A UNESCO World Heritage City
The entire city of Anuradhapura, the ancient capital of Sri Lanka, is an archaeological site of palaces, monuments, and monasteries and therefore has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. Some areas have been excavated and preserved while others remain below ground waiting for the next wave of projects to uncover them. From the oldest Bodhi tree to the most sacred stupa, from the Twin Ponds where 6,000 monks were known to have bathed to the masterfully engineered Stone Bridge which allowed access from Anuradhapura to the main ports on the coast, even in monsoon flooding, there is a plethora of sights to be seen.
Sri Maha Bodhi-The Sacred Bodhi Tree
Anuradhapura houses the oldest Bodhi tree in recorded history. The original tree where Buddha attained enlightenment is actually in India, but a branch of it was brought to Sri Lanka as a symbol to worship. The original tree in India was destroyed during the Muslim invasion so this branch is the last remaining artifact from it. The sacred branch is upheld with metal posts to support it and decorated with prayer flags.
Ruvanveli Stupa
Although you'll see many stupas as you travel through Sri Lanka, the Ruvanveli stupa is the most sacred. It houses 1/8 of the remains of Buddha and stands 330ft tall. The pinnacle itself is over 15ft tall with a crystal at it's peak measuring 2ft in height. The glistening white dome with it's orange ribbon signifying the color of the monks' robe can be seen from great distances and is a very sacred place.
Again, we opted to visit this site in the evening to be able to fully encompass ourselves in the sanctity of this location. We came upon a community ceremony that evening. The stupa area was lined with worshippers in their purest white outfits. A monk sat under a colorful umbrella and gave a special sermon into a microphone. The scene could not have been more perfect. As I walked around the stupa and reflected upon what it stood for, I could feel the spirituality and the peaceful energy of the group.
Again, we opted to visit this site in the evening to be able to fully encompass ourselves in the sanctity of this location. We came upon a community ceremony that evening. The stupa area was lined with worshippers in their purest white outfits. A monk sat under a colorful umbrella and gave a special sermon into a microphone. The scene could not have been more perfect. As I walked around the stupa and reflected upon what it stood for, I could feel the spirituality and the peaceful energy of the group.
Jetavana Stupa
This stupa is the largest brick structure ever built by ancient civilizations in the world. It stands 400ft high. The surrounding monastery housed 5,000 monks and was also a "university" for Buddhist teachings.
Samadh Buddha
This site contains the seated statue of Buddha. There were originally four statues at each corner of the Bodhi tree, but only one remains in it's entirety. This statue is really known for its artistic representation, especially of the facial expression of Buddha, which is very serene and invokes a sense of peace and tranquility. It is said that when Jawaharlal Nehru was imprisoned by the British prior to India's independence, he had a photo of this statue in his cell. It is the only thing that helped him keep his sanity and once released, Mr. Nehru came to pay homage to this sacred place and spent quite a bit of time in front of this specific statue.
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