Sri Lanka tour packages

The holy city of Anuradhapura , The oldest capital city of Sri Lanka now in picturesque ruins, was once a major center of Sri Lankan civilization. It was recognized in 4th century BC and continued upto the starting of 11th century AD. This city evoked based on an agrarian culture. The fascinating ancient ruins include huge bell-shaped stupas built of small sun-dried bricks, temples, sculptures, palaces, and ancient drinking-water reservoirs. Irrespective of numerous attacks and power struggles, the city boomed with comparative steadiness and strong political power. When the city was abandoned due to various causes, this fell into ruins and enclosed with forest until it was invigorated during British law in Sri Lanka . As the nation throughout its time was mostly Buddhist, the majority of the ruins found are related to Buddhism.

Although people may have lived in this area since as early as the 10th century BC, The sacred fig tree is assumed to be planted from a branch of the original tree beneath which Buddha achieved enlightenment. The branch was brought from India by the daughter of Asoka the Great and planted in Anuradhapura in 288 BC. This is look upon as the oldest living human-planted tree in the world.

Anuradhapura went on to become a Ceylonese political and religious capital (4th century BC) that thrived for 1,300 years. In its prime, Anuradhapura ranked next to Nineveh and Babylon in its massive magnitude-its four walls, each 16 miles (26 km) long, surrounding an area of 256 square miles (663 km²)-in the number of its populace, and the luminosity of its shrines and public constructions.

The capital also had a variety of multifaceted irrigation systems of the ancient world. Most of the huge reservoir tanks still stay alive, and some many be the oldest existing reservoirs in the globe.

After an attack in 993 AD, Anuradhapura was enduringly deserted. For centuries, the spot lay hidden in the forest. Later on, it was rediscovered by the British in the 19th century, Anuradhapura became a Buddhist pilgrimage location once again.

The revival of the city of Anuradhapura began in earnest in the 1870s. The new city (population 40,000) is a chief road intersection of northern Sri Lanka and lies along a railway line. The head office of the Archaeological Survey of Ceylon is in Anuradhapura .

At present, the marvelous blessed city of Anuradhapura , with its palaces, monasteries and monuments, draws many Buddhist pilgrims and tourists.