Anuradhapura the Ancient city
Anuradhapura is a UNESCO World Heritage listed city. The ancient city of Anuradhapura (4th century BCE to 10th century CE), established on the banks of the river Malwathu Oya in north-central Sri Lanka, is one of that country’s most important archaeological sites.
In 377 BC, King Pandukabhaya (437–367 BC) made it his capital and developed it into a prosperous city. Anuradhapura was the capital of all the monarchs who ruled the country during in the Anuradhapura Kingdom, with the exception of Kashyapa I (473–491), who chose Sigiriya to be his capital. The city was also marked on Ptolemy's world map.
Where to stay: 🏨
It is a historical treasure in Sri Lanka and is known for its rich and vibrant unique culture. It was the cradle of glorious Sinhalese Buddhist civilization.
To understand the gravity of this, bear in mind that the city is over 3,000 years old! It is actually one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world. There's much to see around, as the area is scattered with ruins of the old capital city far and wide.
My Anuradhapura travel diary will be divided into 3 blog's:
➖ This write-up will cover the Sights to visit, History of Anuradhapura, Bo tree, Jetavanaramaya stupa and Visiting details.
➖ The Second blog describes Abhayagiri Monastery area. Click the given link.
➖ The Third blog will discuss about Ruwanwelisaya Stupa. (Unpublished)
To start your Anuradhapura ancient city tour, first you have to get Entry tickets from the Tourist office. (in-depth details about tickets and visit are given at the end of the blog) .
Its a sprawling area and takes a lot of time to see the sights. The Anuradhapura site map will help you explore properly.👇
(You will get this map in Anuradhapura Tourism office)
Background
The Sinhalese civilization’s most ancient and important capital city, Anuradhapura holds many of its premier architectural ruins.
It was the centre of various mercantile companies.
From an inscription of Queen Lilavati we learn that the city had business companies of various countries even in the 12th century and that support was received from those firms for the establishment and upkeep of a free resthouse to entertain poor people who came to the city from all quarters.
Fa Hien tells us that about the 5th century "in the city there were many Vaisya elders and Sabaean merchants, whose houses were stately and beautiful. The lanes and passages are kept in good order"
Business transactions and agreements were usually written down and the documents were destroyed when the agreements were fulfilled.
The kingdom was largely based on agriculture, the construction of irrigation works was a major achievement of the Anuradhapura Kingdom, ensuring water supply in the dry zone and helping the country grow mostly self-sufficient. Several kings, most notably Vasabha and Mahasena, built large reservoirs and canals, which created a vast and complex irrigation network in the Rajarata area throughout the Anuradhapura period.
Origins and linkage with Buddhism
The Anuradhapura Kingdom, named for its capital city, was the first established kingdom in ancient Sri Lanka and Sinhalese people. Founded by King Pandukabhaya
in 377 BC, the kingdom's authority extended throughout the country,
although several independent areas emerged from time to time, which grew
more numerous towards the end of the kingdom.In 543 BC, prince Vijaya (543–505 BC) arrived in Sri Lanka,
having been banished from his homeland in India. He eventually brought
the island under his control and established himself as king. After
this, his retinue established villages and colonies throughout the
country. One of these was established by Anuradha, a minister of King Vijaya, on the banks of a stream called Kolon and was named Anuradhagama.
In 377 BC, King Pandukabhaya (437–367 BC) made it his capital and developed it into a prosperous city. Anuradhapura was the capital of all the monarchs who ruled the country during in the Anuradhapura Kingdom, with the exception of Kashyapa I (473–491), who chose Sigiriya to be his capital. The city was also marked on Ptolemy's world map.
The king of Anuradhapura was seen as the supreme ruler of the country throughout the period. Buddhism played a strong role in the Anuradhapura period, influencing its culture, laws, and methods of governance.
However, the historical record gains momentum with the reign of Devanampiya Tissa (likely 250-210 BCE). From the moment of his conversion, the city and the
Sinhalese people were intimately linked to Buddhism and the monastic orders. This cultural change was further strengthened by the arrival of the Tooth Relic and the Sapling of Bodhi tree from India of the Buddha in Sri Lanka which established Buddhism as the prime religion in Sri Lanka.
