A town of north-central Sri Lanka north-northeast of Colombo. The ancient capital of Sinhalese kings of Ceylon, it has extensive ruins and is a Buddhist pilgrimage center. Population: 53,200.
Anuradhapura
Dictionary:
A·nu·ra·dha·pur·a (ŭn'ə-rä'də-pʊr'ə, ə-nʊr'ə-)  |
A town of north-central Sri Lanka north-northeast of Colombo. The ancient capital of Sinhalese kings of Ceylon, it has extensive ruins and is a Buddhist pilgrimage center. Population: 53,200.
| Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: Anuradhapura |
For more information on Anuradhapura, visit Britannica.com.
| Archaeology Dictionary: Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka |
[Si]
Ancient capital city from the introduction of Buddhism to the island in the 3rd century bc through to the 8th century ad when it was abandoned because of Tamil incursions from southern India. The site covers more than 100ha and amongst the numerous and important buildings in the city are palaces, monasteries, and stupa.
[Rep.: R. A. E. Coningham and F. R. Allchin, 1995, The rise of the cities in Sri Lanka. In F. R. Allchin (ed.), The archaeology of early Historic South Asia: the emergence of cities and states. Cambridge: CUP]
| Buddhism Dictionary: Anurādhapura |
City of Sri Lanka located in the northern part of the country which, from around the 4th century bce, was the capital of the island. According to legend the city was founded by King Paṇḍukābhaya. It is the site of important historical monasteries such as the Mahāvihāra, the Abhayagiri, and the Jetavana. It is here that the branch of the original Bodhi Tree brought to the island by Sanghamittā was planted to become what now is popularly believed to be the oldest tree in the world. In the 10th century ce, because of repeated attacks from India, the capital was moved to Polonaruva. Ordinations of south-east Asians were still being carried out in the 13th and 14th centuries, but the city was abandoned as a monastic site after its destruction by the Portuguese. It probably remained a pilgrimage centre for some time but was not reclaimed from the jungle until the 19th century.
| Columbia Encyclopedia: Anuradhapura |
Anuradhapura (ənū'rädəpū'rə) or Anarajapura (ənä'räjə-), city (1995 est. pop. 40,000), N central Sri Lanka, on the Aruvi River. Rice plantations and vegetable gardens surround the city, which is famous chiefly for its vast Buddhist ruins and as a pilgrimage center. Founded in 437 B.C., it was the capital of a Sinhalese kingdom and a Buddhist center until the 8th cent. A.D., when, after a Tamil invasion, it was abandoned in favor of Pollonarrua. Ruins include several colossal stupas (some larger than the pyramids of Egypt), a temple hewn from rock, and the Brazen Palace (so called from its metal roof). A sacred bo tree at Anuradhapura was grown from a slip of the tree at Bodh Gaya, India, under which Buddha reputedly attained enlightenment. The Archaeological Survey of Sri Lanka has its headquarters in the city.
| Wikipedia: Anuradhapura |
| Anuradhapura | |
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  Anuradhapura
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| Coordinates: 8°21′N 80°23′E / 8.35°N 80.383°E | |
| Country |  Sri Lanka |
| Province | North Central Province |
| Established | 4th century BC |
| Area | |
| - Total | 2,771.8 sq mi (7,179 km2) |
| - Land | 2,573 sq mi (6,664 km2) |
| - Water | 198.8 sq mi (515 km2) |
| Population (2001) | |
| - Total | 53,151 |
| - Density | 20.7/sq mi (8/km2) |
| Time zone | Sri Lanka Standard Time Zone (UTC+5:30) |
Anuradhapura, (අනුරාධපුර in Sinhala, அனுராதபுரம் in Tamil), is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, famous for its well-preserved ruins of ancient Lankan civilization.
The city, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies 205 km north of the current capital Colombo in Sri Lanka's North Central Province, on the banks of the historic Malvathu Oya.
From the 4th century BC, it was the capital of Sri Lanka until the beginning of the 11th century AD. During this period it remained one of the most stable and durable centers of political power and urban life in South Asia. The ancient city, considered sacred to the Buddhist world, is today surrounded by monasteries covering an area of over sixteen square miles (40 km²).
Contents |
The city
- Protohistoric Iron Age
Although according to historical records the city was founded in the 5th century BC, the archaeological data put the date as far back as the 10th century BC[citation needed]. Very little evidence was available about the period before the 5th century BC (i.e. the protohistoric period), though excavations have revealed information about the earlier inhabitants of the city.
