Holy city of Anuradhapura. Attractions of Anuradhapura - the old city. Lake Tissa Wewa

Anuradhapura from A to Z: map, hotels, attractions, restaurants, entertainment. Shopping, shops. Photos, videos and reviews about Anuradhapura.

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Anuradhapura is administrative center 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 conservation area, and New city, where the entire population of Anuradhapura lives (about 50,000 people) and there is a tourist area with hotels, restaurants and shops.

The city is quite far from coastline Therefore, tourists to Anuradhapura are primarily attracted to the world famous cultural and historical monuments 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 security zone on the other bank of the Malwathu Oya River, the area is very large - and you can’t get around 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 designed to store relics) Thumaparama, Ruanveli with the famous stone statues of Buddha, Jetavanarama, considered one of the tallest brick structures in the Ancient world, as well as the statue of Buddha Aukana and the sacred Bodhi tree, considered the oldest of famous trees, with a 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

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. Into this - old town, 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 convenient. 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 in the whole 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 building 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 the appearance of the building was taken from a 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 - Buddhist architectural and sculptural monolithic monumental and religious building, having a hemispherical outline. 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, 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 the Sri Lankans say 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 tanks, 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.

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 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 of these Indian rulers there was a 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 over time was abandoned and swallowed up by the jungle, until 1980, when, under the patronage of the world organization UNESCO, which included the ruins of Anuradhapura on the list world heritage, 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 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. Ruwanvelisaya 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. Southeast 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 Jetavana 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 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 clean 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 nearby Architectural Museum. Tuk tukers can 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

Tiny Mihintale is considered the cradle of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. It was here in the 3rd century BC. appeared first Buddhist monastery and Mahinda's missionary work began - in his honor, Mount Mihintale is also called Mount Mahinda.

Over time, the monastery grew in size and influence, and until the 13th century it 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 were quite large.

Nowadays, Mihintale is rightly considered sacred and is visited by pilgrims. This - active temple: a calm and majestic place, numerous stupas and other ancient structures are discreetly but perfectly integrated into the landscape. One of the oldest stupas contains the remains of Mahinda, and there is also a large Buddha statue on the mountain.

Coordinates: 8.35027500,80.51811200

Bo tree

The Bo tree (or ficus sacred) is one of the oldest trees in the world. It is difficult to imagine its age - 23 centuries. The centuries-old giant grew from a sapling taken from a tree in Nepal's Budha Goya, under which Buddha gained enlightenment. For this reason, of course, the tree is a kind of shrine for all followers of Buddhism.

The scion was brought from Nepal to the island in the 3rd century BC by the nun Sangamitta, daughter of the Indian emperor Ashoka, and found its place in the royal park of Anuradhapura.

It would seem that such an old tree should be very large. But the sacred Bo itself is small; its venerable old age is supported by special supports. But the nearby 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 after passing through the protective cordons, you can stand in awe near the tree and, if you’re lucky, pick up a fallen leaf as a souvenir of the pilgrimage.

Coordinates: 8.34433100,80.39734800

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Jetavanarama stupa

"Jetavanarama" is a unique monastic complex created by King Mahasena in 276-303. At the dawn of the monastery, about 3,000 monks were located on its territory, which occupied an area of ​​48 hectares. On the central platform of the complex is the Jetavana Stupa, which rises 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 structure in the world, second only to the pyramids of Khafre and Cheops at Giza. The structure has massive brickwork that extends to a depth of 14 meters, so that the weight of the monument rests entirely on the bedrock.

Another unique thing about the stupa is that it is a perfect circle and contains particles of the physical remains of the Buddha. The place where the structure stands was known in ancient times as the Nandana Gardens. It was here that Arahat Mahinda preached a sermon to 7,000 people for 7 days. The Jetavanarama Stupa was built over the footprint of Buddha, and 93,300,000 bricks were used for 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 under the rule of first Portugal, and then Holland and Britain, to the present day. The exhibits in the collections of the Money Museum are recognized as the oldest in the region.

