noting that there are two stations in Anuradhapura, a new one and an old one. First, the bus pulls into the new one, which looks like a regular bus stop with a bunch of buses, and then it goes to the old one, it's more organized, platforms and all. Buses on long distance mostly depart from the old station.
Anuradhapura
Near the old bus station, we turned to tukers with a question about housing. I wanted to find something in the region of 1500 rupees per night. While the tukers were arguing among themselves, a man drove up on a scooter and offered to check into his home guesthouse for 1200 rupees. We agreed to go and see his place. The owner of the guesthouse offered to use the services of one of the tukers. Here we made a mistake and did not agree on the price for a tuk-tuk in advance, we relied on a peasant. As a result, having reached the guesthouse that we liked, the tuker said that money for delivery was not needed and began to offer his services in organizing a tour of Anuradhapura and trump tickets that are not needed at all except for the Insurmuniya temple. We refused his services and he asked 400 rupees for delivery to the guesthouse, which is twice the expected price for a tuk. On objections, he began to cry that Sri Lanka was from e-tar country, vi ar pur people and vi hev but mani. The usual story is shorter. They paid him 300 to fall behind, having learned a lesson for the future - always negotiate a price in advance. By the way, when negotiating a price in guesthouses, also always ask if there are any additional taxes or fees, otherwise it may turn out to be a surprise later.
Tuker left, the owner said that the Buddha would punish him for such prices. And we settled in, asked him where you can have a bite to eat, what the weather is like and how long it takes to visit all the main attractions. In the process of communication, a friendly Sri Lankan offered us a tour of all the temples and dagobas for 4,000 rupees for two. For this money, he promised a tuk-tuk, his guide services and the notorious "tickets". Without thinking twice, we agreed that the price is not so high, but there is an opportunity to quickly see everything without bothering with the question of how to get to one place or another. We agreed on 4 pm and went to look for food.
The weather turned bad. In general, it rains at regular intervals in the center of the country. On the way from the guesthouse we met a lot of different animals - langur, palm squirrel and some kind of heron.
We were heading to the Food City supermarket, which we noticed while riding a tuk to the guest house. He was close and we reached him on foot. A little further down the road was a new bus station. In general, our location was very convenient. In the market we bought groceries for the evening, and on the second floor we ate fried fish in a Chinese restaurant. Portions are huge, prices are outrageous. For 1100 rupees, they ate from the belly. While they were eating, a strong tropical downpour started outside, which ended as suddenly as it began.
We returned exactly at 4 o'clock, in the courtyard of the guesthouse a tuk-tuk hired by the owner was already waiting for us. The weather seemed to have dispersed and we went to see the city.
Sights of Anuradhapura
The first point of our tour was a Hindu temple. It was not included in our itinerary, but passing by, we asked to stop and have a look. In the temple, by a lucky chance, some kind of rite of purification was carried out. A family of parishioners sat on the floor, ministers walked around them with incense and sang songs. Our guide prayed, put white dots on our foreheads and told us about different Hindu gods. It was pretty interesting.
Vessagyria
Then we went to the caves of the Vessagiriya monastery. This is a complex of several huge boulders and caves under them. The monks hid here from the rain and meditated. There are ancient inscriptions on the walls everywhere. And at the top there is a delightful view of the surroundings, everything is green and the spiers of various dagobas are everywhere. Immediately we spotted a few macaques and saw a flying peacock for the first time.
insurmunia
We arrived at the Buddhist temple of Insurmuniya in the rain, which charged with renewed vigor. We bought tickets for 200 rupees, left our shoes in front of the entrance (as is customary in all Buddhist temples) and went to “walk through the puddles”. Wet to the skin almost immediately, despite the presence of 2 umbrellas. The whole complex is very beautiful. On a small rise is an altar with lunar guard stones in front of the entrance. To the right is a small pool with elephants engraved on the rock. On the left is a small extension to the rock, inside which is the reclining Buddha. There is also a small historical museum dedicated to the temple of Insurmuniya nearby. And from the back of the temple is a staircase leading to the very top. Here is the main attraction of the temple - the footprint of the Buddha. By tradition, they throw a coin there and make a wish, which we took advantage of. By this time, the rain had stopped and the territory temple complex many langurs and palm squirrels appeared.
