Ancient Cities in Sri Lanka

Anuradhapura – The Birth place of Sinhala Civilization

Anuradhapura has been made royal capital by the king Pandukabhaya in 380 BC.It remained residence and royal capital for 119 successive Singhalese kings till the year 1000 AD,when it was abandoned and the capital moved to Polonnaruwa. you will see some of the most famous as well as the tallest dagoba of Sri- Lanka. remains from palaces ,temples, monasteries, ceremonial baths and the temple of the holy Bo-tree. this tree was grown from a sapling of the very tree under which more than 2500 years ago, the Buddha found enlightenment...






                      
Polonnaruwa- History of Great Kings  

Polonnaruwa had its own fabulous Buddhist architecture and irrigational network

The First Sinhalese king to rule in this period was King Wijayabahu who ruled for 55 years after he defeated the Cholas.(AC 1065-1120). He restored Buddhism to its former glory and was also responsible for economic regeneration.

                                               Dambulla Rock

Since its founding in the 1 century BC by King Valagamba, many improvements and additions have been carried out to the sculptures and paintings over the years.. The temple is a perfect location to view evolution of the ancient Sri Lankan arts. Dambulla is a unique and important historical site because of the amalgamation of the material from many eras.

Of all the cave temples in Sri Lanka, the five caves that form the Raja Maha Vihara at the village of Dambulla, by far is the most impressive. Dambulla is about 12 miles SW of Sigiriya, on the Matale-Anuradhapura Road. The largest cave carries some 48 statues of Lord Buddha alone

Mihintale Rock- (The Guardian of the memory of Mahinda Tero.)

Mihintale is located 221 km from Colombo in the Cultural Triangle of the north-central province of Sri Lanka.

Mihiintale which is the cradle of Buddhism in Sri Lanka is located only 12 kms east of Anuradhapura, close to the Anuradhapura Trincomalee Road. Here on a rock 300 m in height is one of the peaks of a mountainous range known as Mihintale. 

                         Kandy -The Hill Capital Of Sri Lanka

Kandy, the last royal capital of Sri Lanka is a major tourist destination. ( 115 KM from Colombo at 465 meters above sea level). Famous for the Temple of the Tooth and many other temples the city could be called the cultural capital of the island.

Kandy Perahera, the pageant of the temple of tooth where Buddha's tooth is kept is held either in July or August each year to parade the golden caskets is a must see itinerary if one is visiting Sri Lanka during these months. The final night procession is the most spectacular event of the country. More than 50 elephants parade the city accompanied by the drummers, dancers and chieftains.

Kandyan Dance is a dance form that originated in the area called Kandy of the Central hills region in Sri Lanka.

It was originally performed by dancers who were identified as a separate caste under the Kandyan Fudel system. They were aligned to the Temple of the Tooth and had a significant role to play in the Dalada Perahera (procession) held each year by the temple.

                                          Sigiriya Rock

Sigiriya (Lion's rock)- is an ancient rock fortress and palace ruin situated in the central Matale District of Sri Lanka, surrounded by the remains of an extensive network of gardens, reservoirs, and other structures. A popular tourist destination, Sigiriya is also renowned for its ancient paintings (frescos) which are reminiscent of the Ajanta Caves of India. It was used as a rock-shelter mountain monastery from about the 5th century BC, with caves prepared and donated by devotees to the Buddhist Sangha. According to the chronicles as Mahavamsa the entire complex was built by King Kashyapa (AD 477 – 495), and after the king's death, it was used as a Buddhist monastery until 14th century.

                Adams peak- (Sri Pada) – Sri Lanka Holy Mountain

Buddhist devotees who climb the Peak regard God Maha Sumana Saman as their benevolent protector. Buddhism was introduced to Sri Lanka during the reign of King Devanam Piya Tissa (307-266 B.C). He was the grandson of King Pandukabhaya (437-366 B.C), the pre-Buddhist founder of Anuradhapura, capital of Lanka, which lasted for 1500 years up to the middle of the 9th century AD      

                                                              Yapahuwa Kingdom

Yapahuwa was one of the ephemeral capitals of medieval Sri Lanka. The citadel of Yapahuwa lying midway between Kurunagala and Anuradhapura was built around a huge granite rock rising abruptly almost a hundred meters above the surrounding lowlands.
In 1272, King Bhuvenakabahu transferred the capital from Polonnaruwa to Yapahuwa in the face of Dravidian invasions from South India, bringing the Sacred Tooth Relic with him. Following the death of King Bhuvenakabahu in 1284, the Pandyans of South India invaded Sri Lanka once again, and succeeded in capturing Sacred Tooth Relic. Following its capture, Yapahuwa was largely abandoned and inhabited by Buddhist monks and religious ascetics.

The rock fortress complex of Yapahuwa is situated in the Wayamba province of Sri Lanka. About 4 km southeast of the town and railway station of Maho, midway between Kurunegala and Anuradhapura.
The original name of this Buddhist Heritage site is Yapawwa though now often called as Yapahuwa which is a kind of distortion of its genuine etymological sense.