The museum was created in April 1982 to house the country's complete numismatic collection. But over time, the exhibits became more and more numerous, they covered wider time periods and the collection was divided into four thematic exhibitions: “Ancient Period”, “Medieval Period”, “Colonial Period” and “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 came in a wide variety of shapes and were made mainly of silver. Kahavanu gold coins appeared on the island only four centuries later. The first foreign coins appeared with the development of navigation and trade. Many coins of Greek, Indo-Greek, Roman, Chinese and Arabic origin have been found in Sri Lanka.

Coordinates: 6.93427600,79.84226900

Kutam Pokuna Twin Pools

Kutam Pokuna Pools (twin pools) – ancient pools Ancient world, representing enormous 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. There are also stepped walls in the form of shelves leading to them, on which the monks placed pots for ablution and other objects when bathing.

The pools are distinguished by a unique water purification system: before entering the pool, water passes through a series of depressions next to the structure, and all dirt settles at the bottom. The pools are connected to each other using a pipeline.

Coordinates: 8.37110200,80.40159700

Abhayagiri Stupa

The Anuradhapura Stupa is the second tallest building in the ancient world, built in the 1st century BC by King Vatta Gamini Abhaya. The height of the stupa exceeds 112 meters.

In front of the entrance to the stupa there are two stone sculptures, who 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.

The stupa is believed to be decorated with gold, silver and precious stones.

A monastery of the same name was built next to the stupa, which was once home to 5,000 monks. They worshiped an image of Buddha made of green jade.

Coordinates: 8.37101700,80.39550300

The most popular attractions in Anuradhapura with descriptions and photographs for every taste. Choose best places to visit famous places Anuradhapura on our website.

We already 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 traveled around Lanka by buses. However, now we decided to use the services of Sri Lankan railways. The fact is that the next destination on our trip was Unawatuna. located almost in the very south of the island. By email, the owner of the villa we booked in Unawatuna asked what time we would arrive. We informed 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 idea.

The Anuradhapura-Colombo-Unawatuna distance is not very long by Russian standards, and, in our opinion, is quite surmountable in daylight. But buses in Lanka are really not in a hurry, and the owner of the house, although she was a New Zealander, had lived here for a long time. There is no direct train connection from here to Unawatuna; you need to go through Colombo. We read that in order to get tickets for 1st or 2nd class (some horror stories were written about 3rd class), you need to buy tickets in advance. That’s why we had to go to the station first. We started looking around, trying to get our bearings. A tukker quickly noticed us and offered to take us to the railway station for 100 rupees. We knew that there were two stations in Anuradhapura, but we didn’t know which one we needed. 100 rupees (40 rubles) is a small amount and, having specified that we needed a station from which we could go to Colombo, we went. At the station we went to the window with the inscription “1st, 2nd class” and asked for two tickets for the day after tomorrow to Colombo in first class. We were told that in this direction There are no first class carriages on any train. And not only for the day we need, but in general. I had to take 2 second class tickets departing the day after tomorrow at 9 am. The cashier took 1,800 rupees from us and gave us a piece of paper perforated along the edges in half A4 format, which indicated the date, time, carriage class and seat numbers C7, C8. We checked with the cashier whether this sign actually meant our seat numbers, and received an affirmative answer. Our mood has improved: it means we won’t have to stand in the aisle and fight for seats.

At the exit from the station, an overweight man in a shirt, sarong and sandals on his bare feet approached us. "Taxi, sir?" - he turned to his husband. Taxi?! Are there really taxis here?! Not a tuk-tuk, but a normal car with a trunk and even air conditioning?! Driving a Tuk in any country is not fun for us. Driving in the heat, inhaling exhaust fumes from passing cars, dust, being frozen by the driver’s pirouettes, and then figuring out why the price was higher than agreed upon is not the most pleasant experience. Taking a taxi is always easier and more comfortable. But 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 a 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 it based on the description and reviews. Our driver knew the property we had booked. On the way, he asked about our plans. We replied 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. After unloading our suitcases at the hotel and paying 200 rupees, we asked the driver the price of a trip to Mihintale by car. He quoted the price as 2500 rupees. As we knew from the Internet, the trip should have cost no more than 1500. In the end, we negotiated until 1700, agreed on the departure time, we wanted to take a shower and have a snack first from the road.