Stargate. Ranmasu uyana
Not far from the temple of Insurmuniya is the ruined archaeological complex of Ranmasu-uyana. Sri Lankans call it the Royal Pleasure Garden. Not far from each other there are 2 pools, one for women, the other for men. Approaching the complex, our guide asked if we believe in aliens and took us to a place where, according to legend, aliens left their marks on the stone. The figure shows something like a map of the universe.
Behind Ranmasu-uyan and Insurmunia is beautiful lake Tissa Ueva, which sparkled with all the colors in the sun, which came out after a heavy rain.
Stupa Mirissaveti
The next point of our excursion was the stupa of Mirissaveti. Huge white dogoba. Its dimensions are simply unimaginable. To be honest, before planning a trip to Sri Lanka, I did not even suspect the existence of such architectural structures. Inside the dagoba or stupa (as it is also called), there is usually some kind of relic, but there is no entrance inside. We walked around it, took pictures and went to the next destination.
Sri Maha Bodhi
The sacred fig tree in Anuradhapura, grown from the sprout of the Bodhi tree, under which Prince Gautama attained enlightenment and became a Buddha. The Sri Lankans say that oldest tree on the ground. Some branches rest on golden supports, and below is a temple where thousands of pilgrims converge. We arrived just in time for the evening service. Musicians beat drums, music played, believers brought flowers to a tree and prayed. The Sri Maha Bodhi tree is considered one of the main shrines of Sri Lanka.
Satisfied and full of emotions from what they saw, they went home, on the way they bought fruit at the night bazaar. By the way, the bananas here are small, half the size of those we are used to seeing, but they are sweet. And pineapples locals prefer to eat with salt and pepper. Upon returning to the guesthouse, I asked the hostess to peel and cut the pineapple. At my request, she also sprinkled half of the slices with salt and pepper. Delicious of course, but to be honest, I liked the slices without spices more. There will be an opportunity to try.
It was a very interesting day and we did not regret at all that we took our host as a guide. We ourselves would have walked here for 2 days and were pretty tired. So do the same if possible. The city is large and attractions are far from each other.
Before going to bed, we asked the owner of the guesthouse how to get to, a town not far from Anuradhapura. Everyone found out and went to sleep. It was planned that early in the morning we will go to Mihintale, inspect everything there before lunch, return and leave Anuradhapura ...
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. Hotels, guest houses, shops and restaurants are mostly located in the new city.
Set aside at least one full day for the Old City of Anuradhapura
what to go for
Don't miss in Anuradhapura
- Rent a bike to explore the magnificent Old Town of Anuradhapura.
- Watch the beautiful ceremonies near the ancient sacred Bodhi tree, around which the second most sacred temple of Sri Lanka, the Bodhi Tree Temple, was built.
- Don't miss the magnificent dagobas (Buddhist stupas): Ruwanwelisaya, Thuparamaya and Jetawanarama.
- Walk around the ancient monastery of Abhayagiri, located in the northern part of the city, and admire royal gardens and the original architecture of the Isurumuniya temple built into the rock in the south of the city.
- Set aside a day for a trip to Mihintale - one of the most sacred places Sri Lanka.
bodhi tree
The Bodhi tree is perhaps one of the most sacred relics of Buddhism. According to legend, Buddha meditated and attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree in the Indian town of Bodg-Khaya, so 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 a sprout of the original tree brought from India. Years later, a new one was grown from the sprout of the Anuradhapura tree on the site of the original felled tree at Bodg Haya.
