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| Jetavana Dagoba |
Anuradhapura and the city of Polonnaruwa are the vitally important "must
visit" twin tourist attractions of Sri Lanka Holidays Cultural
Triangle.
Anuradhapura, the greatest monastic city of
the ancient world that date from the middle of the 5th century B.C.
remained the proud seat of kingdom of Sri Lanka until the 11th century
A.D. Today
Anuradhapura, a UNESCO World Heritage Site,
is replete with renovated monuments, restored edifices, preserved ruins
and historical sites where the archeological excavations are still being
continued. Today, Sri Lanka Holidays foreign tourists and local
tourists, who tour
Anuradhapura, are simply unable to witness everything
Anuradhapura
has to offer, within the confines of a single day as Sri Lanka Tours
have been cram-programmed. However the major attractions of
Anuradhapura can be visited in a single day.
Anuradhapura was the cradle of glorious Sinhalese Buddhist civilization. The pride of place in
Anuradhapura
was taken by the ancient stupas and ancient reservoirs. Towering stupas
(dagobas) of stupendous domes, the marvels of ancient civil
engineering, were built having taken into the account the effects of
lightening on high rise constructions, among numerous other engineering
factors. The vast rainwater reservoirs built by crossing rivers with
enormous dams and controlling the outlets with "Bisokotuwa" (Sinhala:
Queens enclosure-no entry, of course) valve pits (sluice gate), extend
lifeline to
Anuradhapura district to date.
Among the other tourist attractions at
Anuradhapura
are magnificent rock carvings of monumental richness and remarkable
grace; colossal stone pillars that stand proud amidst the ruins of royal
palaces, Buddhist monasteries and temples; magnificent stone cut
swimming pools of sophisticated hydrology.
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| Thuparama Dagoba |
The splendors of ancient
Anuradhapura was narrated in great length by Fa-Hien, the famous Chinese Buddhist scholar pilgrim, who spent two years in
Anuradhapura
copying the Vinaya Pitakaya (Sinhala: Book of Discipline) of Theravada
Buddhism at the end of the 4th century. The Roman historian Gaius
Plinius Secundus (23 AD - August 25, 79 AD) has recorded the
descriptions of the city of
Anuradhapura made by Annius Plocamus, who had visited
Anuradhapura during the reign of Sinhalese King Sadamuhunu (Chanda-Mukha-Siva) (44 AD- 52 AD).
Sir William Colebrooke narrates of
Anuradhapura
"I saw here here ornamented capitals and balustrades, and bas reliefs of
animals and foliage. I cannot better express my opinion of their
elegance than by saying that, had I seen them in a museum, I should,
without hesitation, have pronounced them to be Grecian or of Grecian
descent. One semicircular slab, at the foot of a staircase, is carved in
a pattern of foliage which I have repeatedly seen in works of Greek and
Roman origin.
This flourishing state of art proves wealth and taste, and there are
enormous conical buildings of brick, called Dagobas, whose Egyptian
dimensions and durability show that they must have been built by a
numerous and laborious race. The immense tanks, of which I saw the
ruins, and by which the country was irrigated, were the cause of its
permanent fertility so long as they were kept in repair." Colebrooke,
Sir William Macbean George (17871870), 1832
Life-line: Great Ancient Man-made Lakes (Rainwater Reservoirs)
Renovated Stupas, Ruins of Stupas, Monasteries & Temples.
We mustn't fail to see:
Glorious Ruwanweliseya Stupa, Serene Samadhi
Buddha Statue, Enormous
Jetavana Dagoba,
Isurumuniya Rock Temple,
Sacred
Sri Maha bodhi tree.
Sri Lanka's northwest
Sri Lanka's northwest (of which
Anuradhapura is a major city) also
known as the dry zone is arid, rolling, open country coloured in shades
of dusty brown earth and golden ripening rice fields. Farming here
depends on artificial irrigation, and the countryside is dotted with
great ancient artificial reservoirs to retain rainwater and allow crops
to thrive through the dry season.
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| Ruwanweliseya Stupa |
Three great rainwater reservoirs & River Malwatu
The ancient city of
Anuradhapura is surrounded by three great
man-made lakes, Nuwara Wewa reservoir to the east & Tissa Wewa reservoir
together with Basawakkulama Wewa reservoir to the west with two
directions of the city being defined by River Malwatu Oya that flows
through it. We have
Anuradhapura new town to the east of the river &
sacred ancient city to the west of the river. It cannot get any better.
