Anuradhapura

Anuradhapura är en stad i Anuradhapura-distriktet i norra centrala provinsen Sri Lanka. Denna heliga stad grundades runt en skärning från ”upplysningens träd”, Buddhas fikonträd, fördes dit på 300-talet f.Kr.. av Sanghamitta, grundaren av en order av buddhistiska nunnor. Anuradhapura, en ceylonesisk politisk och religiös huvudstad som blomstrade i 1300 år, övergavs efter en invasion 993. Gömd bort i tät djungel i många år, den fantastiska platsen, med sina palats, kloster och monument, är nu tillgänglig igen.

Om Anuradhapura District

Anuradhapura tillhör norra centrala provinsen i Sri Lanka. Anuradhapura är en av de gamla huvudstäderna i Sri Lanka, känd för sina välbevarade ruiner av forntida lankansk civilisation. Staden, nu en UNESCO: s världsarvslista, ligger 205 km norr om den nuvarande huvudstaden Colombo på Sri Lanka.

I den heliga staden Anuradhapura och i närheten finns ett stort antal ruiner. Ruinerna består av tre klasser av byggnader, dagobas, klosterbyggnader och pokuna (dammar). Staden hade några av de mest komplexa bevattningssystemen i den antika världen, beläget i landets torra zon byggde administrationen många tankar för att bevattna landet. De flesta civila är singalesiska, medan tamiler och srilankanska morer bor i distriktet.

Särskilda platser i Anuradhapura:

  • Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi is a sacred bo tree in the Mahamewna Gardens, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. It is the southern branch from the historical Sri Maha Bodhi at Buddha Gaya in India under which Buddha attained Enlightenment. It was planted in 288 BC, and is the oldest living human-planted tree in the world with a known planting date.

    Sri Maha Bodhiya 
  • The Ruwanweli Maha Seya, also known as the Mahathupa (the Great Thupa) is a stupa (a hemispherical structure containing relics) in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. Two quarts or one Dona of the Buddha's relics are enshrined in the stupa, making it the largest collection of his relics anywhere. It was built by Sinhalese King Dutugemunu in c. 140 B.C., who became king of Sri Lanka after a war in which the Chola King Elāra (Ellalan) was defeated.

    Ruwanweliseya 
  • Thuparamaya is the first Buddhist temple that was constructed, after the arrival of mahinda thero(mahindagamanaya) in Sri Lanka. Located in the sacred area of Mahamewna park, the Thuparamaya Stupa is the earliest Dagoba to be constructed in the island, dating back to the reign of King Devanampiya Tissa (247-207 BC). The temple has been formally recognised by the Government as an archaeological site in Sri Lanka.

    Thuparamaya 
  • Lovamahapaya is a building situated between Ruwanweliseya and Sri Mahabodiya in the ancient city of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. It is also known as the Brazen Palace or Lohaprasadaya because the roof was covered with bronze tiles. In ancient times, the building included the refectory and the uposathagara (Uposatha house).

    Lovamahapaya 
  • Abhayagiri Vihāra was a major monastery site of Mahayana, Theravada and Vajrayana Buddhism that was situated in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. It is one of the most extensive ruins in the world and one of the most sacred Buddhist pilgrimage cities in the nation.

    Abhayagiri Dagoba 
  • The Jetavanarama stupa or Jetavanaramaya is a stupa, or Buddhist reliquary monument, located in the ruins of Jetavana monastery in the UNESCO world heritage city of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. At 122 metres (400 ft), it was the world's tallest stupa, and the third tallest structure in the world when it was built by King Mahasena of Anuradhapura (273–301).

    Jetavanaramaya 
  • The Mirisaweti Stupa is a memorial building, a stupa, situated in the ancient city of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. King Dutugamunu (161 BC to 137 BC) built the Mirisaveti Stupa after defeating King Elara. After placing the Buddha relics in the sceptre, he had gone to Tissa Wewa for a bath leaving the sceptre.

    Mirisaveti Stupa 
  • Lankarama is a stupa built by King Valagamba, in an ancient place at Galhebakada in the ancient kingdom of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. Nothing is known about the ancient form of the stupa, and later this was renovated. The ruins show that there are rows of stone pillars and it is no doubt that there has been a house built encircling the stupa (vatadage) to cover it.

    Lankarama 
  • Isurumuniya is a Buddhist temple situated near to the Tissa Wewa (Tisa tank) in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. There are four carvings of special interest in this Vihara. They are the Isurumuniya Lovers, Elephant Pond and The Royal Family. The ancient Meghagiri Vihara or Meygiri Vihara is presently identified as the Isurumuni Vihara.

    Isurumuniya 

About Anuradhapura District

Anuradhapura is belongs to the North Central Province in to Sri Lanka. Anuradhapura is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, famous for its well-preserved ruins of ancient Lankan civilization. The city, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies 205 km north of the current capital Colombo in Sri Lanka.

In the sacred city of Anuradhapura and in the vicinity are a large number of ruins. The ruins consist of three classes of buildings, dagobas, monastic buildings, and pokuna (ponds). The city had some of the most complex irrigation systems of the ancient world, situated in the dry zone of the country the administration built many tanks to irrigate the land. Most of the civilians are Sinhala, while Tamils and Sri Lankan Moors live in the district.