Given the lore and history, it is not surprising that the temple built around the Bodhi Tree in Anuradhapura is one of the holiest places for the Buddhists of 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
Dagobahs of Anuradhapura
Dagobahs are ancient Buddhist stupas of the original form, inherent in ancient Sri Lankan architecture. At the base, the dagobas have the form of a huge dome erected on a massive platform, which is crowned with a small pointed tower.
The four most important dagoba of Anuradhapura are: 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 island's most atmospheric dagoba - Abhayagiri, located on the territory of the monastery of the same name.
Dagoba Abhayagiri. Photo credit: Chandana Witharanage, Flickr
The rays of the sun after a heavy downpour - Dagoba Thuparamaya. Photo credit: lesterlester1, Flickr
Visit to the old city of Anuradhapura
The cost of visiting the Old City and all the sights is about $ 25, in terms of local currency. Tickets are on sale at Archaeological Museum. Anuradhapura does not have one main entrance where tickets are bought and / or presented, there is also no wall between the old and new cities. In fact, you can walk around the whole old city and not meet ticket checkers, but still we would recommend not to succumb to the temptation of "free cheese" and still purchase tickets).
inspect Old city best by bike. The alternative is to walk or rent a tuk-tuk. You can rent a bike or tuk-tuk and get a map at any guest house in the city. Set aside a full day to explore the local attractions. Wear clothes that cover your shoulders and knees, take off your shoes where the locals take off their shoes. There are stalls in the park where you can buy food and drinks.
Watch your belongings - local monkeys are still those thieves, they can easily steal a bag, glasses, a camera, and in general everything that lies badly or hangs on a person)
Little inhabitants of Anuradhapura. Photo credit: Nadun Wanniarachchi, Flickr
Anuradhapura. Photo credit: lesterlester1, Flickr
Mihintale
The tiny town of Mihintale, located 12 km from Anuradhapura, is considered the birthplace of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. According to legend, here, on the top of the mountain, the fateful 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 the white statue of Buddha, you need to overcome 1840 steps. The ascent consists of several levels, along the way you can see the relics and stupas of the island's first Buddhist monastery.
You can get to Mihintale from Anuradhapura by tuk-tuk, bicycle, train or regular minibuses. Set aside a day to travel.
Buddha statue in Anuradhapura. Photo credit: Daniel Kosla, Flickr
Ascent to the top of Mihintale. Photo credit: k.dexter fernando kariyakarawanage, Flickr
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. This is the old city, which is unusual place. On the one hand, this is archaeological zone, on the other - a place of pilgrimage for thousands of Buddhists. Numerous tourists do not lag behind believers. What is here? All the main attractions of Anuradhapura. We will tell about them today.
I will 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 move around on it. Drivers know where it is best to drive up to drop you off, where you can park without a fine, where to meet us. It's comfortable. We did just that. After a little haggling (this must be done), we agreed on $10 and off we went.
As you can see, the main, fully restored objects of the old city are:
- Isuruminia rock monastery
- Temple and Bodhi Tree
- Museum
- Stupas
But of course, there are more interesting objects. Old Anuradhapura is a huge area of about 20 by 20 km. Walk - do not bypass. But since the sights of Anuradhapura belong to the Sinhala Buddhist culture, there is much 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 IV century BC. Buddhism came to the island. At the same time, a branch of the Bo tree appeared here.
Isurumuniya Vihara
English Isurumuniya Vihara (Originally Meghagiri Vihara)
Here begins the territory of the old city. In 1950, all residents from this territory were relocated to the New City.
The rock palace was built in 307-267 BC. for 500 monk boys from the upper class. Located in the rocks, next to Lake Tisza. 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 Tisza
- sculptures
- Museum
bodhi tree
Full name: Mahabodhi Tree (Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi)
One of the most famous Buddhist shrines in the whole world. The Bodhi Tree, or simply, the Bo Tree is very old, it is 2250 years old. It is grown from a branch of a tree (ficus) in the city of Bodh Gaya, under which Prince Gautami became an enlightened Buddha.