History of Anuradhapura (WHS)
From the origins as a settlement by Minister Anuradha in the 6th
century BC,
Anuradhapura was developed at a rapid pace & was made the
capital of the island by King Pandukhabaya (437-366 BC), who took a leaf
out of the book of King Abhaya (474 BC), the builder of the first
rainwater reservoir of Lanka. King Pandukhabhaya commenced the
irrigation schemes in a larger scale providing the lifeline to the
fledging Aryan civilization of the Sinhalese. By the mid-3rd century BC
Anuradhapura's fame for the excellence of its temple art and palace
architecture, the ingenuity and skill of its irrigation engineers, noble
elephants, precious gems, fine spices and its military prowess had
spread as far as the Roman-Hellenistic world.
The greatest monastic city of the ancient world
It was not only one of the most stable & durable political power &
urban life in South Asia, but also the greatest monastic city of the
ancient world, the cradle of the island's temporal & spiritual power.
The city attained its highest magnificence in the beginning of the
Christian era. At the height of its glory,
Anuradhapura ranked beside
Nineveh & Babylon in its colossal proportions - its four walls, each 26
km long, enclosing an area of 663 sq. km - in the number of its
inhabitants, & the splendour of its Buddhist shrines & public edifices.
The Stupas second only to great pyramids of Khufru & Khafra at Gizeh
The temples & monumental dagobas, amongst greatest architectural
feats of its age, have been surpassed only in scale by the great
pyramids of Khufru & Khafra at Gizeh.
Jetavana Dagoba,
Abayagiri Stupa
&
Ruwanweliseya Stupa.
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| Sri Maha Bodhi Temple |
Crowning glory: Agricultural prosperity
Together with stupas, temples & monasteries of Buddhism, the crowning
glory surfaced: irrigation. Colossal rainwater reservoirs were
constructed by way of man power & at once the bulldozer & bulldog of the
nation, elephant. With the concept of saving rainwater by means of
reservoirs, the island became self-sufficient in rice, the staple diet
of the Sinhalese. Almost all of these tanks have been restored & even to
date provide the lifeline to farmers, the irrigation of the province.
Great man-made rainwater reservoirs
Sri Lanka Holidays
Anuradhapura
is of enormous irrigation and hydraulic achievements. Nuwara Wawe (7 km
across) to the east, Tissa Wewa (spanning 65 hectares) &
Baswakkulama Wewa to the west constructed to preserve the monsoon rains,
supplemented with a system of sluices (valve-pit) (Bisokotuwa) were put
in place to feed the thousands of smaller reservoirs that were built in
the concept of "Ellangawa" (cascade of water) to keep the rice paddies
productive. In the numerous minor irrigation networks, the systems
provide water for irrigation, for domestic use & livestock, wildlife
& recharge of groundwater while enhancing the village environment:
multiple dimensions of the value of water.
Basawakkulama Wewa reservoir spreading an area of 205 acres today was
built by King Pandukhabaya [437-367 BC]. In the ancient time this
reservoir was called Abhayavava. Tissa weva reservoir built by King
Devanpiya Tissa [307-267 BC] could had been a smaller tank in the
beginning. However it is believed, in the fifth century Basawakkulama
Wewa reservoir was enlarged to accommodate waters of vast Kalavava [Kala
Weva] reservoir built by King Dathusena [461-479 AD], father of Sigiri
Kassapa or Kashyapa [479-497 AD], the builder of Sri Lanka Holidays
Sigiriya Lion Rock Citadel. Nuwara Wewe reservoir, which was called
Nakaravavai in the ancient times, was built by King Gajabahu [113-135
AD].
The world's first hospitals for the animals as well as to the humans:
the gentle sway of Buddhism
The gentle sway of Buddhism, the concept of tolerance & doctrine of
compassion, led the Sinhalese to build the world's first hospitals. The
respect of right to life of all living beings, inherent in Buddhism, was
to become a cornerstone of the Aryan Sinhalese civilization.
Agricultural prosperity brought in by ingenious irrigation
engineering resulted in 1300 years of grandeur of the city of
Anuradhapura, the mass of Roman coins found in excavations testifying to
the city's fame that spread to Greece & Rome. The idea of Taprobane (Sri
Lanka) as a utopia, which was to become commonplace among Roman writers,
occurs first in Artemidorus of Ephesus (104-101 B.C) (as cited Pliny N.
