Anuradhapura

Anuradhapura is one of the major cities of Srilanka. It is situated in the north central part of the country. The capital city of Srilanka, Colombo is located 205 Km south to Anuradhapura. It was the capital city in around 380 BC under the rule of Panduk- Anhaya.

It remained to be the capital city in the reign of about 119 consecutive Sinhalese kings. This is considered as a holy city as it houses a number of pilgrim sites dedicated to Buddha. Buddhism was brought to this city by son of the emperor Asoka, the great. There are many temples, monasteries, and palaces which are of great tourist interest today. It is hailed as one of the world heritage sites by UNESCO. 

How to Reach Anuradhapura:

 

 

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We can reach Anuradhapura by Air, Rail or by Road. One can reach Anuradhapura by the highway from Kandy, the A9 highway. A drive of about four to five hours from the capital city of columbo can make you reach here. 

By Air:

 

The international airport closest to Anuradhapura is the Bankaranayake airport with a distance of about 141 km. Another airport which is closer than this is Ampara airport at a distance of 6.7 km from the city.

 

 

 

By Rail:

 

 There are two train stations in the city- one at the central city and other one near to the south. The trains are mainly meant to travel to other cities or towns rather than travelling inside the city.

 

By Road:

We can reach Anuradhapura very easily by road.There are two bus stations too. Tuk tuks are the main travelling aid one could find inside the city. Rented bicycles also attract tourists and are widely used to explore the city. Buses are also abundant in the city. The bus stations are close to the railway stations and these are mainly meant to travel within the city.

Anuradhapura Tourism Attractions:

 

The main attractions of Anuradhapura are Thumparamya temple which is said to be the oldest Dagoba of Srilanka, the statue of Aukana Budha of the fifthe century which has been carved out of hard granite rock, the rock carvings of Isurumuniya lovers dating back to about third century Bc etc. the Abhayagiri stupa and the nearby monastery which is about 108m high is considered one of the tallest structure of old times.

 The holy bohi tree which is actually a part of Maha Bodhi of Bodhigaya is another important place of tourist interest. Other major places include Mihintale where Thero Mahinda, the son of Asoka the great, imparted the teachings of Budha to the Sinhalese people.One of the finest examples of ancient skill of engineering is the Kuttam Pokuna otherwise known as the twin ponds. 

There is the unique system of filtration of underground water before it enters the pond. All these stands as the historical evidence for the country’s past and also gives us the glimpses of the architectural knowledge and the capabilities and fineness of craftsmanship which can be seen in the detailing of each carvings. These marvels can be best experienced by our package tours that will save both your money and time and leaves you with a lot of good memories to cherish.