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"Anuradhapura” The Birthplace of
Sinhala Civilization"
The Sri Mahabodhi Tree
It is hard to believe; but without a shadow of doubt—that this small tree with limbs so slender that they must be supported on iron crutches, is the oldest historically authenticated tree in the world (2,200 years).
A branch of the very Bo beneath which (at Buddha Gaya in North India) the Buddha himself found Enlightenment, was brought to Sri Lanka in the 3rd Century B.C. by the Princess/religieuse Sanghamitta; a sister of the saint Mahinda.
It has never since been without its hereditary attendants and the care, to the very end, of the country’s kings. As lately as the reign of the last of them (Sri Vikrama Rajasingha, whom the British captured and deported); a wall was built by royal command to repair the platform on which it grows. In 1966 it was enclosed in a golden railing
Ruwanweli Dagaba
The Mahathupa (Great Thupa) is today known as the Ruvanveliseya Dagaba. This is the centre piece of The Maha vihara (Great Monastery).
The Maha vihara, because of it's long history of guarding the traditions of Theravada Buddhism, and because its monks kept the most sacred shrines at Anuradhapura, was the most important monastery of the city.
Although not it's true height and original form, the fine white Ruvanveliseya Dagaba, guarded by a 'wall of elephants', still looks magnificent.
A dagaba or thupa (relic chamber), is a dome which is built over sacred relics, the bodily remains of the Buddha. King Duttha Gamini had already built the Mirisavati and his magnificent Brazen Palace, but he wanted something bigger and better for his greatest work.
It is said that this cost the king 6.4 million coins in wages, and that the workers received food and clothing and a considerable 'extras' for the work.
On top of this beautiful 'bubble' shaped Mahathupa was a ruby as big as a man's fist, and today the Burmese people have donated a rock crystal, which is 2 feet high (60cm) to replace it.
The Thuparama Dagaba
The Thuparama was the first Buddhist building at Anuradhapura. It was built by King Devanampiya Tissa to enshrine the Buddha’s collar bone.
Originally of the “paddy heap” shape, its present “bell” shape dates to reconstruction in the 1840s. The graceful monolithic pillars surrounding it once upheld a circular roof making the shrine a Vata Dage (Circular—Relic—house) a characteristically Sinhala architectural feature.
The Samadhi Buddha
Samadhi is a state of deep meditation, and the Lord Buddha is represented in this position after gaining enlightenment.
This 4th Century AD statue of the Buddha in meditative pose is acknowledged worldwide as a masterpiece. The Indian Nationalist leader, Nehru, derived strength from contemplating his statue, during his imprisonment by the British.
The Mirisavati Dagaba
King Duttha Gamini celebrated the seventh day after his victory with a water festival at the Tissa tank. Nearby on the shore he planted his spear (the King’s spear, generally containing a Relic of the Buddha, was the royal standard in battle) and laid his clothes.
Here he built his first Dagaba, enshrining in it his spear with its Relic—in expiation, as he himself explained, of his impiety in having once eaten a relish (miris) “without a thought of the Brotherhood”. The Vahalkadas (frontispieces) are particularly striking.
Major archaeological research, conservation and excavations are being conducted in Anuradhapura by the Archaeological Department and UNESCO in a project known as the ‘Cultural Triangle’.
Kuttam Pokuna
The twin ponds are a magnificent example of landscape architecture built on a grand scale. The ponds are in fact not twins at all, pond (b) being longer by 40 feet than pond (a). The stone molding of the baths and the flights of steps leading to the water are graceful and austere, but above all natural. Apart from their beauty, the twin ponds are very functional. Water which is fed through an inlet is cleaned and purified several times over; before the cool water gushes out into the pond through a lions-head spout.
Besides this spout is a Naga stone, perhaps the best in Sri Lanka. The water eventually drains away from pond (b).
The Abhayagiri Monastery
Established by King Vattagamini in 88 BC, the Uttravihara (Northern Monastery) is now known as the Abhayagiri Monastery. This was a result of the King being jeered by a Jain hermit, while fleeing from from the South Indians, after losing his throne. He spent 14 years 'in the wilderness'.
When he returned to power, he destroyed the Jain Monastery, and around the the Jotiya shrine, he built a Buddhist monastery.
It was the largest monastery in Sri Lanka for about 600 years. It housed 5000 monks in its grounds of more than 500 acres (235 hectares), and was at the time the most powerful institution in the country after the king.
Here in the grounds of the Abhayagiri you will see some of the most beautiful architecture and sculpture in Anuradhapura. Since the chronicle of the Northern Monastery has not survived. and the Great Chronicle does not devote much space to it's rival monastery (the Great chronicle was written by an orthodox Maha vihara monk - the monks of the Abhayagiri were labeled as 'Heretics').
The Abhayagiri Dagaba itself was the work of King Gajabahu (114 - 136). and it reached a height of 370 feet (115m), and although rather smaller than the Jetavana dagaba, was the second largest stupa in the world. It is one of the eight holy shrines of the Buddhists.
Loha Prasada - The Brazen Palace
A roof of copper over this primordial skyscraper bestowed upon it, its name. This work of Duttha Gamini is known to have burned down only 15 years after its building; which leads to the surmise that it was largely a wooden structure.
The 1,600 pillars (40 x 40) that now mark the site are historically ascribed to king Parakrama Bahu the Great (1153—1186 A.D.) of Polonnaruwa. The original building was of 9 graded stories and is said to have had one thousand rooms.