In the 19th century, the main trunk of the Mahabodhi tree in Anuradhapura was cut down by an English fanatic, but a small trunk remains, which is now revered and held up with golden props.
The monks tending the tree take young shoots and grow new trees. 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 building is 2000 years old. It was built under the legendary Anuradhapura ruler Dutugamunu.
Everyone writes that the temple has 9 floors, but I have no idea how high they should be if the height of the entire temple is 4 meters. The temple has over 1000 rooms. Now we hardly see them. There are 1600 columns along the perimeter. Here it is, please. True, while the columns are concrete, they make a strange look, but it's impressive. Once upon a time, the columns were decorated with silver slabs.
The roof is shaped like a pyramid, its vaults were decorated with copper tiles to make it shine in the sun.
The legend says that the appearance of 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 the mention of him and the columns remain.
Around the Bodhi tree is the historical territory of Anuradhapura. long alley - ancient street city comes from the Bo tree temple.
Along it 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 building with a hemispherical outline. Initially, the stupa was a reliquary, and then became a monument erected in honor of some event in Buddhism. Historically, it goes back to burial mounds built for the burial of kings or leaders. Wikipedia
Mirisaveti Dagoba
English Mirisaweti Stupa
The legend tells: King Dutugamunu with a harem went to Lake Tisza, where the Water Festival was held. He stuck his staff (scepter) into the soft earth, in which the relic was hidden (most likely a piece of Buddha's bone).
After some time, while preparing to return to the palace, the king found that neither he nor any of his retinue could pull the staff out of the ground - it took root and grew 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
The construction of the building took 3 years. The stupa was rebuilt in the 10th century.
You have already understood that inside each stupa there is a reliquary in which some kind of shrine is kept. It can be a piece of Buddha's bone, his alms bowl, a belt, even a footprint or. The Dagobah may be a monument to the event.
English Ruwanwelisaya Stupa
To see the next stupa, you need to go to the Basavakkulam reservoir.
Ruvanveli Dagoba was built in the II - I centuries AD.
The most famous building of King Dutugemunu. It is also called the White Stupa or Mahatupa, which means "great stupa".
The stupa houses the Buddha's begging bowl.
The building is huge. It covers an area of 120 hectares.
At present, its height is more than 90 meters, and the diameter at the base is 91 meters.
And this is how the stupa looks on a holiday:
We watched the embellishment take place. This can be seen in the photo report.
Ruvanveli 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 a leather cloth.
The king personally supervised the work. He watched how the relic chamber for the Buddha bowl was created and watched how the bowl was hidden inside.
During construction, delegations from various parts of India came to the stupa, 30,000 monks from Alexandria (in the Caucasus) led by the Indo-Greek monk Mahadharmarakshita (Mahadharmaraksita).
In 1839 the dagoba was rebuilt.
Sanctuary
Near Ruvanveli there is a sanctuary with 5 statues telling about the incarnations of the Buddha. Pay special attention to one of them. This is a statue of a meditating Buddha. It is believed that she is a portrait of King Duthugamunu. (I have told quite a lot about Datugumunu in the 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 son of the king. But the Sri Lankans tell a touching story about the last hours of Duthugamun's life.
Ruvanveli Stupa is the favorite brainchild of the king. He dreamed of seeing the building completed, but his health was getting worse and the king held on to the last of his 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 building.
Seeing that the king was dying, and wishing to make him happy, the brother announced the good news that 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 was moving towards the dagoba, on the way the king met his old friend, who has now become a monk. They talked about the mortality of old men and how rulers are reborn in the celestial sphere of Tushita immediately after death.
The king died happy, never knowing that his brother Tissa went to deceit: knowing that the king's eyesight had become very weak, the brother pulled the purest white fabric over the frame. Dutugamunu was sure that the stupa was completed.