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 around the curtain rod and curtains for a minute, she quickly jumped out. From the windows there really is a view of the rice fields and Mount Mihintale, where we planned to go today.

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At the appointed time, a minibus drove into the yard. A completely different person came out and asked if we were going to Mikhintale. We replied that we were indeed going to Mihintale, but had already agreed with another driver. In response, he told us that Abi (the name that the previous driver wrote to us) is his brother, and that he is currently busy. We approached the minibus and saw a guy and a girl inside. In response to our question, the driver said that they were also going to Mihintale. But we didn’t agree that way! We were going to travel on our own, and not in the company of strangers, and we did not want to either adapt to someone ourselves or force someone to adapt to us. We resolutely turned back. The driver trotted behind us, assuring us that we would not interfere with each other at all. Then he said that he would give a discount of up to 1,500 rupees - “only for you.” It was 16 o'clock, the hotel owner said that he could, if necessary, organize a tuk-tuk for us. But a tuk-tuk, not a car. Time was more valuable now, and I didn’t want to waste it looking for another car. We agreed.

The couple in the minibus turned out to be from the Czech Republic. When asked which 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 and, although choosing his words slowly and carefully, spoke quite well. He said that they came from Colombo, where they had been for two days, and that Colombo was 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. A very atmospheric place, we recommend it as a must see. There have been statements that Mihintale is even more interesting than Anuradhapura itself. It's hard to compare, but we really liked this place. It is famous for the fact that it was from here that Buddhism began to spread across the island; the first Buddhist teacher in Sri Lanka, Mahinda, preached here. The complex includes three hills: Mango Plateau (Ambastala), Royal Hill (Rajagiri), Elephant Mountain (Anaikutti). The climb to Mount Mihintale is quite difficult: the height of the mountain is 305 meters and 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 shorten the journey by half, although a couple of, as we read, less interesting sights will remain unexamined. But practically next to the parking lot there are 68 caves, the ruins of Medamaluva, and the Mango Plateau.

After getting out of the car, we parted with our fellow travelers, without agreeing on when we would return to the car. We intended to take our time and examine everything we had planned.

It’s better to go up here early in the morning, before it’s 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 try to explore all the ruins here. Apart from the Mango Plateau (tickets for two - 1000 rupees), the rest of the 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 (2nd century BC), which is one of the oldest structures in Lanka.

To the southwest of Kantak Chetya are piles 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, Mahinda bathed here. But its main value was as a source for the irrigation system of the entire Mihintale complex.

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The Mango Plateau is where the main attractions of Mihintale are concentrated. It is a platform in the center of which the Ambasthala Dagoba Stupa is installed; the columns around previously supported the now unpreserved roof of vata-da-ge (in Sinhala - “round house of relics”)

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monkeys feast on lotuses on the altar.

Next to the stupa there is a rounded piece of rough stone embedded in a platform - the place where King Devanampiya Tissa first met Mahinda. The stone is protected by a fence and roof and strewn with money donated by believers.

behind rises the main hill of Mihintale - Aradhana Gala, from which Mahinda read his sermons

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you need to climb up the carved steps and then up the iron ladder. From there they open beautiful views

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on the left is a statue of Buddha (Buddha Statue), which is of no historical value, but adds appropriate color to the surrounding environment

on the right is the white stupa of Maha Seya (Mahaseya Dagoba) - the largest in Mihintala, its construction belongs to King Mahadathika Mahanaga (early 1st century). According to legend, Buddha's hair is immured in it.

view from the platform next to the stupa

bodhi tree

Sri Lanka's endemic birds feast on candle wicks without any reverence

pond with fish and turtles

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Mahindu Stupa (Mihindu Seya) (on the map), where the ashes of Mahindu himself are kept.