Further excavations in Anuradhapura have uncovered information about the existence of a protohistoric habitation of humans in the citadel. The protohistoric Iron Age which spans from 900 to 600 BC, marked the appearance of iron technology, pottery, the horse, domestic cattle and paddy cultivation. In the time period 700 to 600 BC the settlement in Anuradhapura had grown over an area of at least 50 ha. The city was strategically situated of major ports northwest and northeast, it was surrounded by irrigable and fertile land. The city was also buried deep in the jungle providing natural defence from invaders.
- Lower Early Historic period
The Lower Early Historic period, spanning from 500 to 250 BC, is studied on the lines of the chronicles. During this time King Pandukabhaya formally planned the city, with gates, quarters for traders etc. The city at the time would have covered an area of 1 square kilometre which makes it one of the largest in the continent at the time.
Beginnings
| Sacred City of Anuradhapura* | |
|---|---|
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
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| State Party |  Sri Lanka |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | ii, iii, vi |
| Reference | 200 |
| Region** | Asia-Pacific |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 1982 (6th Session) |
| * Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. ** Region as classified by UNESCO. |
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The layout of Anuradhapura as described in the Mahavamsa:
- "He laid out four suburbs as well as the Abhaya-tank, the common cemetery, the place of execution, and the chapel of the Queens of the West, the banyan-tree of Vessavana and the Palmyra-palm of the Demon of Maladies, the ground set apart for the Yonas and the house of the Great Sacrifice; all these he laid out near the west gate." Mahavamsa X, trans. Wilhelm Geiger
- "A hermitage was made for many ascetics; eastward of that same cemetery the ruler built a house for the nigantha Jotiya.(...) On the further side of Jotiya's house and on this side of the Gamani tank he likewise built a monastery for wandering mendicant monks, and a dwelling for the ajivakas and a residence for the brahmans, and in this place and that he built a lying-in shelter and a hall for those recovering from sickness." Mahavamsa X, trans. Wilhelm Geiger
It is said that King Pandukabhaya made it his capital in the 4th century BC, and that he also laid out the town and its suburbs according to a well organised plan. He constructed a reservoir named Abhayavapi. He established shrines for yakkhas such as Kalawela and Cittaraja. He housed the Yaksini-Cetiya in the form of a mare within the royal precincts and offerings were made to all these demi-gods every year. He chose the sites for the cemetery and for the place of execution, the Chapel of the Western Queen, the Pacchimarajini, the Vessavana Banyan Tree, the Palm of the Vyadhadeva, the Yona Quarter and the House of the Great Sacrifice. The slaves or Candalas were assigned their duties and a village was set apart for them. They build dwellings for Niganthas, for wandering ascetics and for Ajivakas and Brahmanas. He established, the village boundaries. The tradition that King Pandukabhaya made Anuradhapura the capital city of Sri Lanka as early as the fourth century BC had been very important.
The administrative and sanitary arrangements be made for the city and the shrines he provided indicate that over the years the city developed according to an original master plan. His son Mutasiva, succeeded to the throne. During his reign of sixty years, he maintained Anuradhapura as his capital and further laid out the Mahameghavana Garden which was to play an important role in the early history of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. It was in the period of his successor, his son Devanampiya Tissa, that Buddhism was first introduced this island 236 years after the passing away of the Buddha. Emperor Ashoka in India was a contemporary of Devanampiya Tissa. Historically this period is considered to extend from 250 to 210 BC. This is the point at which a kingship began and a civilization developed based on one of the most significant religions of South Asia, Buddhism.
Buddhism and Anuradhapura
With the introduction of Buddhism, the city gained more prominence and the great building era began. The Mahavansa states that King Kutakannatissa built the first city wall to a height of seven cubits with a moat in front of the wall. This fortification was further enlarged by raising the wall a further 11 cubits to 18 cubits by King Vasabha. The king also added fortified gatehouses at the entrances of which the ruins can be seen to date. The Mahavamsa also states that soothsayers and architects were consulted in the construction.
Great Building Era
The city grows
The city's popularity grew both as a ritual centre and as the administrative centre, a large population was attracted to the city for permanent settlement. Thus the living facilities were improved to accommodate the expanding population. King Vasabha constructed many ponds which were fed by a network of subterranean channels which were constructed to supply water to the city. Tissa and Abhayavapi tanks were built, the Nuwara weva was built and the Malwatu Oya was dammed to build the Nachchaduwa wewa which was 4408 acres (17.84 km²) in size.
