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Anuradhapura! For over 1000 years, Sinhalese kings ruled from this place, a bedrock of Sri Lankan history. The king, Pandukabhaya, founded the city in 380 BC, and another king, Devanampiya, imported Buddhism 100 years later. But it's impossible for Westerners like us to remember names like that when we're used to monarchs called Henry or Louis. Just remember that Anuradhapura kept Sri Lanka under its thumb for the first half of recorded Sri Lankan history. | |||
Elephant
statues and a hungry monkey guard the stairs that ascend to Ruvanvelisaya Dagoba,
one of the largest, oldest, and holiest dagobas in Sri Lanka. A dagoba is a Buddhist
monument in the shape of a solid, steep hill. | |||
The sacred Bodhi Tree. History's
oldest authenticated tree, planted over 2000 years ago by Indian Princess Sangamitta
who brought Buddhism to Sri Lanka. | |||
Buddha
peeps over the trees. | |||