In fact, it was only half built.
Friends, now we are in Instagram. Channel about travel, travel stories. As well as life hacks, usefulness, routes and ideas for your travels. Subscribe, we are interested)
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 highest stupa in Sri Lanka. Built in the III century BC. where the Nandana gardens were. 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 for Jotivana. It translates as "the place where the rays of liberation shone."
Each stupa holds a shrine. Inside this stupa is the belt of the Buddha.
Jetavana Dagoba is the tallest brick building in the world. Of the ancient structures, only two pyramids in Giza are higher than it.
The stupa was completely destroyed. Restoration work began only in 1981. Since then, the dagoba has been open to pilgrims, and services are held here.
If we consider the main historical document of the Sinhalese kingdom - the chronicles of Mahavasma, then we will find out 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 tools.
It is known that the construction of this dagoba took about 90 million bricks.
Thuparam Stupa
Anngl. Thuparama Dagoba
Anuradhapura's oldest dagoba. Built in the III century BC.
Located next to Jetavana Dagoba. The oldest dagoba of Tuparam.
The first stupa meant that the king of Sri Lanka had adopted 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 the 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 mainstream.
Abyagiri Dagoba is the center of this current.
This is what Abhayagiri Dagaba looked like quite recently
Inside the monastery there is another interesting dagoba.
During its foundation (XII century) it was the second highest in the Capital.
Tradition says that it was built right above the place where the 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 clear and clean.
The pools are considered to be an example of significant achievements in the field of hydro-engineering and architectural-artistic creations of the ancient Sinhalese.
Before entering the tanks, the water passes through a series of narrow underground channels, is filtered by sand and earth, entering the pool completely cleaned 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 encloses and secures the connection.
The entrance to the pool is decorated with a lion's head and an image of a snake, on the walls of the bowl of abundance.
Real live turtles are splashing in the pools themselves.
Finally, we want to give you some useful tips:
Show respect for other religions. A famous scandal erupted in Anuradhapura a few years ago when our tourist was put in jail. She wanted to take a memorable photo in front of the sacred ancient Buddha statue. They say she turned her back, but I think it was something more serious.
This is the statue of Buddha.
- Dagoba needs to be bypassed in a certain direction - clockwise. This is a ritual bypass, corresponding to the culture of Buddhism.
By the way, in Hinduism it is customary to make a detour as well - clockwise. It is believed that witches and sorcerers for the sake of their black deeds, go counterclockwise.
- To visit any religious places in Sri Lanka, we recommend dressing modestly, in accordance with Buddhist requirements: legs are covered (not shorts), shoulders are 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 vice versa - they are hot in the sun, go in socks, but without shoes.
- When visiting sights that are far from the noise and roads, be careful: there may be snakes and monitor lizards in the grass.
Tiny Mihintale is considered the cradle of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. It was here that in the 3rd century BC. the first Buddhist monastery appeared and the missionary activity of Mahinda began - in honor of him, the mountain of Mihintale is also called the mountain of Mahinda.
Over time, the monastery grew, gained influence, and until the 13th century was the third largest monastic complex in Sri Lanka. Stupas have been erected here for centuries (there were more than 60 of them), and some of them are quite large.
Today, Mihintale is rightly considered sacred and is visited by pilgrims. This is a working temple: a calm and majestic place, numerous stupas and other ancient buildings are inconspicuously but perfectly inscribed in the landscape. In one of the oldest stupas are the remains of Mahinda, on the mountain there are also big statue 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 - the 23rd century. The centuries-old bulk grew from a sapling taken from a tree in the Nepalese Budha Goya, under which the Buddha gained enlightenment. For this reason, of course, the tree is a kind of shrine for all followers of Buddhism.
