Anuradhapura is a major city in Sri Lanka. It is the capital city of North
Central Province, Sri Lanka and the capital of Anuradhapura District.
Anuradhapura is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, famous for its
well-preserved ruins of ancient Sri Lankan civilization. It was the third
capital of the Kingdom of Rajarata, following the kingdoms of Tambapanni and
Upatissa Nuwara. The city, now a UNESCO World Heritage
Site, was the center of Theravada Buddhism for many centuries. The city
lies 205 km north of the current capital Colombo in Sri Lanka's North Central
Province, on the banks of the historic Malvathu Oya. It is one of the oldest
continuously inhabited cities in the world and one of the eight World
Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka. It is believed that from the fourth
century BC until the beginning of the 11th century AD it was the capital of
the Sinhalese. During this period it remained one of the most stable and
durable centers of political power and urban life in South Asia. The ancient
city, considered sacred to the Buddhist world, is today surrounded by
monasteries covering an area of over sixteen square miles.
Urban Area Protohistoric Iron Age
Although according to historical records the city was founded in the 5th century
BC, the archaeological data put the date as far back as the 10th century BC. Very
little evidence was available about the period before the 5th century BC, though
excavations have revealed information about the earlier inhabitants of the
city. Further excavations in Anuradhapura have
uncovered information about the existence of a protohistoric habitation
of humans in the citadel. The protohistoric Iron Age, which spans from
900 to 600 BC, marked the appearance of iron technology, pottery, the horse,
domestic cattle and paddy cultivation. In the time period 700 to 600 BC, the
settlement in Anuradhapura had grown over an area of at least 50 hectares.
The city was strategically situated of major ports northwest and northeast. It
was surrounded by irrigable and fertile land. The city was also buried deep in
the jungle providing natural defence from invaders.
Lower Early Historic period The Lower Early Historic period,
spanning from 500 to 250 BC, is studied on the lines of the chronicles. During
this time King Pandukabhaya formally planned the city, with gates, quarters
for traders etc. The city at the time would have covered an area of 1 square
kilometre which makes it one of the largest in the continent at the time.
= Beginnings = The layout of Anuradhapura as described
in the Mahavamsa: He laid out four suburbs as well as the
Abhaya-tank, the common cemetery, the place of execution, and the chapel of
the Queens of the West, the banyan-tree of Vessavana and the Palmyra-palm of the
Demon of Maladies, the ground set apart for the Yonas and the house of the Great
Sacrifice; all these he laid out near the west gate.
A hermitage was made for many ascetics; eastward of that same cemetery the ruler
built a house for the nigantha Jotiya.(...) On the further side of
Jotiya's house and on this side of the Gamani tank he likewise built a
monastery for wandering mendicant monks, and a dwelling for the ajivakas and a
residence for the brahmans, and in this place and that he built a lying-in
shelter and a hall for those recovering from sickness.
It is believed that King Pandukabhaya made it his capital in the 4th century
BC, and that he also laid out the town and its suburbs according to a
well-organized plan. He constructed a reservoir named Abhayavapi. He
established shrines for yakkhas such as Kalawela and Cittaraja. He housed the
Yaksini-Cetiya in the form of a mare within the royal precincts and offerings
were made to all these demi-gods every year. He chose the sites for the
cemetery and for the place of execution, the Chapel of the Western Queen, the
Pacchimarajini, the Vessavana Banyan Tree, the Palm of the Vyadhadeva, the
Yona Quarter and the House of the Great Sacrifice. The slaves or Candalas were
assigned their duties and a village was set apart for them. They build dwellings
for Niganthas, for wandering ascetics and for Ajivakas and Brahmanas. He
established, the village boundaries. The tradition that King Pandukabhaya made
Anuradhapura the capital city of Sri Lanka as early as the 4th century BC had
been very important. The administrative and sanitary
arrangements be made for the city and the shrines he provided indicate that
over the years the city developed according to an original master plan.
His son Mutasiva, succeeded to the throne. During his reign of sixty years,
he maintained Anuradhapura as his capital and further laid out the
Mahameghavana Garden which was to play an important role in the early history
of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. It was in the period of his successor, his son
Devanampiya Tissa, that Buddhism was first introduced this island 236 years
after the passing away of the Buddha. Emperor Ashoka of India was a
contemporary of Devanampiya Tissa. Mahinda was the son of Emperor Ashoka of
India. Ashoka embraced Buddhism after he was inspired by a very small monk named
Nigrodha. The king, who was in great misery after seeing the loss of life
caused by his waging wars to expand his empire, was struck by the peaceful
countenance of such a young monk. Meeting this young monk made a turning
point in his life and he thereafter, renounced wars. He was determined to
spread the message of peace, to neutralize the effects from the damages
caused by him through his warfare. As a result, both his son and daughter were
ordained as Buddha disciples, and became enlightened as Arahats. In his quest to
spread the message of peace instead of war, he sent his son Mahinda, to the
island of Lanka, which was also known as “Sinhalé”. According to Dipavamsa and
Mahavamsa, Thera Mahinda came to Sri Lanka from India on the full moon day of
the month of Poson and met King Devanampiyatissa and the people, and
preached the doctrine. Historically this period is believed to
extend from 250 to 210 BC. This is the point at which a kingship began and a
civilization developed based on one of the most significant religions of South
Asia, Buddhism. = Buddhism and Anuradhapura =
With the introduction of Buddhism, the city gained more prominence and the
great building era began. The Mahavansa states that King Kutakannatissa built
the first city wall to a height of seven cubits with a moat in front of the wall.
