Holy city of Anuradhapura. Sights of Anuradhapura - the old city. The ruins of the complex Toluwila (Toluwila Ruins)

Anuradhapura. Photo credit: Joseph Clerici, Flick

Modern Anuradhapura consists of two parts - the Old City and the New City. 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 grounds of the ancient Abhayagiri monastery located in the northern part of the city and admire the royal gardens and the original architecture of the Isurumuniya temple built into the rock in the south of the city.
• Take a day trip to Mihintala, one of the most sacred places in 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 the 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 buy tickets).

The best way to explore the old city is 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

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. Whether this is somehow connected with Buddhism (there is a small functioning temple in the middle between the stupas) or just a natural place of power, 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 of the 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, the diameter is 90 m. Almost nothing remains of the original appearance. 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.

And again we are glad to see you on the pages. Today, having left the north of Sri Lanka, namely, we set off towards sacred Anuradhapura city with many ancient monuments of cultural heritage, it is also called old town, from where in 1950 all the inhabitants were relocated to a new part of the city. And since we are not too rich travelers, we will share with you the story of how we managed to see all the sights for free.

Bus: Anuradhapura can be reached by bus in 5 hours (it comes to the bus station in the New City).

• Option 1 - after the airport in Colombo we get to the airport bus station (on foot, “tuk-tuk”). There is no direct bus from this station to Anuradhapura, but from there you can get to Colombo itself and transfer there to a direct bus number 5.
• Option 2 - get to the bus station in Negombo, transfer to the bus to Anuradhapura or to Kurenegala (Kurunegala) where you can again transfer to another bus. The direct bus goes through Puttalam. You can also get with a change through Kandy, Matale, Kurunegala (Kurunegala).

Deciding to try public transport, we took a bus from Jaffna for 100 rupees (26 rubles).

Having reached the town of Kilinochi (from Kilinochi to Anuradhapura 144 km), we already hitchhiked, but you can use the train (280 rupees per person).

How to get to the holy city of Anuradhapura for free.

Since we got up early, we still had a lot of time left to hitchhike to the desired point and see more sights. In principle, all the most interesting of the city is located on one large territory, where a single entrance ticket costs 3200 rupees (800 rubles) or $25. After all, we still did not know how many passes on attractions are, although I heard, in some cases very overpriced. And it's not at all that Sri Lanka has the most unique sights in all of Asia, it's just that the policy of the state here is too greedy for money.

Naturally, paying such crazy money for a couple of stupas is too “stupid”, so we went around the territory a little to the side and climbed over a low fence. The first stop was a 120 meter stupa Jetavanarama, located on the ruins of Jetavana monastery.

Well, yes, a big, big stupa, of which we have seen enough in, differs from the rest only in that it is considered the largest in Sri Lanka. And it is necessary, it is not even stipulated, that it keeps a fragment of some “detail” of the Buddha. This time it's part of his belt.

In principle, even a little impressive in size, and for me personally, it seemed the most interesting attraction of Anuradhapura than all the other archaeological sites of the old city.

To get to the second stupa, we had to go through the secondary ticket control, which we, of course, did not suspect.

The guard, seeing two large backpacks from afar, immediately jumped up and waved his arms at us. Andrei did not even look in his direction, passing on, I followed his example. The guard, taken aback by our impudence, left his place and in three jumps appeared in front of us, blocking the way and shouting “Ticket! Ticket! I silently shifted my gaze to Andrei, who looked at the guard with a stupid look and, in turn, also waved his hands at him, pretending to be a deaf-mute. The uniformed man's face slowly stretched out and froze for a few seconds. I almost spoiled everything with the desire to laugh when I saw his confused look. Still in shock, he automatically pointed his finger in my direction, hoping that maybe I was "normal". However, I repeated the same "concert", smiling guiltily at the same time. This finally "finished off" the guard, waving his hand, he missed our smiling grateful faces further.

Picnic at the Ruvanvalisaya stupa.

Having walked forward a few meters, we allowed ourselves to have fun from the heart. In order not to run into another employee of the holy city of Anuradhapura, we walked around a large white stupa Ruvanvalisaya on the side.

I would say that it was from here that the best view of it opened.

Another "masterpiece" of Sri Lankan architecture is also known as Mahathupa, Swarnamali and Ratnamali Dagaba.

Here we temporarily left our backpacks to rest in the shade of the trees, sway on the long springy branches like monkeys, and stare at the birds.

By the way, there were enough monkeys here too, I can’t stand them since childhood.

We were not approached and okay.

Acquaintance at the sacred tree Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi (Sri Maha Bodhi).

After a rest, the hike continued to the sacred tree Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, grown from the shoot of the same one under which enlightenment descended on the Buddha. Got it along the way Lovamahapaya (Lovamahapaya)- a building formed in ancient times by 40 rows, each of which contains 40 stone columns, which is a total of 1600 columns. The remains of the latter (and maybe a remake) can be seen right in front of the palace.