The sprout 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 royal park 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, the Bo tree, surrounded by a golden fence, is carefully guarded. You can't just approach him like that. But having passed the protective cordons, you can freeze in awe near the tree and, if you're lucky, pick up a fallen leaf as a memory of the pilgrimage.
Coordinates: 8.34433100,80.39734800
What sights of Anuradhapura did you like? There are icons next to the photo, by clicking on which you can rate a particular place.
Jetavanarama stupa
"Jetavanarama" is a unique monastic complex created by King Mahasena in 276-303. During the dawn of the monastery, on its territory, which occupied an area of 48 hectares, there were about 3,000 monks. 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 4th century AD, during the collapse of the Roman Empire, the Jetavanarama stupa was the third largest building in the world, second only to the pyramids of Khafre and Cheops in Giza. The structure has massive brickwork that goes 14 meters deep, so that the weight of the monument rests 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 place where the building stands was known in ancient times 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 foot of the Buddha, 93,300,000 bricks went into its construction.
Coordinates: 8.35176200,80.40372100
The Museum of Money at the Central Bank with its collections can compete with historical museum, because it was in the coins of their kingdoms that the history of Sri Lanka was reflected. Here you can trace all stages of the country's development from colonial times, when the territory was ruled first by Portugal, and then by Holland and Britain, to the present day. The exhibits of the collections of the Museum of Money are recognized as the oldest in the region.
The museum was established in April 1982 to store the country's complete collection of numismatics. But over time, the exhibits became more and more, they covered more extensive time periods and the collection was divided into four thematic exhibitions: "Ancient period", "Medieval period", "Colonial period" and "The period of independence since the establishment 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 form and were made mainly of silver. Kahavanu gold coins did not appear on the island until 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 on the territory of Sri Lanka.
Coordinates: 6.93427600,79.84226900
Kutam Pokuna Twin Pools
Kutam Pokuna Pools (twin pools) - vintage pools ancient world, representing a huge hydrological, engineering, architectural and artistic value. The pools were intended for bathing Buddhist monks.
The pools were built in the 8th century in the kingdom of Andradhapura. In fact, the pools are not twins, because the first reaches a length of 28 meters, and the second - 40 meters.
The pools are carved from granite slabs that cover the bottom and walls. Stepped walls in the form of shelves also lead to them, on which, when bathing, the monks placed bathing pots and other items.
The pools are distinguished by a unique water purification system: before entering the pool, the water passes through a series of depressions next to the structure, and all the dirt settles on the bottom. The pools are interconnected by a pipeline.
Coordinates: 8.37110200,80.40159700
Stupa Abhayagiri
Stupa in Anuradhapura is the second tallest building of the Ancient World, built in the 1st century BC by King Watta Gamini Abhaya. The height of the stupa exceeds 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 tend to visit.
It is believed that the stupa is decorated with gold, silver and precious stones.
A monastery of the same name was built next to the stupa, in which 5,000 monks once lived. They worshiped a Buddha statue made of green jade.
Coordinates: 8.37101700,80.39550300
The most popular attractions in Anuradhapura with descriptions and photos for every taste. choose best places for visiting famous places Anuradhapura on our website.
we went to Anuradhapura by bus as usual. The ride takes 3 hours, the cost of 2 tickets is 300 rupees. And, as usual, we were dropped off not 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 bus. 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 south of the island. By e-mail, the hostess of the villa we booked 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. Having learned that we were planning to travel by bus, the hostess expressed great doubts about the success of our undertaking.
The Anuradhapura-Colombo-Unawatuna distance is not very large by Russian standards, and, in our opinion, it is quite surmountable in a daylight. But buses in Lanka are really not in a hurry, and the mistress of the house, although she was a New Zealander, has 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 get tickets for the 1st or 2nd class (some horrors were written about the 3rd class), you need to take tickets in advance. That's why we had to get 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 we did not know which one we needed. 100 rupees (40 rubles) is a small amount and, having specified that we need a station from which we can go to Colombo, we set off. At the station, we went to the window with the inscription "1, 2 class" and asked for two tickets for the day after tomorrow to Colombo in the first class. We were told that there were no first-class carriages for any train in this direction. And not only on the day we need, but in general. I had to take 2 tickets of the second class with departure the day after tomorrow at 9 am. The cashier took 1,800 rupees from us and gave us a half-A4 sheet perforated along the edges, where the date, time, carriage class and seat numbers C7, C8 were indicated. We checked with 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 won’t have to stand in the aisle and fight for seats.
