Anuradhapura

For more than thirteen centuries, Anuradhapura reigned as the glorious first capital of Sri Lanka and one of the preeminent centers of Theravada Buddhism in Asia. Today, this expansive UNESCO World Heritage Sacred City is not merely an archaeological wonder, but a living, breathing pilgrimage heartland where devotees dressed in pure white gather daily to offer fragrant lotus blossoms beneath the oldest recorded tree on earth.

The Sacred Bodhi Tree & Colossal Dagobas

At the spiritual apex of Anuradhapura stands the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, a sacred fig tree grown from a sapling of the original Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya under which the Buddha attained enlightenment. Brought to the island in the 3rd century BC by Sanghamitta Theri, it has been continuously guarded and worshipped for over 2,300 years.

Dominating the skyline is the gleaming white bubble-domed Ruwanwelisaya, built by the hero-monarch King Dutugemunu. Nearby, the red-brick mountain of Jetavanaramaya, constructed using over 93 million baked bricks, was once surpassed in height only by the Great Pyramids of Giza. Visiting these monuments at dusk, when chanting monks and oil lamps illuminate the courtyards, offers a deeply moving spiritual experience.