This fortification was further enlarged by raising the wall a further 11 cubits
to 18 cubits by King Vasabha. The king also added fortified gatehouses at the
entrances of which the ruins can be seen to date. The Mahavamsa also states that
soothsayers and architects were consulted in the construction.
During the late Anuradhapura period, the royal family and nobility of Sri Lanka
strongly supported Buddhism. As such, they frequently commissioned works of
art and donated these items to Buddhist temples. In return, the temple and local
Buddhist community supported the king's rule. Art works featuring depictions of
Avalokitesvara, the Bodhisattva of Mercy and Compassion, became increasing
popular. = Great Building Era =
= The city grows = The city's popularity grew both as a
ritual centre and as the administrative centre, a large population was attracted
to the city for permanent settlement. Thus the living facilities were improved
to accommodate the expanding population. King Vasabha constructed many ponds
which were fed by a network of subterranean channels which were
constructed to supply water to the city. Tissa and Abhayavapi tanks were built,
the Nuwara weva was built and the Malwatu Oya was dammed to build the
Nachchaduwa wewa which was 4,408 acres in size.
Parks were also provided in the city. The Ranmasu Uyana below the bund of
Tissavapi or Tissa weva was one such, but it was strictly reserved for the
members of the royal family. Health care and education were two other aspects to
which the authorities paid attention. There were several hospitals in the
city. In the 4th century King Upatissa II provided quarters and homes for the
crippled and the blind. King Buddhadasa, himself a physician of great repute,
appointed a physician to be in charge of every ten villages. For the maintenance
of these physicians, one tenth of the income from the fields was set apart. He
also set up refuges for the sick in every village. Physicians were also
appointed to look after the animals. Kassapa V founded a hospital close to
the southern gate of Anuradhapura. General Sena in the 10th century is
believed to have built a hospital close to the ceremonial street. The history of
medical care began early, for in the 4th century BC King Pandukhabaya, in the
course of sanitizing the town constructed a hospital. A large
workforce was entrusted with the task of keeping the city clean.
Large lakes were also constructed by the city's rulers to irrigate paddy lands
and also to supply water to the city. Nuwara wewa and Tissa wewa are among the
best known lakes in the city. = The Great City =
Anuradhapura attained its highest magnificence about the commencement of
the common era. 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 these tanks still survive.
= Pictures found in the oldest great city at Anuradhapura excavations =
According to carbon dating, the ruins excavated were from the 10th century BC.
= In ruins = The ruins consist of three classes of
buildings, dagobas, monastic buildings, and pokunas. The dagobas are bell-shaped
masses of masonry, varying from a few feet to over 1100 ft in circumference.
Some of them contain enough masonry to build a town for twenty-five thousand
inhabitants. Remains of the monastic buildings are to be found in every
direction in the shape of raised stone platforms, foundations and stone
pillars. The most famous is the Brazen Palace erected by King Dutugamunu about
164 BC. The pokunas are bathing-tanks or tanks for the supply of drinking water,
which are scattered everywhere through the jungle. The city also contains a
sacred Bo-Tree, which is said to date back to the year 245 BC.
Eight Great Places of Veneration in Anuradhapura - Atamasthana
Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi Ruwanwelisaya
Thuparamaya Lovamahapaya
Abhayagiri Dagaba Jetavanarama
Mirisaveti Stupa Lankarama
Other structures Isurumuniya
Magul Uyana Vessagiri
Rathna Prasadaya Queen's Palace
Dakkhina Stupa Sela Cetiya
Naka Vihara Kiribath Vehera
Kuttam Pokuna Samadhi Statue
Toluwila Statue Ranmasu Uyana
Demographics Source: www.statistics.gov.lk - Census
2001 Transportation
Anuradhapura is served by railway and highways. The Northern railway line
connects Anuradhapura with Colombo, Jaffna, and Kankesanthurai. Anuradhapura
railway station is the city's rail gateway, with major services, such as
the Yal Devi, calling there. Anuradhapura is a central city of Sri
Lanka. It is directly connected to a large number of major cities and towns
of the island. By road, it is connected to Vavuniya, Dambulla, Puttalam,
Trincomalee, Jaffna, Kurunegala and Kandy. Due to its status as a crossroads
city, the city is a good base for exploring many important ancient
landmarks a short distance away. References
Harischandra, B. W.: The Sacred City of Anuradhapura, Reprint. New Delhi, Asian
Educational Services, 1998. Nissanka, H.S.S.: Maha Bodhi Tree in
Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka : The Oldest Historical Tree in the World, New Delhi
1996, R. A. E. Coningham.: The Origins of the
Brahmi Script Reconsidered: The New Evidence from Anuradhapura, Minerva
8(2): 27-31, 1995. R. A. E. Coningham.: Anuradhapura
Citadel Archaeological Project: Preliminary Results of a Season of
Geophysical Survey. South Asian Studies 10: 179-188, 1994.
A. Seneviratne.: Ancient Anuradhapura The Monastic City, Archaeological
Department of Sri Lanka. p. 310, 1994. S. M. Burrows, The Buried Cities of
Ceylon - A Guide Book to Anuradhapura and Polonaruwa Reprint, p. 120, 1999.
External links UNESCO World Heritage List - Sacred City
of Anuradhapura Anuradhapura Case-Study by students of
School of Planning & Architecture Sacred City of Anuradhapura