At the exit of the station, a heavy man in a shirt, sarong and sandals on his bare feet approached us. "Taxi, sir?" he turned to her husband. Taxi?! Is there really a taxi here?! Not a tuk-tuk, 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, dying 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. Taxi is always easier and more comfortable. Only so far 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 expanses of rice fields. It was even called Heaven Upon Rice Fields - "Heaven over the rice fields." That's why I chose it, I liked the description and reviews. Our driver knew the object we booked. On the way he asked about our plans. We answered that today we would like to visit Mihintale and would be happy to do it by car. He literally jumped up on the seat and clapped his hands - he was ready to take us. Having unloaded the suitcases at the hotel and paid 200 rupees, we asked the driver about the price of a trip to Mihintale by car. He quoted a price of 2,500 rupees. 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, we wanted to take a shower and have a bite to eat first.
A palm squirrel jumped into our room through the open doors of the balcony.
We wanted to treat her, but she turned out to be so frightened that, after running for a minute along the eaves and curtains, she quickly jumped out. From the windows - really a view of the rice fields and Mount Mihintale, where we planned to go today.
1
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 Mihintal. We replied that we were really going to Mihintal, but we had already agreed with another driver. In response, he told us that Abi (the name that the previous driver wrote us) is his brother, and that he is currently busy. 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 Mihintale. But we didn't agree! We were going to go by ourselves, and not in the company of strangers, and did not want to either adapt ourselves to someone, or force someone to adapt to us. We resolutely turned back. The driver trotted behind 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 - "only for you." The time was 4 pm, the owner of the hotel said that he could, if necessary, organize a tuk-tuk for us. But knock-knock, not a car. Time was now more expensive, I did not want to waste it in search of another car. We agreed.
The couple in the minibus was 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), understood Russian tolerably well and, although slowly and carefully choosing his words, he spoke quite well. He said that they came from Colombo, where they spent two days, and that Colombo is a boring and uninteresting city with absolutely nothing to do. We shared our impressions.
Now about Mihintal. It is located just 12 kilometers from Anuradhapura. Very atmospheric place, we recommend it for mandatory viewing. There were statements that Mihintale is even more interesting than Anuradhapura herself. It's hard to compare, but we really liked this place. It is known for the fact that it was from here that Buddhism began to spread across the island, the first teacher of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, Mahinda, preached here. The complex includes three hills: Mango Plateau (Ambastala), Royal Hill (Rajagiri), Elephant Mountain (Anaikutti). Climbing Mount Mihintale is quite difficult: the height of the mountain is 305 meters and in order 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 of less interesting sights will remain unseen, as we read. But almost next to the parking lot there are 68 caves, and the ruins of Medamaluwa, and the Mango Plateau.
After getting out of the car, we parted ways with fellow travelers, without agreeing on when we would return to the car. We intended to take our time to examine everything that we had outlined.
It is better to climb here early in the morning, before it is too hot, or after the midday heat, as we did. Be sure to stock up on water and take socks with you (you will have to walk around the entire complex, as always in Lanka, without shoes). We did not seek to see all the ruins here. In addition to the Mango Plateau (tickets for two - 1000 rupees), other attractions of Mihintale are available for free, but are located quite far from each other.
Directly from the upper parking area, a narrow staircase leads to the right to the Kantaka Chetya Stupa (II century BC), which is one of the oldest structures in Lanka.
