Temples in Anuradhapura

The Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi is one of the most ancient trees which are living even today standing tall in the Mahamewna Gardens in Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka. The tree is believed to have sprouted from a cutting brought from Bodh Gaya in India, where Gautama Buddha had attained enlightenment.

The Abhayagiri Vihara is one of the most beautiful and exciting structures which is in the atmospheric setting of Anuradhapura. The grand scale of the monastery ruins is genuinely and can be viewed at any time, be it the break of dawn or dusk. The Abhayagiri Vihara has a beautiful and shimmering glow.

Sri Lanka's ancient capital city, Anuradhapura is home to relics, stupas and rocky hills that bring an aura of serenity. Isurumuniya is one of the granite, marble and stone structures located near Tissa Wewa, and this Buddhist temple boasts of architecture and sculptures that showcase the emancipation of the artists. The structure of Isurumuniya is a crossover between a temple and a fortress.

Thuparamaya, also known as Thuparama, is the first stupa which was constructed in Sri Lanka after the introduction to Buddhism and is in the beautiful city of Anuradhapura. The ancient stupa of Thuparamaya was built during the reign of the King Devamnampiyatissa somewhere in the 3rd Century BCE and is said to enshrine the right collar bone of Gautama Buddha.

The Ruwanweliseya stupa is one of the largest stupas or dagobas, which is in the heart of the beautiful heritage city of Anuradhapura. This stupa was built by King Dutugamunu, who was hailed to be the hero of the island. The Ruwanweliseya stupa is also known as the Maha stupa and is one of the most adorned structures of the people of Sri Lanka.

The Brazen Palace or Lovamahapaya is a 2000-year-old palace constructed by King Dutugemunu in 2nd century B.C and had 1600 stone columns that supported nine stories reaching 150 feet and sides of 400 feet length with 1000 rooms. It is also known as the Brazen Place because of the bronze tiles that were used on its roof.

Jayanthi Vihara is a temple in Anuradhapura, the ancient royal capital of Sri Lanka. As the structure functions as a Buddhist temple and school, it is also a great place to observe the daily life of monks and Buddhist teachings. Its founding is attributed to the reign of King Vasabha, and a stupa stands among the remains of the old monastic buildings on the site.

The temple of Sri Kadhiresan, also known as Kadhiresan Kovil, is a Hindu temple close to the Jayanthi Viharaya Buddhist temple. It is dedicated to Lord Murugan, worshipped here as Kadireshan, the youthful god who rides a peacock and carries a spear. The building is Dravidian in style, with elaborate carvings and brightly painted sculpture, and it is busiest at Thaipusam.

The Anuradhapura Maha Viharaya is an important maha viharaya (large Buddhist monastery) for Theravada Buddhism in Sri Lanka. It was founded in the third century BC by King Devanampiya Tissa for the monk Mahinda, who brought Buddhism to the island, and it became the seat from which Theravada orthodoxy was defined. The Sri Maha Bodhi, grown from a cutting of the tree at Bodh Gaya, stands within its precinct.

Lankarama Dagoba is a stupa built by King Vattagamini Abhaya around 1st century BC. One of the sacred Buddha sites in Anuradhapura, the dagoba(stupa) houses stone-pillar ruins around the main stupa. The rows of pillars once carried a roof over the stupa, which is unusual, and the huge man-made Eth Pokuna, or elephant pond, lies a short walk away.