Ruwanweliseya Stupa (Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka)

Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

Founded in 380 BC and a UNESCO world heritage site also one of the oldest and continuously inhabited cities of the world and it was the sacred city and the center of Theravada Buddhism for many centuries.  

One of the major cities in Sri Lanka and the capital city of North Central Province. It was once a major center of Sri Lankan civilization and situated 205 km north of the current of Colombo in the North Central Province, on the banks of the historic Malvathu River.

The ruins of Anuradhapura City are one of South Asia’s most tourist attractions. Comprising ancient and architectural wonders, the complex comprises huge brick stupas, monasteries, crumbling temples and ancient pools, built over thousands of years in Sri Lanka in Anuradhapura. The British explorers who first surveyed the ancient ruins in the 19th century justifiably felt they were rediscovering a “lost” city. Several of these places are in use today as holy places and Buddhist temples.

113 Kings

Anuradhapura was the royal capital of 113 successive kings and 4 queens, with huge artifacts, flower stalls, intricate sculptures, ornamental gardens and a series of stupas built to protect the most sacred relics of Buddhism.

Wonders of Architecture and Engineering

The main Stupas (Dagobas) are the largest architectural works ever attempted in the ancient world, and only the Pyramids of Giza exceed it.

The Sri Maha Bodhi

The Sri Maha Bodhi is possibly the oldest tree in the world. Today, the tree is one of the most sacred relics in Sri Lanka and is revered by Buddhists all over the world.