To the southwest of Kantak, Chetya are heaps of huge boulders, followed by a ridge of 68 caves.
A little higher up the stairs and to the side is Cobra Pond, a natural reservoir filled with rainwater. The edges of the Pond are lined with stones, and an 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 (Ambasthala Dagoba) is installed, the columns around it previously supported the already unpreserved roof of the vata-da-ge (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 unworked 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 the faithful.
behind rises the main hill of Mihintale - Aradhana Gala (Aradhana Gala), from which Mahindu read his sermons
1 of 2
upstairs you need to climb the carved steps, and then the iron stairs. There are great views from there.
1 of 2
on the left is the statue of the Buddha (Buddha Statue), it does not represent historical value, but adds appropriate color to the environment
on the right - the white stupa Mahaseya Dagoba - the largest in Mihintal, its construction belongs to the king Mahadathika Mahanaga (beginning of the 1st century). According to legend, Buddha's hair is immured in it.
view from the platform next to the stupa
bodhi tree
endemic birds of Sri Lanka feast on candle wicks without any reverence
pond with fish and turtles
1
Mahindu Stupa (Mihindu Seya) (on the map), where the ashes of Mahindu himself are kept.
If you walk along the path between the Stupa Ambastala and Aradhana Gala, you can go to the Cave of Mahinda, where he lived and meditated. There you can see the so-called bed of Mahinda - a flat rock slab.
Mihintale is saturated with some goodness and peace. Is it somehow related to Buddhism (there is a small functioning temple in the middle between the stupas) or is it simply natural place strength, I don't know. But from the visit there was a feeling of received spiritual strength and health. We were very pleased with the visit.
It took us about two hours for a leisurely inspection of everything, but, I repeat, we did not examine the numerous ruins below the parking area. In general, we are of the opinion that one should not be 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 not at all the same. Too little is always better than too much, in my opinion.
When we returned 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 to be half an hour. We were a little uncomfortable, but it was not to refuse to view everything that we wanted in a mode that was comfortable for us ... Here is the result of a joint trip of different people. True, then the guy, apologetically, asked us to let the driver first take them to where they could buy beer, and only then to the hotel. We gladly agreed, compensating them for their time of waiting.
In our hotel, dinner was ordered, because judging by the reviews, it’s better not to take risks 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 (young family). I have a review on booking
In the evening we asked the owner of the hotel 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 inspect 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 - another one again - not the same as yesterday. The driver was 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 interesting to us, cooling each time in the saving air-conditioned atmosphere of the car after the next object under the scorching sun.
We had a printout of the map of Anuradhapura tourist sites. At the beginning of the trip, we considered the Abhayagiri monastery complex as an object to visit (1 ticket 30 dollars). But already now we decided to refrain from examining it for the time being, or, in any case, to leave it for last. The driver, when asked if it was worth going to Abhayagiri, shrugged doubtfully and said that "Abhayagiri is not very important." In addition, the following opinion was met on the Internet: “Many tourists generally refuse to buy a ticket, go around the sights on their own, without entering the territory of Abhayagiri, visiting only free ones. Paid and free dagobas are generally the same, and you will most likely get bored after the third or fourth.
Anuradhapura is the first ancient capital Sinhalese kingdom. The main tourist sites in the city 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 highest brick dagoba in the world (originally 122 m, III century). The belt of the Buddha is allegedly immured inside.
The rest of the stupas are also quite interesting and completely free. Particularly liked Ruvanvelizia. The most revered of all the other stupas, because it contains the most relics.
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 are located: a sanctuary with 5 statues of Buddha 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 is left. We even saw the next restoration work, in which both the monks and the local population participated.
Thuparam Stupa(Thuparama Dagoba) - the very first stupa in Sri Lanka, dedicated to the emergence of Buddhism.
1 of 7
The clavicle of the Buddha is immured in the Stupa, around the remains of the destroyed buildings of the old city.