If you follow the path between Ambastala Stupa and Aradhana Gala, you can go to Mahinda's Cave, where he lived and meditated. There you can see the so-called Mahinda bed - a flat rock slab.

Mihintale is imbued with some kind of goodness and peace. Is this somehow connected with Buddhism (in the middle between the stupas there is a small functioning temple) or is it simply natural place strength - I don’t know. But from the visit I was left with a feeling of mental strength and health. We were very pleased with our visit.

It took us about two hours to leisurely explore everything, but again, we did not explore the numerous ruins below the parking area. In general, we are of the opinion that you should not get too tired and make extra efforts when sightseeing. A museum or an archaeological complex - after 3 hours fatigue and dullness of perception sets in, and then the effect and impressions are not at all the same. It's always better to have too little 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 had obviously been waiting for us for more than five minutes. It turned out to be half an hour. We were a little uncomfortable, but we couldn’t refuse to watch everything we wanted in a way that was comfortable for us... This is the result of a joint trip of different people. True, then the guy, apologizing, asked us to allow the driver to first take them to where they could buy beer, and only then to the hotel. We gladly agreed, compensating them for their waiting time.

We had dinner booked at our hotel, because judging by the reviews, it’s better not to take risks and eat at your hotel. Moreover, it cost 600 rupees per person, everything was very tasty (curry with another variety of sauces). In general, we really liked the hotel and the owners (a young family). I have a review on my booking account

In the evening, we asked the hotel owner to call our friend Abi and order a car for us to explore Anuradhapura. The objects are located far from each other, and the best way to explore the complex, especially in the heat, is by transport.

In the morning, at the appointed time, a minibus drove into the courtyard of our hotel - again different - 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, we could comfortably inspect everything that was interesting to us, each time cooling off in the saving air-conditioned atmosphere of the car after the next object under the scorching sun.

We had a printout of the diagram tourist sites Anuradhapura. At the beginning of the trip, we considered the Abhayagiri monastery complex as an object to visit (one ticket costs 30 dollars). But they have already decided to refrain from examining it for now, or, in any case, to leave it for last. The driver, when asked whether it was worth going to Abhayagiri, shrugged his shoulders doubtfully and said that “Abhayagiri is not very important.” In addition, the following opinion was found on the Internet: “Many tourists refuse to buy a ticket at all, go around the sights on their own, without entering the territory of Abhayagiri, visiting only free ones. Paid and free dagobas are generally monotonous, and you will most likely get bored after the third or fourth.”

Anuradhapura is the first ancient capital of the Sinhalese kingdom. The main tourist sites in the city are the stupas. Some of them are simply gigantic. One of them is brick Jetavana. It is really just huge, visible from afar. It is the tallest dagoba in the world, built of brick (originally 122 m, 3rd century). Buddha's belt is supposedly walled inside.

The remaining stupas are also quite interesting and completely free. I especially liked it Ruwanwelisia. The most revered of all other stupas, because it contains the most relics.

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The stupa is located on a platform decorated with bas-reliefs of more than a hundred elephants (elephants participated in the construction of the dagobah).

Around the stupa there are: a sanctuary with 5 Buddha statues and frescoes,

4 mini-dagobas, a dagobah model in a glass cube and a sculpture of King Dutugemunu.

The height of the stupa is 92 m, diameter 90. From the original appearance there was almost nothing left. We even saw regular restoration work, in which both monks and the local population participated.

Thuparama Stupa(Thuparama Dagoba) is the very first stupa in Sri Lanka, dedicated to the emergence of Buddhism.

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Buddha's collarbone is walled up in the Stupa, and there are remains of destroyed buildings of the old city around.