Suddenly, a young foreigner appeared in front of me, who greeted me in good English and asked where I was from. What else could I say if not the truth. The guy was from Germany, for the first time he got out of his country and somehow his choice fell on Sri Lanka. He asked where we were staying, noticing two backpacks next to me. He obviously lacked company, perhaps he hoped to join us. I said that we are hitchhikers and sleep in a tent or with locals. At first he was interested in this, and he even squatted down opposite me, but after a few of my stories, he realized that it was unlikely that we were on the way, saying goodbye as quickly as he appeared.

By that time, Andrey had finished examining the sacred plant behind the fence, and answered my questions briefly: “a tree is like a tree, nothing special. The fence is only fenced off from particularly curious eyes and mischievous hands.

The last attraction of Anuradhapura is the Mirisaveti Stupa.

Before leaving the old part of the sacred city of Anuradhapura, Andrey decided to turn to the next stupa Mirisaveti (Mirisaveti Stupa), built on the site of a scepter with relics of the same Buddha.

There was nothing else to do in the city, and we went in search of a bus to the nearest one, 16 km before which we paid 35 rupees (9 rubles). Where we had dinner and found shelter in one of the churches that accidentally remained open all night, but you will learn about these details a little later. Stay with us, subscribe to the blog news and don't forget to share your pleasant impressions of what you read with your friends through the social buttons below :).

general information

The city of Anuradhapura was founded by Prince Anuradha in 500 BC. e. In the 3rd century, Shanghamitta planted a Buddha fig tree here - the “tree of enlightenment”. The city prospered until 993, when the capital was moved to Polonnaruwa.

The sights of the city hidden for many centuries in the jungle are Aukana Buddha and the Guardian Stone in Thuparam. The 13-meter granite Buddha, carved in the 5th century, is said to be made with such precision that drops of rainwater falling on the tip of his nose flow down to the ground exactly between the big toes. The guardian stone at Thuparam is said to contain one of the collarbones of the Buddha.

Of great interest is the place where Thero Mahinda, the son of the Indian emperor Ashoka, proclaimed Buddhism the main religion of Sri Lanka - it is marked with the revered Bo tree, as well as Ruvanveli Seiya, considered the largest stupa in the world, erected in the 2nd century BC. They say that this structure is shaped like an ideal bubble that forms on the water during rain.

Today Anuradhapura is, in essence, two cities: modern, well-planned, shady, cozy, and ancient, famous for its monuments. The distance between the monuments of Anuradhapura is much greater than in Polonnaruwa, so you will need a taxi or at least a bicycle to see them.

Modern Anuradhapura is surrounded by three ancient reservoirs: Tisa Veva and Basavakkulama Veva are located in the west, and Nuwara Veva is in the east. Of all the monuments of the past, they are the least affected by time. Sri Maha Bodhi, the sacred Bo tree, grows in the center of the old city. Like the tooth of the Buddha kept in Kandy, this tree is one of the most revered Buddhist shrines. After adopting Buddhism, Devanampiya Tissa asked the Indian ruler Ashoka for a branch of the sacred tree under which Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment. Ashoka sent a branch, and a new tree was carefully grown from its cutting. Currently, the Bo tree in Anuradhapura is considered the oldest on earth: it is more than 22 centuries old. However, it still looks quite strong and healthy. A platform was built around the tree with a stone staircase leading to it, at the base of which there is a golden sculpture depicting the planting of a cutting. Believers first bow to her, and then go up to the platform to pray to the tree itself.

Nearby you will see one of the most mysterious places in Anuradhapura. Once there was the majestic palace of Loha Prasada, from which 1600 gray monolithic columns, set in 40 parallel rows, 40 columns each, have survived to this day. Some columns were barbarously destroyed or removed from their places during the restoration carried out at the beginning of the 20th century. The palace was built during the reign of Devanampiya Tissa (250-210 BC) to receive Indian messengers who brought a sacred branch from the Bo tree.

Dagobas in Anuradhapura are quite numerous, they are the best preserved evidence of the former greatness of the city. These structures are distinguished by their beauty and magnificent architecture, so it is not surprising that they are among the most significant Buddhist monuments not only in Sri Lanka, but throughout the world. The height of the Abhayagiri dagoba, or "Dagoba of the Mountain of Fearlessness", is 100 m.

It was built by the ruler Valagamabahu in 89 BC. e., just after the repulse of the Indian invasion. Even older is the massive white da-goba of Ruvanveliseya, which is not inferior to Abhayagiri in height. Its construction began under the monarch Duthagamani. (161-137 BC), and ended after his death, during the reign of his brother Saddhatissa (137-119 BC).

The oldest dagoba of Anuradhapura, and of the entire island, is Thuparama, located just north of the Ruvanveliseya dagoba. Its height is only 19 m, it is perhaps the smallest cult building in Anuradhapura, but it surpasses the rest in importance. Dagoba Thuparama was erected in 249 BC. Devanampiya Tissa to commemorate his conversion to Buddhism. It is believed that the right clavicle of the Buddha and the dish from which he ate were kept in the dagoba. These items are gifts to a convert from the Indian ruler Ashoka. It is not surprising that the Thuparam dagoba enjoys special reverence and is an object of pilgrimage. The Dagobah is shaped like a bell and surrounded by four rows of stone columns. Stairs lead to it, decorated with skillfully executed bas-reliefs and statues.

