Anuradhapura

Anuradhapura Kingdom is about one thousand and five hundred years old from 380BC.This city has served off as the capital of the Sinhalese Kingdom until ca. 1100 A.D.It is said that this city was designed by a person called Anuradha and considered as one of the best city designs in the region even today.There You will find lots of remains of castles,ponds and even temples.This is a popular destination of Sinhalese Buddhist's prilgimages because of its many ancient Buddhist monuments.
Futher you will find some of the most famous "dageba" including the tallest dageba in Srilanka,The Sri Maha Bodhi, a holey Bo-tree of Budhiest people is also situated in anuradhapura. This tree was grown from a sapling of the very tree under which more than 2500 years ago the Buddha found enlightenment.

There is many things that are worth seeing in Anuradhapura...

Ruwanveli Seya
Popularly regarded as the greatest, and certainly the most popular among the Buddhists,which is the oldest and tallest stupa at Anuradhapura, build by the pride of the Great Emperor Dutugamunu Raised in the 2nd century B.C.This dageba is supposed to have the perfect water bubble shape. Among the many statues in the courtyard there is one that is of a larger-than-life man. This is considered to be the king himself watching his work from a respectable distance.The ruins of this dageba is completely restored and painted in white, many Buddist people come here to worship Ruwanweliseya daily and it is situated very close to Sri Maha Bodhi, There was a roof for the stupa earlier, as well as four smaller stupas in the four corners of the complex. Please be respectful of the worshipers at the site.

Aukana Buddha
What may be called one of the wonders of the world is the tall, standing statue of the Buddha at Aukana, another architectural marvel of the ancient Sinhalese. The rock cut statue which stands 39 feet above its decorated lotus plinth and 10 feet across the shoulders, belongs to the period of King Dhatusena (459-477 AD), the builder of the great reservoir Kalawewa. It has been very well preserved over the years and is a joy for anyone to see and appreciate. It is a unique creation by an unknown sculptor.Not far from Avukana, just seven miles away as the crow flies, is another tall statue at Sasseruva. The two statues are believed to have been the work of a ‘guru - gola’ (master and pupil) team. There is an interesting tale behind the construction of the two statues. The completion of either masterpiece was to be signalled by the ringing of a bell.
The master and pupil got down to the job of finishing the statues furiously and one fine day the sound of the bell was heard. The master had completed the statue at Avukana. The unfinished Sasseruva statue remains at the site of an ancient cave monastery. Though virtually the same height as the Avukana statue, the other does not have the same finish as Avukana.

Mihinthale
The temple of Mihintale is where Thero Mahinda, the son of Great Indian Emperor Asoka introduced Buddihism to the king of Sri Lanka Thissa.
Mahinda's sister Theri Sangamitta carried a off shoot of the the ', the holy Bo tree that gave shelter to Buddha to attain Nibbana. Sri Maha Bodhi' The Bo tree was planted at Anuradhapura, where it still grows as the oldest tree with a recorded history in the world.

Abhayagiri Stupa and Monastery
Abhayagiri is the largest monastery complex in the Anuradhapura kingdom. Founded in the second century BC by king Valagamba(also known as Vattagamini Abhaya) was an international institution by the first century AD.
Covering an area of 200ha the monastery include full components of a Buddhist temple as well as other buildings. The stupa at Abhayagiri is 108m tall and one of the tallest brick buildings of the ancient world.
The finest Buddha sculpture in Sri Lanka the Samadhi Statue (3- century AD) is among its many fine stone carvings.

Jethawana Monastery
The monastery complex is built where it is believed to be the cremation grounds of the Mahinda Thera who introduced Buddhism to Sri Lanka. Founded by King Mahasena (276-303AD) the stupa at 120m high was the third tallest monument in the world at the time of the fall of Roman Empire.
Ritigala
A beautifully paved footpath, several elevated platforms, ruins of an old hospital and remains of a terraced pond are what is unearthed at this 180 BC Buddhist monastery at the foothill of 600m high Ritigala Rock. Dating back to around 350 B.C is one of the oldest historical places mentioned in the ancient chronicles. (about 50km south east of Anuradhapura)

Isurumuniya Lovers
Isurumuniya temple built in the 3rd century B.C. is noted for its rock carvings. The best known among these is the "Lovers". Many a poet and song writer has taken inspiration from this carving to write their masterpieces. It is believed that the carving may represent Saliya the son of the great king Dutugamunu and the low-caste maiden whom he loved.

