"Anuradhapura, The Lost Kingdom" Anuradhapura by explore_discover

Anu-radha-pura Kingdom lasted one thousand and five hundred years from 380BC. This city is home to many of the earliest grandest monuments of Sri Lanka. A popular destination of Sinhalese Buddhist's prilgimage because of its many ancient Buddhist monuments.

Anuradhapura has been made royal capital by the king Pandukabhaya in 380 BC. It remained residence and royal capital for 119 successive Singhalese kings till the year 1000 AD when it was abandoned and the capital moved to Polonnaruwa. You will see some of the most famous as well as the tallest dagoba of Sri Lanka, remains from palaces, temples, monasteries, ceremonial baths and the temple of the holy Bo-tree. This tree was grown from a sapling of the very tree under which more than 2500 years ago the Buddha found enlightenment.

The Bell Shape Stupa

The sacred city of Anuradhapura, now in picturesque ruins, was once a major center of Sri Lankan civilization. The fascinating ancient ruins include huge bell-shaped stupas built of small sun-dried bricks, temples, sculptures, palaces, and ancient drinking-water reservoirs.

Today, city of Anuradhapura, with its palaces, monasteries and monuments, draws many Buddhist pilgrims and visitors.

Nuwara wewa Lake

Anuradhapura is of enormous 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) & keep the rice paddies productive. In the numerous minor irrigation networks, the systems provide water for domestic use & livestock, wildlife & recharge of groundwater while enhancing the village environment: multiple dimensions of the value of water.