The Monasteries
The city’s layout was determined by its principal monasteries: Mahavihara, Abhayagiri, Jetavanaramaya & Mirisaveti.
A history spanning 1200 years. Aside from a brief period in the late 5th century when the capital was temporarily moved to Sigiriya, the city was the political-religious center of Sinhalese civilization for over 1200 years.
The Fall
In 993, the Chola Emperor Rajraja I invaded Sri Lanka, forcing the then Sri Lankan ruler Mahinda V to flee to the southern part of the country. Rajendra I son of Rajaraja I, launched a large invasion in 1017. Mahinda V was captured and taken to India, and the Cholas sacked the city of Anuradhapura. They moved the capital to Polonnaruwa and subsequent Sri Lankan rulers who came into power after the Chola reign continued to use Polonnaruwa as the capital, thus ending the Anuradhapura Kingdom.
The Cholas were eventually vanquished in 1056.
The Architectural ruins
Stupas represent the oldest surviving architectural remains, dating back to the city’s earliest days. However, aside from these massive brick structures, most of what is now visible dates from the Late Anuradhapura period (7th-10th centuries), when the decorative arts were at there apex. Monastery quarters, dining areas, canals, reservoirs, foundations of various important buildings lie scattered all around the city.
Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi tree:
History
The Sri Maha Bodhi tree ("tree of awakening") is said to the oldest and longest-surviving tree in the world. The bhikkhuni Sanghamitta (daughter of King Ashoka) arrived from India in order to establish the Bhikkhuni sasana (order of nuns) in the country. She brought along with her a sapling from the Sri Maha Bodhi, the tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment, which was then planted in Anuradhapura. The journey route followed by Sangamitta who carried the tree branch was from Gaya to Pataliputra and then to Tamralipta in Bengal.
Here, it was placed in a golden vase in the ship and transported to
Jambukola (North of Jaffna) across the sea. The entourage reached Anuradhapura, staying en-route at Tivakka where a brahmin priest was the first to worship the holy tree.
King Devanampiya Tissa bestowed on his kingdom the newly planted Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi.
 |
| Depiction of Sanghamitta with the sapling of Maha Bodhi tree photo courtesy: Dhamma Wiki |
Anuradhapura was abandoned and encroached by jungles in the 13th century
after a series of South Indian invasions, but some brave Sinhalese
stayed on and looked after the Sri Maha Bodhi tree. They carried bundles of
wood and lighted bonfires around the tree to keep wild elephants away from
eating its leaves. This practice continues today during the annual
procession known as Daramiti Perahera.
The Tree at present
Housed within a temple, the Sri Maha Bodhi attracts thousands of
pilgrims everyday. The tree is one of the earliest symbols of Buddha,
and pilgrims took spalings back to plant in temples all over the world.
Even today, Buddhists continue to meditate under the tree. The main branch of the tree is adorned in Gold and fenced off. No one is allowed to enter inside the fence. The erstwhile kings of Anuradhapura used to take utmost care of the tree and you still can find parts of the fencing walls. The oldest walls are now seen through a transparent fiber glass floor.
Jetavanaramaya Stupa
The Jetavanaramaya stupa looming impressively from the plain is the highest
brick-built stupa in the world. King Mahasena (277 -304 CE) of Anuradhapura initiated the construction of Jetavanaramaya Stupa and other structures within the same monastery complex to show remorse for his mistakes in allowing and causing the destruction of Mahavihara, a Theravadan Buddhist monastery. The paved platform on which it stands
covers more than 8 acres (3 hectares) of land & has a diameter of over
100m. In its original form the dagoba stood 120m high & was the
third-tallest structure in the world, surpassed only by the two great
pyramids at Giza, Egypt. It was also the world's
biggest stupa & is still the tallest & largest structure made
entirely of brick anywhere on earth. It took 27 years to build &
contains over ninety million bricks. The Current Height is 71 m.
Around the stupa ran a belt of residential colleges of the monks with
the entrances to them facing the stupa. The rest of the main building
were built in cardinal directions in relation to the stupa.