Anuradhapura Kingdom is about one thousand and five hundred years old from 380BC.This city has served off as the capital of the Sinhalese Kingdom until ca. 1100 A.D.It is said that this city was designed by a person called Anuradha and considered as one of the best city designs in the region even today.There You will find lots of remains of castles,ponds and even temples.This is a popular destination of Sinhalese Buddhist's prilgimages because of its many ancient Buddhist monuments.
Futher you will find some of the most famous "dageba" including the tallest dageba in Srilanka,The Sri Maha Bodhi, a holey Bo-tree of Budhiest people is also situated in anuradhapura. This tree was grown from a sapling of the very tree under which more than 2500 years ago the Buddha found enlightenment.

There is many things that are worth seeing in Anuradhapura...

Ruwanveli Seya
Popularly regarded as the greatest, and certainly the most popular among the Buddhists,which is the oldest and tallest stupa at Anuradhapura, build by the pride of the Great Emperor Dutugamunu Raised in the 2nd century B.C.This dageba is supposed to have the perfect water bubble shape. Among the many statues in the courtyard there is one that is of a larger-than-life man. This is considered to be the king himself watching his work from a respectable distance.The ruins of this dageba is completely restored and painted in white, many Buddist people come here to worship Ruwanweliseya daily and it is situated very close to Sri Maha Bodhi, There was a roof for the stupa earlier, as well as four smaller stupas in the four corners of the complex. Please be respectful of the worshipers at the site.

Aukana Buddha
What may be called one of the wonders of the world is the tall, standing statue of the Buddha at Aukana, another architectural marvel of the ancient Sinhalese. The rock cut statue which stands 39 feet above its decorated lotus plinth and 10 feet across the shoulders, belongs to the period of King Dhatusena (459-477 AD), the builder of the great reservoir Kalawewa. It has been very well preserved over the years and is a joy for anyone to see and appreciate. It is a unique creation by an unknown sculptor.Not far from Avukana, just seven miles away as the crow flies, is another tall statue at Sasseruva. The two statues are believed to have been the work of a ‘guru - gola’ (master and pupil) team. There is an interesting tale behind the construction of the two statues. The completion of either masterpiece was to be signalled by the ringing of a bell.
The master and pupil got down to the job of finishing the statues furiously and one fine day the sound of the bell was heard. The master had completed the statue at Avukana. The unfinished Sasseruva statue remains at the site of an ancient cave monastery. Though virtually the same height as the Avukana statue, the other does not have the same finish as Avukana.

Mihinthale
The temple of Mihintale is where Thero Mahinda, the son of Great Indian Emperor Asoka introduced Buddihism to the king of Sri Lanka Thissa.
Mahinda's sister Theri Sangamitta carried a off shoot of the the ', the holy Bo tree that gave shelter to Buddha to attain Nibbana. Sri Maha Bodhi' The Bo tree was planted at Anuradhapura, where it still grows as the oldest tree with a recorded history in the world.

Abhayagiri Stupa and Monastery
Abhayagiri is the largest monastery complex in the Anuradhapura kingdom. Founded in the second century BC by king Valagamba(also known as Vattagamini Abhaya) was an international institution by the first century AD.
Covering an area of 200ha the monastery include full components of a Buddhist temple as well as other buildings. The stupa at Abhayagiri is 108m tall and one of the tallest brick buildings of the ancient world.
The finest Buddha sculpture in Sri Lanka the Samadhi Statue (3- century AD) is among its many fine stone carvings.

Jethawana Monastery
The monastery complex is built where it is believed to be the cremation grounds of the Mahinda Thera who introduced Buddhism to Sri Lanka. Founded by King Mahasena (276-303AD) the stupa at 120m high was the third tallest monument in the world at the time of the fall of Roman Empire.
Ritigala
A beautifully paved footpath, several elevated platforms, ruins of an old hospital and remains of a terraced pond are what is unearthed at this 180 BC Buddhist monastery at the foothill of 600m high Ritigala Rock. Dating back to around 350 B.C is one of the oldest historical places mentioned in the ancient chronicles. (about 50km south east of Anuradhapura)

Isurumuniya Lovers
Isurumuniya temple built in the 3rd century B.C. is noted for its rock carvings. The best known among these is the "Lovers". Many a poet and song writer has taken inspiration from this carving to write their masterpieces. It is believed that the carving may represent Saliya the son of the great king Dutugamunu and the low-caste maiden whom he loved.