Anuradhapura
At the North end of the King's Dominion is a Ruinous City called Anuradhapura, where they say Ninety Kings have reigned, the spirits of whom they hold now to be Saints 4 in glory, having merited it by making Pagodas and Stone Pillars and Images to the honor of their gods, whereof there are many yet remaining" - Robert j Knox, An Historical Relation of Ceylon 0682).
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Anuradhapura is synonymous with a significant portion of Sri Lanka's history, which is a rich and ancient history at that. However, it is much more than just a place to investigate old ruins. It takes but a little imagination to think what life might have been like and to marvel at the wonders of innovation all those centuries ago. It is a place of extreme importance for Buddhists, though people of all beliefs m make visits. Named after Anuradha, one of the leaders under the founding father of the Sinhalese race, Prince Vijaya, the kingdom of Anuradhapura was the capital from the 4th century BC to the 10th century AD. Due to its dominance as a kingdom, the period of its rule is now commonly referred to as the Anuradhapura Period in historical texts. To Sri Lankans, Anuradh-apura means pilgrimage and devotion. It means security checkpoints and pirith (chanting of protective suttas, or discourses of the Buddha), the hot sun and bicycles, and unafraid monkeys munching on manel flowers intended for pooja. It means people cooling off with a bath in the Tissawewa (tank or reservoir), and roaming cows and water buffaloes munching grass between the crevices of the ancient moonstone or guard stone of a once magnificent temple.
The sacred city and its sites are, of course, the number one reason for visiting Anuradhapura. It is is a place one could visit frequently and still make a discovery every time if you move away from the tried and trusted trail of sites. However, for an introduction, the most famous locations are a good place to start. It is almost always hot and sunny in Anuradhapura so it is good advice to start a tour as early as possible in the morning in order to spend the hottest part of the day resting somewhere cool.
Within the sacred city itself the sites are spread out and it can be confusing finding your way around, especially when one dagoba starts to look very similar to the last one you passed! It is easiest to travel by bicycle as some distances are too far apart for walking and a vehicle can be more of a hindrance than a help where paths are narrow or where cars have no entry. Mo
st guesthouses hire out trusty (and often rusty!) bicycles for a reasonable rate.
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Most often the first stop on a tour of the Sacred Precinct is the Isurumuniya Vihara, the oldest rock it temple in Sri Lanka, dating to 300BC.The temple is most famous for its sculptures, particularly the one y known as The Lovers found in the small museum within the temple compound. "One story” relates that the sculpture of the lovers, which depicts a young man with a beautiful girl, is that of King Dutugemunu's son, a who fell in love with a low-caste girl. This meant he lost his right to ascend the throne. Another theory is that the lovers are the Hindu deity Lord Shiva and his wife Parvathi.
The single most visible dagoba in Anuradhapura is the enormous Ruwanwelisaya, said to be the oldest (200 BC) restored dagoba in the country with relics of the Buddha contained inside. It is also said that King Dutugemunu went to war against the Tamil King Elara carrying the Buddha relics with him. A stone with nine or 15 squares carved out, it looks a bit like the base for a game of nougats and crosses. However, this was where small treasures were put before completion of a dagoba. The stone was sealed with granite and placed in the center of the dagoba or somewhere outside with a statue on top.
From Ruwanwelisaya you can walk the promenade to the Sri Maha Bodhi (Sacred Bo-tree), passing hundreds of monkeys along the way as well as cows or water buffaloes. The monkeys are extremely tame, but do take care as they will not hesitate to grab anything from your hands they think is worth eating. A site of great reverence, where pregnant mothers make vows for unborn children and farmers bring a portion of their harvest, the Sri Maha Bodhi was brought to Sri Lanka by the daughter of the Indian king, Asoka. Due to its extreme age – in fact it is the oldest living tree in the world - it has several structural supports.
Near the Sri Maha Bodhi is the Brazen Palace (Loha Prasada) where around 15,000 monks once resided. Today, all that remains are the hundreds of
columns that were its core structural support. Returning towards Ruwanwelisaya, ask your guide to show you one of the intricate urinal stones, simply the most elaborate toilet you'll ever see, with beautiful carvings and the smallest of holes for the urine to drip through to collect in clay pots filled with charcoal, sand and lime. Two of my favorite places in Anuradhapura are Eth Pokuna (Elephant Pond), a huge pond among an almost forest-like setting, which was the primary water source for the monks at the Abhayagariya monasteries, and the danasala (alms hall) where all food preparation took place for some 4,000 monks. A massive stone trough in which all the cooked rice was kept - hence its alternative name office canoe"- is the main feature. A smaller trough is where the hathmaluwa (a curry made of seven vegetables) was served.
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This is barely a taste of what there is to see in Anuradhapura. Other sites worthy of a visit include the beautiful moonstones that depict the four steps to obtain nirvana, the peaceful Samadhi Buddha statue, Abhayagiri Dagoba, Thuparama Dagoba, Mirisaweti Dagoba, and the Twin Ponds (Kuttam Pokuna). The list really is endless.
Please remember Anuradhapura's Sacred Precinct is exactly that, so please be respectful (clothing and behavior especially) while visiting. Although it is very hot to explore, sleeveless tops and shorts are not appreciated. You may not be allowed to enter some sites if you are not considerate of these factors.