What do we know about Anuradhapura?

Let’s start with a little bit of the history of this ancient city.

There were three historical regions in Sri Lanka, the Kingsdom of Rajarata, kingdom of Tambapanni and kingsdom of Upatissa Nuwara which existed for about 1,700 years. Anuradhapura was once a magnificent city in the kingdom of Rajarata (rā dja ra tə) founded by King Pandukabhaya. Out of the 3 kingdoms, Rajarata was under the direct administration of the King and the other kingdoms, Malayarata and Ruhunurata were ruled by the king’s brothers (map). With the invasion of Magha in the 13th century the magnificent Rajarata kingdom saw the end of its glory.

This ancient city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since it was the center of Theravada Buddhism for many centuries.

 

How to get there?

I takes around 3 to 4 hours to get to Anuradhapura from Colombo (See map).

If you are making use of the public transport. You might need to get a Tuk Tuk (Taxi) from Anuradhapura to get around.

Some Tuk Tuk drivers will do the entire tour of the city for LKR 1500/-

You can always find a affordable place to relax in the city. We suggest you get a AC rooms, they are quite good and clean for the price.

 

Click Here to see more picture from Anuradhapura.