H. V11 2.30)
By the 1st century AD, the island had established trade and diplomatic
links with China. The Jetavana treasures, unearthed over the past 20
years (some are now displayed in the Jetavanarama Museum, on site) show
evidence of these links to east and west.
The social fabric of the kingdom
Anuradhapura was home to thousands of Bhikkus (buddhist monks)
served by a large peasant & merchant population. Chinese Buddhist
pilgrim Fa-Hsien, who came in search of Buddhist text in Anurdhapura as
Buddhism was already in decline in India, had recorded the splendor of
the city. He narrated that there were two major segments, namely wealthy
merchants of Indian, Mediterranean & Persian origin & Sinhalese nobles
living in richly adorned houses & city dwellers who were engaged in
agriculture.
Marauding Dravidian invaders from South India
Yet the glory itself brought about the downfall of the great city.
During more than a millennium of its history, countless South Indian
invasions with a view to kill & plunder, laid waste to the land leading
to its destruction. Marauding Dravidian forces of Rajaraja Chola of
Southern India racked & ruined the great city in the 9th century AD. The
Sinhalese capital then moved to Polonnaruwa. Although attempts were made
to preserve its monuments following the overthrow and expulsion of the
marauding Dravidians,
Anuradhapura was never restored to its former
glory since the kingdom was subsequently shifted to
Polonnaruwa.
Survival of the fittest
As at Polonnaruwa,
Anuradhapura's secular buildings were built partly or
entirely of wood, which has not survived the centuries, whereas the
giant dagobas, made entirely of earth, brick and stone, still stand
intact..
A sapling of the sacred Bo tree (Peepal) (
Ficus religiosa) in
the shelter of which Prince Siddhartha Gauthama attained supreme
enlightenment & became Buddha was brought to Sri Lanka by Buddhist nun
Sanagamitta, as a gift from her father, the Mauryan Emperor Asoka in the
3rd century BC. Today, the huge specimen of this Peepal has no rival to
the claim of being the oldest recorded tree in the world. It has been
guarded by an uninterrupted series of guardian monks since it was
planted.
Southwest of the sacred bo-tree, on the shore of the Tissa Wewa tank,
are several other interesting monuments.
Return to the sender (a sapling)
Though the original Bo tree at Bodh Gaya in India was destroyed, Sri
Maha Bodhi in Lanka survived. Cuttings from Sri Maha Bodhi in Lanka have
been grown all over the world. A cutting of the sacred tree was sent to
India to transplant at Bodh Gaya, next to Mahabodhi Temple complex,
which is now in fine fettle.
Loha Maha Prasada (Brazen Palace)
All we have today is ruins of a vast building, next to the sacred
tree. Founded by the hero of the nation, King Dutugemunu (reigned
161-137BC), it was once home to a community of 1000 Buddhist monks,
whose duties included, among numerous others, tending the sacred tree
too.1600 pillars are all that remains of the nine story monastery, each
floor with 100 rooms, surmounted by a bronze roof. The whole building
was decorated with silver and gems.
Anuradhapura Archaeological Museum The first of five new museums planned for the Cultural Triangle, the
Anuradhapura Archaeological Museum, between the Brazen Palace and the
Ruwanweliseya Stupa (Ruwanweli
Seya), contains a range of exhibits discovered on the site along with
explanatory displays. Among these is a model of the Thuparama Vatadage
and a relic chamber from
Mihintale.
This shrine, immediately to the north of the Ruwanweliseya Stupa (Ruwan
Weli Seya), is the oldest in Sri Lanka and contains the collarbone relic
of Buddha, a gift from the Indian Emperor Asoka of India to King Devanam
Piya Tissa of Lanka, who converted his kingdom to Buddhism. Originally
built in the 3rd century BC, it has been extensively rebuilt over the
centuries & most recently in 1840. It is ringed by columns which
originally supported a circular roof.
Royal Palace
200m north of the Thuparama Vatadage, on the opposite side of the
road are the ruins of the Royal Palace date from the 12th century AD,
when King Vijayabahu the first made a last attempt to restore
Anuradhapura back to its former glory and prestige. South of it is the
ruins of a temple which may have been the first to house the sacred
Buddha's tooth relic which now resides at
The Holy Temple of the Tooth in
Kandy.
Jetavana Dagoba
Abayagiri Stupa
From China with love
South of the dagoba is the Abhayagiri Museum, a gift to Sri Lanka from
China in honour of the 5th century Buddhist academic Fa Hien. The museum
contains relics and archaeological finds illustrating the ancient
connection between China and Sri Lanka. In AD 412 Fa Hien visited
Anuradhapura and wrote an account of his travels.
