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There are some Archaeology Department staff
based here. At least one will insist on accompany-
ing you on a tour of the ruins (a tip of rs 500 or so
per group is sufficient).
8 Getting There & Away
r tigala is 14km northwest of Habarana, the i
turnoff from the Anuradhapura–Habarana road
is near the 14km post. It’s then 6.2km on a good
paved road followed by a rough track for 2.3km. It
may be impassable after heavy rains.
Anuradhapura
%025 / POP 64,000
The ruins of Anuradhapura are one of South
Asia’s most evocative sights. The sprawling
complex contains a rich collection of archae-
ological and architectural wonders: enor-
mous dagobas, soaring brick towers, ancient
pools and crumbling temples, built during
Anuradhapura’s thousand years of rule over
Sri Lanka. Today several of the sites remain
in use as holy places and temples; frequent
ceremonies give Anuradhapura a vibrancy
that’s a sharp contrast to the ambience at
Polonnaruwa.
Current-day Anuradhapura is a rather
pleasant albeit sprawling city. Mature trees
shade the main guesthouse areas, and the
main street is orderly compared to the ugly
concrete agglomerations elsewhere.
History
Anuradhapura first became a capital in 380
BC under Pandukabhaya, but it was under
Devanampiya Tissa (r 247–207 BC) – during
whose reign Buddhism reached Sri Lanka –
that it first rose to great importance. Soon
Anuradhapura became a great and glittering
city, only to fall before a South Indian inva-
sion – a fate that was to befall it repeatedly
for more than 1000 years. But before long
the Sinhalese hero Dutugemunu led an army
from a refuge in the far south to recapture
Anuradhapura. The ‘Dutu’ part of his name,
incidentally, means ‘undutiful’ because his fa-
ther, fearing for his son’s safety, forbade him
to attempt to recapture Anuradhapura. Du-
tugemunu disobeyed him, and later sent his
father a woman’s ornament to indicate what
he thought of his courage.
Dutugemunu (r 161–137 BC) set in mo-
tion a vast building program that included
some of the most impressive monuments in
Anuradhapura today. Other important kings
who followed him included Valagamba (r
109–103 BC), who lost his throne in another
Indian invasion but later regained it, and Ma-
hasena (r AD 276–303), the last ‘great’ king of
Anuradhapura, who was the builder of the co-
lossal Jetavanarama Dagoba. He also held the
record for tank construction, building 16 of
them in all, plus a major canal. Anuradhapu-
ra was to survive for another 500 years before
finally being replaced by Polonnaruwa, but it
continued to face incursions from South In-
dia again and again – made all the easier by
the cleared lands and great roads that were a
product of Anuradhapura’s importance.1 ightsS
You’ll need a couple of days to properly ex-
plore the Unesco-recognised Anuradhapura
Heritage Site (www.ccf.lk/anuradhapura.htm;
US$25; h24hr).
The scale of the ruins is huge. You can
appreciate individual areas such as the Cit-
adel on foot but a bicycle is an ideal way to
get around. There are pretty rides on car-free
trails and walkways that link the main sites.
The four main areas of interest are Mahavi-
hara, the spiritual centre of Anuradhapura,
home to the Sri Maha Bodhi; Abhayagiri
Monastery, arguably the most evocative part
of the entire site, with several temples and da-
gobas more than 2000 years old, spread over
a large, forested area; the Citadel, a compact
collection of structures about 1000 years old;
and Jetavanarama, a huge dagoba and impor-
tant museum in a small area.1 Mahavihara
This is the heart of ancient Anuradhapura
and is often the scene of religious ceremonies,
which draw masses of people dressed in their
finest. Relics here date from the 3rd century
BC to the 11th century AD.oSri Maha Bodhi SACrED trEE
(admission rs 200) The sacred bodhi tree is cen-
tral to Anuradhapura in both a spiritual and
physical sense. It was grown from a cuttingTEMPLE ETIQUETTE
Because so many of Anuradhapura’s
important sites are still considered holy
it is important to be prepared to remove
your shoes, wear a sarong or otherwise
don modest dress as required.
Sri Lankan pilgrims wear white, which
is considered a holy colour, a mode you
might choose to copy out of respect
(and also as it reflects strong sunlight).