ANURADAPURA
Post categories: Destinations
The city lies 205 km (127 mi) north of the current capital Colombo in Sri Lanka’s North Central Province.Majestically located in the North Central Province, the city of Anuradhapura was first settled by Anuradha, a follower of Prince Vijaya the founder of the Sinhalese race. Throughout the timeline which goes back to nearly 1000 years, Sinhalese kings and occasional South Indian intruders reigned from the palaces of Anuradhapura. It was the most extensive and significant of the Sri Lankan royal capitals, but its extent of its history since its collapse, make it more difficult to understand than younger, shorter-lived Polonnaruwa.
Many ancient monuments still stand tall, and have become a fascinating place for site seeing. Ruwanwelisaya stands on the top of the must see list when in Anuradhapura as it’s one of the tallest stupas in the country, and 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. At present the city is a rather delightful, inspiring memento of a glorious past, worthy of being named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site out of the eight named from Sri Lanka.