Anuradhapura Sacred City
North-central Sri Lankan city of Anuradhapura. The Aruvi Aru River runs alongside it. The most well-known of Sri Lanka's ancient fortified towns is Anuradhapura, which is still standing today as an archaeological park and was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1982. Aside from temples, statues, palaces, and historic drinking-water reservoirs, the nearby area is home to enormous bell-shaped dagobas, which are Buddhist memorial shrines made of little sun-dried bricks. Additionally, the city is home to a historic pipal tree, which many think was formerly a branch of the Bo tree in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India, where Gautama Buddha obtained enlightenment. The Bo tree branch, which may be the oldest tree in existence for which there is any historical record, was planted in Anuradhapura in 245 BCE.
Naga stele from the 10th century, found in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka.
Naga stele from the 10th century, found in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka.
Founded in the fifth century BCE, Anuradhapura served as the Sinhalese capital of Sri Lanka until the eleventh century CE, when invasions from South India compelled the relocation of the city. The city was abandoned and overtaken by jungle until it was rediscovered by the British in the 19th century, at which point it turned into a Buddhist pilgrimage site. In the 1870s, the city started to recover seriously. The modern city, which was mostly relocated in the middle of the 20th century to maintain the location of the ancient capital, is a significant road junction in northern Sri Lanka and is situated across a railway line. The city serves as the administrative center for Sri Lanka's archaeological survey, and tourism plays a big role in the country's economy.
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