Ratna Prasada (Gem Palace)
Northwest of the Abhayagiri Stupa are to be found the remnants of a
2nd century monastery palace of which only the mighty pillars, carved
with naga (benevolent snake spirit) symbols remain.
Kuttam Pokuna (Twin Ponds) located east of Abhayagiri Dagoba
Kuttam Pokuna (Twin Ponds) at
Anuradhapura
built between the period of eight century and tenth century, among the
surviving treasures of ancient landscape architecture of Sri Lanka, is
the finest. It is believed that the twin ponds were built for the
bathing purposes of Buddhist monks at Abhayagiri monastery at
Anuradhapura. According to the published narration by the Chinese
traveler Buddhist monk Fa Hien, there were 5000 monks in residence
Abhayagiri monastery in the 5th century.
Conservation of these magnificent twin ponds, of which the ancient name
hasn't been discovered, was carried out by Department of Archeology of
Ceylon in the years 1949 & 1953. Dr. Senerath Paranavithana, the
foremost archeologist of Sri Lanka, during the restoration of the Kuttam
Pokuna (Twin Ponds) had found small figures of fish, a conch, a crab
and a dancing woman herein. Kuttam Pokuna or twin ponds have earned its
recent name in view of its unique concept: the two ponds are constructed
to form a single pond with two interconnected units aligned in
north-south direction with a gap of 9 feet between them. The
differences in architecture have revealed that the northern pond was
constructed prior to construction of the pond to the south.
Both Ponds
Each unit are of same width in precise rectangles and they are built in
perfect alignment within the rectangular boundary. The face, sides and
bottom of both ponds were immaculately cut in granite slabs.
The northern pond [smaller pond: length-91 feet; width-51 feet]
Twenty stone cut steps embellished with a balustrade descends to the water level from the ground level.
Supply of water to both ponds are done at the northern pond from the
same source and same channel: water from underground spring flows into
an enclosure built above the water level of the ponds. Filtration of
water from mud and dirt is done therein.
The enclosure controls and releases the water to the smaller pond
through the mouth of makara (Sinhala: dragon) sculpted in stone which,
has a five hooded cobra sculpture also cut in stone below it. The water
to the southern pond [larger pond] is supplied by the small pond through
a duct that runs below the ground level connecting the two ponds.
The southern pond [larger pond: length-132 feet; width-51 feet]
Eighteen stone cut steps in three stages, each stage embellished with a
balustrade leads to the water level from the ground level.
The supply of water is made from the small pond through a duct that runs below the ground level connecting the two ponds.
The drain of water (of both ponds) is done at a small outlet at this pond
Samadhi Buddha Statue located southeast of the Abhayagiri Dagoba
Samadhi Buddha Statue, a serene image of a seated Buddha carved
in granite that dates from the 4th century AD, is a masterpiece of
ancient Sinhalese Buddhist sculpture found in
Anuradhapura.
The rediscovery of Samadhi Buddha Statue
The Samadhi Buddha Statue was rediscovered, at the same location that it is now at
Anuradhapura,
in the year 1886: it was lying damaged on the ground with its nose
sustaining a major damage. The hollow carved eye bore evidence those
were formally inset with precious gems.
The restoration of Samadhi Buddha Statue
The statue was restored and re-erected. However the restoration of the damaged nose failed to do justice to its former beauty.
The artistic concept of Samadhi Buddha Statue
The statue in dhayana mudra [Sinhala: mode of trance] seated in virasna
[Sanskrit: Hero Pose] is sculpted of dolomite marble. The archeological
excavations done at the site revealed, the 7 feet 3 inches tall fourth
century statue was the northern image of the four Buddha statues set in
cardinal directions surrounding a Bodhi (peepal) tree that was once
growing therein at
Anuradhapura.
Loha Maha Prasada (Brazen Palace)
All we have today are ruins of a vast building, next to the Jaya Sri
Maha Bodhi: 1600 stone cut pillars are all that remains of the nine
story monastery. During the glorious days of
Anuradhpura
each floor of brazen palace consisted of 100 rooms and the building was
surmounted by a bronze roof. The whole building was decorated with
silver and gems. Founded by the hero of the nation, King Dutugemunu
(reigned 161-137BC), it was once home to a community of 1000 Buddhist
monks, whose duties included, among numerous others, tending the sacred
Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi at
Anuradhapura.