The Jetavana Dagoba, on the northern border of the old city, cannot be compared in holiness with the Thuparam Dagoba, it deserves attention because it is the largest in Sri Lanka: its height is 120 m and its diameter is 112 m. The construction of this dagoba dates back to the reign of Mahasena (274-301) .

South of the sacred Bo tree and slightly east of the Tissa Veva reservoir is the grandiose rock monastery of Issaramuniya Vihara. Several monastic premises are located outside the caves. A small museum at the entrance to the cave exhibits bas-reliefs that are considered the best in Anuradhapura. Some of them depict members of royal families who lived in different eras. The most famous bas-relief - "Lovers" (IV-V centuries). Presumably, it depicts either a warrior with his beloved, or a divine couple. The bas-relief is made in the Indian gupta style.

Although the dagobas erected by the rulers have survived to one degree or another to this day, we, unfortunately, cannot say the same about their residences. Only the remains of Mahasepa's palaces have survived. (301-328) and Vijayabahu I (1055-1110) . The magnificent moonstone, once located in front of Mahasena's palace, today attracts the attention of tourists, but almost nothing remains of the past luxury and grandeur of the palace. Entrance is paid or with a single ticket to the "Cultural Triangle".

Neighborhood of Anuradhapura

Mihintale

About 12 km east of Anuradhapura, near Highway 12 leading to Trincomalee, is the ancient temple of Mihintale, highly revered by the Buddhists of Sri Lanka. The temple was founded in 247 BC. when Mahinda converted the ruler of Anuradhapura to Buddhism.

Mihintale is located on top of a giant granite rock. Numerous stairs lead to the temple. To get to it, believers have to overcome 1840 steps, so the pilgrimage here can be compared to a mountain climb. On the way up, you will see the ruined hospital and the temple of Kantaka Chetiya, dating from about 240 BC. e. But the main monuments of Mihintale are at the top of the cliff: these are two dazzling white dagobas - Ambastale and Mahaseya - surrounded by coconut palms and rock ledges. From the top of the cliff, a fabulous view opens up. There is also a small museum here - with frescoes, fragments of ancient ceramics and bronze figures. Paid entrance.

Aukana Buddha

It is difficult to get here by car, but you can walk from the Aukana station, getting off the train from Colombo to Trincomalee. The main local attraction is the 12-meter statue of Aukan Buddha, dating back to the 5th century. The statue is carved from solid stone (it can be seen that the back is literally fused with the rock). This is perhaps the most elegant image of the Buddha of all existing in Sri Lanka. The Buddha is depicted in the ashiva mudra position, that is, blessing. The word "aucana" means "feeding on the sun", and indeed dawn is the best time to view and photograph the statue. If you have your own transport, then in Kekirava (Kekirawa) exit route 9 and follow the narrow country road through Kalaveva to Aukana (Kalawewa). You will have to drive about 11 km. Paid entrance.

Yapahuwa (Yapahuwa)

The ancient rock fortress of Yapahuwa resembles Sigiriya, but is inferior to it in size. The fortress was built in the 13th century. and served as the residence and main stronghold of the ruler of Bhuvanekabahu I, who more than once repelled invasions from South India. Currently, you can climb a steep, ornate staircase to the platform where the temple once stood. It was in it that the sacred tooth of the Buddha was originally placed, but then it was transferred to the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy. On the platform you can see some magnificent bas-reliefs, and the view from here is truly wonderful. Like Aukana, Yapahuvu is difficult to reach by private transport. The fortress is located 4 km from Maho station (maho) on the railway line Colombo - Anuradhapura. If you still decide to go by car, then choose highway 28, between Kurunegalla and Anuradhapura. Paid entrance.

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.
In Sri Lanka, transport links between cities are well developed, and there are options that vary in budget and speed. The cheapest option is to take 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. 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 goes to the old one, it's more organized, platforms and all. Buses for long distances 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 anywhere 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.

Landmarks 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 many langurs and palm squirrels appeared on the territory of the temple complex.

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 Insurmuniya is the 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 this is the oldest tree on Earth. 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.

Dagoba Ruanveli.
Behind the Sri Maha Bodhi tree is a wide alley. We walked along it to the dagoba Ruanveli. A huge white stupa, like Mirissaveti. It is considered the largest and oldest dagoba of Anuradhapura. Around it, in a single ensemble, there are 4 small stupas and a small temple with a reclining Buddha, inside which the monk told some story to the parishioners.

Thuparamaya Dagoba.
We approached this most beautiful dagoba, surrounded by pillars and small altars, already in the dark. Inside the Thuparamaya dagoba, a piece of the body of the Buddha himself is kept. Despite its modest size, this is one of the most beautiful stupas I have ever seen.

Jetavana Dagoba.
We did not get to this huge brick mortar. Night fell and they saw her only from afar. Tooker drove us as close as possible to take a photo, but without a tripod it was impossible. During the evening we saw so many dagobas that I think we didn’t lose anything.

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 locals prefer to eat pineapples 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 ...