The Sacred City Of Anuradhapura, and the Rock Carvings in Thanthirimale Anuradhapura is one of two ancient Buddhist cities in Sri Lanka; the second one is our next destination, Polonnaruwa. The old city of Anuradhapura has many ponds, reservoirs and lakes, with many giant stupas and temples situated among green forests and rock-strewn pathways. To visit it, you must pay an entry fee to the entire area, and then you can hire a scooter, a bicycle or a car to tour the many monuments. You must remove your shoes and hat before entering each of the temples and stupas. The pathway stones are often very hot, which does not allow lingering, unless you find a space in the shade from which to observe, or sit to pray among the locals. I will not enumerate here all the names of the stupas to visit and the temples to see. If you plan to visit, you can get a local map that details all the names and their significance. The stupas are called Dagabas in Sinhalese.
Anuradhapura’s greates...