Loha Maha Parsada also called Lohamahapaya or Lohapasada or Brazen
Palace was built on the same location where Uposathaghara (Sinhala:
chapter house) called Mahamucla malake built by King Devanampiya Tissa
[307-267 BC] and consecrated by Arhath Mahinda for the Buddhist monks at
Mahavihara Monastery.
The great chronicle of Sri Lanka, Mahavamsa has left a vivid narration of the Lovamahapaya:
"
The four-faced mansion measured a hundred cubits on each side and
in height too, it was as much. In this best of palaces, there were nine
storeys and on each storey a hundred gables. All gables were inlaid with
silver. Their coral railing was decked in different gems and surrounded
by rows of little silver bells and their little lotuses were adorned
with various gems"
Page 580, The Great Chronicle of Sri Lanka, Mahavamsa, Chapters one to thirty seven
An annotated new translation with prolegomena by Dr. Ananada W. P. Guruge [ISBN 955-20-8963-8]
Lankaramaya Stupa
Lankaramaya stupa located south-west of the
Abhayagiriya Dagoba at
Anuradhapura was built by King Valagambahu [Vattagamini Abhaya] [103 BC & 89-76 BC], the builder of Sri Lanka Holidays
Golden Dambulla Rock Cave Temple at
Dambulla.
Though some historians claim the Lankaramaya stupa was named
Manisosmarama as it was built in honor of the heroic consort Somadevi,
who voluntarily dismounted from the chariot fleeing from the marauding
Dravidian invaders to lighten the load: it was carrying the king, his
two consorts [Somadevi and Anuladevi] and his son. Following fourteen
years of refuge, recovery and reinforcement, the lion-heated king
regained the kingdom of Lanka.
The diameter of the renovated dagoba measures 38 feet. The circular
terrace on which the stupa was built measures 132 feet. Four flights of
steps, each with a width of 12 feet, oriented in cardinal directions,
lead to the terrace, which itself is 10 feet above the ground level.
During the glorious era of Anuradhapua, Lankaramaya stupa had a roof
supported by 88 stone cut columns in the cetiyaghara (vatadage)
architectural design at
Polonnaruwa vatadage at Sri Lanka Holidays
Polonnaruwa and Medirigirya vatadage and Thuparama stupa. Today only a few of the columns remain surrounding the stupa.
Mirisavatiya Dagaba
Royal Pleasure Gardens Also known as the Park of the Goldfish, these gardens testify to the
skill of the architects and landscape gardeners of King Dutugemunu's
reign. Covering approximately 14 ha (35 acres), they are built around
ponds and rocks, with views over the Tissa Wewa tank, and were intended
as a tranquil retreat from affairs of state. Some of that tranquility
survives.
Vijitapura Raja Maha Viharaya (Royal Temple at City of Victory)
Vijitapura Raja Maha Viharaya is located close to great Kalawewa
reservoir in the field where the hero of the nation, King Dutugamunu
(161-131 BC), following a series of battles in numerous Dravidian
strongholds through long 30 years, finally defeated Elara of Marauding
Dravidian invaders & rescued the nation & faith. The victorious king
allowed the defeated Dravidians to live in northern peninsula to where
they fled: live & let live ideology of the Aryan Sinhalese. The gentle
sway of Buddhism with its concept of right to life of all beings saved
the marauding southern Indian Dravidians from being pushed into the
Indian Ocean.
Kadu Ge Gala
Kade Ge gala in the courtyard of Vijitapura Raja Maha Viharaya is the
stone at which the thousands of swords of King Dutugamunu's army were
sharpened during the great battle at Vijitapura.
This rock temple, nicely built into the crevices between great
smooth basalt boulders, is one of
Anuradhapura's hidden secrets. It is
well known for its sensual sculptures of embracing couples, indicating a
culture which, while devout, was clearly not prudish. Dating from the
3rd century BC, it stands beside ponds above which the rock face has
been carved with cheerful looking elephants at play.
>Love conquers all, even the throne & kingdom
More stone carvings are on display at a small museum within the
temple. Among the displays is a slab that shows two lovers seated side
by side, Saliya (the only son of the hero of the nation, King
Dutugemunu)
and his wife Asokamala. Saliya met Asokamala walking in the Pleasure
Gardens, fell in love head over heels and married her. As she was not
of
royal blood, he was obliged to forfeit his claim to the throne.