The area south of the stupa is littered with the Jetavanaramaya monastery's
extensive remains of impressive scale. All ruins are carefully excavated
& landscaped. The monastery would once have housed some 3000 monks. The
first monastery buildings were constructed during the third century in
the area north of the dagoba (which remains largely unexcavated) &
gradually spread south & east as the monastery expanded until the tenth
century. Much of the buildings were destroyed by marauding Dravidian invaders from South India.
The treasury of objects from the Jetavanaramaya complex has become known as
the Jetavana Treasures. They show how far-reaching were Anuradhapura's
foreign connections. There are Roman & Indian coins, ceramics from North
& West Asia, & fragments of Islamic & Chinese ware. Huge numbers of
beads made of clay, glass, silver, ivory & carnelian have also been
found, as have intaglio seals made in semiprecious stone & gold, &
bronze religious statuettes.
Visitors and pilgrims who visit Jetavanaramaya Stupa would be able to pay homage to the holy object inside the sacred stupa and be inspired by the story of King Mahasena, a great ruler who was able to set aside his ego and recognize his wrongdoings. The grandeur and the beauty of Jetavanaramaya Stupa and the surrounding temple complex are the representations of the king’s sincerity in purifying his misdeeds and negative karma.
Trivia -
The first Jetavanaramaya Monastery called Jetavane
Anathapindikassa arama was located just over the perimeter of the city of Savatthi. Savatthi was situated in the fertile Gangetic plains in the present day
Gonda District of Uttar Pradesh near Balrampur 120 km north of modern
Lucknow in Northern India.
The broken Spire and the boxed Harmika
While exploring the ruins I came across many stone tablets on the floor of the stupa depicting a number of engravings. Engravings or drawings of board games that were played during that era, early Sinhalese & Brahmni scripts, drawings of architecture etc.
Visiting Details around Anuradhapura:
Visiting hours 🕰️
The ticket office is open daily from 7am - 6pm. The monuments stay open until sunset.
Tickets 🎟️
The primary ticket office is located on the southern end of the city, nearby Jetavanaramaya stupa, inside the Archaeological Museum.
Tickets price: $25 and $13 for SAARC countries.
(Refer to Site Map picture)
Getting around 👣
The sites profiled in this blog, representing the core of the old city, range over an area approximately 4-5 kilometers north-south and 1-2 kilometers east-west.
(Including Ruwanwelisaya & Abhayagiri which are yet to be published)
Accordingly, while certainly walkable, it helps to have transportation (bike, tuk-tuk or ideally a car) if you plan on seeing them all in a single day. Exploring takes quite a lot of hours and at times the heat becomes unbearable.
🚲 Bicycles for hire are available at the Tourist ticket office.
➖ In my views, if you are interested in exploring the site in details it will take at-least two long days.
The Museums 🏛️
Anuradhapura has several museums. I rate the Abhayagiri Museum and the Archaeological Museum as the best of the lot.
(Refer to Site Map picture)
Tip 👁️🗨️
➖ Bring socks! You will have to remove your shoes in order to enter most religious structures. Since the brick and stone floors can heat up to blistering temperatures by the middle of the day, it's recommended in bringing socks to protect your feet.
➖ Watch what you wear - Cover your shoulders and knees. Do not wear shorts.
Anuradhapura being an important tourist destination there are various options to suit every pocket.
I stayed in Four Points Resort (link opens in a new window).
Bibliography:
🔰 History of Buddhism in Ceylon by Walpola Rahula.
🔰 From the chapter Downfall of Anuradhapura & South Indian influences. A Grade 8 History text book.
🔰 Idioms of Sustainability in Ancient Anuradhapura by Satyajit Ghosh.
Dear Readers,
Hope of you have loved reading the blog. Want to hear what you think about this glorious city? Write about your views in the comments section.
চমৎকার, চালিয়ে যাও। অপেক্ষায় রইলাম।
ReplyDeleteঅসাধারণ। অসংখ্য ধন্যবাদ জানাই আপনাকে।
ReplyDelete