Parks were also provided in the city. The Ranmasu Uyana below the bund of Tissavapi or Tisa weva was one such, but it was strictly reserved for the members of the royal family. Health care and education were two other aspects to which the authorities paid attention. There were several hospitals in the city. In the forth century King Upatissa II provided quarters and homes for the crippled and the blind. King Buddhadasa (337-365 AD), himself a physician of great repute, appointed a physician to be in charge of every ten villages. For the maintenance of these physicians, one tenth of the income from the fields was set apart. He also set up refuges for the sick in every village. Physicians were also appointed to look after the animals. Kassapa V (914-923 AD) founded a hospital close to the southern gate of Anuradhapura. General Sena in the tenth century is believed to have built a hospital close to the ceremonial street (Managala Veediya). The history of medical care began early, for in the fourth century BC King Pandukhabaya, in the course of sanitizing the town constructed a hospital. A large workforce was entrusted with the task of keeping the city clean.
Large lakes were also constructed by the city's rulers to irrigate paddy lands and also to supply water to the city. Nuwara wewa and Tissa wewa are among the best known lakes in the city.
The great city
Anuradhapura attained its highest magnificence about the commencement of the Christian era. The city had some of the most complex irrigation systems of the ancient world, situated in the dry zone of the country the administration built many tanks to irrigate the land. Most of these tanks still survive.
In ruins
The ruins consist of three classes of buildings, dagobas, monastic buildings, and pokunas. The dagobas are bell-shaped masses of masonry, varying from a few feet to over 1100 ft (340 m) in circumference. Some of them contain enough masonry to build a town for twenty-five thousand inhabitants. Remains of the monastic buildings are to be found in every direction in the shape of raised stone platforms, foundations and stone pillars. The most famous is the Brazen Palace erected by King Dutugamunu about 164 BC. The pokunas are bathing-tanks or tanks for the supply of drinking water, which are scattered everywhere through the jungle. The city also contains a sacred Bo-Tree, which is said to date back to the year 245 BC.
Ancient ruins
Main article: Ancient constructions of Sri Lanka
Main article: Architecture of ancient Sri Lanka
Ruins of Anuradhapura
Eight Great Places of Veneration in Anuradhapura - Atamasthana
- Sri Maha Bodhiya
- Ruwanwelisaya
- Thuparamaya
- Lovamahapaya
- Abhayagiri Dagaba
- Jetavanarama
- Mirisaveti Stupa
- Lankarama
Other structures
- Isurumuniya
- Magul Uyana
- Vessagiri
- Rathna Prasadaya
- Queen's Palace
- Dakkhina Stupa
- Sela Cetiya
- Naka Vihara
- Kiribath Vehera
- Kuttam Pokuna
- Samadhi Statue
- Toluwila Statue
Other ruins
In the sacred city of Anuradhapura and in the vicinity are a large number of ruins. These have not been identified properly and many have been destroyed either by Tamil invaders or by vandals. Neither the tourists nor the pilgrims had paid much attention to these ruins and information regarding this is meager. Although Avukana is not situated in the sacred city of Anuradhapura, the pilgrims never fail to pay homage to this statue.
Demographics
| Ethnicity | Population | % Of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Sinhalese | 51,775 | 91.42 |
| Sri Lankan Moors | 3,825 | 6.75 |
| Sri Lankan Tamils | 850 | 1.50 |
| Indian Tamils | 45 | 0.08 |
| Other (including Burgher, Malay) | 137 | 0.24 |
| Total | 56,632 | 100 |
Source: www.statistics.gov.lk - Census 2001
See also
- Avukana Buddha Statue
- Sigiriya
- Polonnaruwa
- Buddhism
- World Heritage List
- Mihintale
- Thammannakulama
- Place names in Sri Lanka
Maps
References
- Harischandra, B. W.: The Sacred City of Anuradhapura, Reprint. New Delhi, Asian Educational Services, 1998.
- Nissanka, H.S.S.: Maha Bodhi Tree in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka : The Oldest Historical Tree in the World, New Delhi 1996, (Reprint. Vikas)
- R. A. E. Coningham.: The Origins of the Brahmi Script Reconsidered: The New Evidence from Anuradhapura, Minerva 8(2): 27-31, 1995.
- R. A. E. Coningham.: Anuradhapura Citadel Archaeological Project: Preliminary Results of a Season of Geophysical Survey. South Asian Studies 10: 179-188, 1994.
- A. Seneviratne.: Ancient Anuradhapura The Monastic City, Archaeological Department of Sri Lanka. p. 310, 1994.
- S. M. Burrows, The Buried Cities of Ceylon - A Guide Book to Anuradhapura and Polonaruwa Reprint, p. 120, 1999.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Anuradhapura |
- More Information and Images about Anuradhapura
- Full text of the Mahavamsa, Chap.X
- The Sacred City of Anuradhapura
- UNESCO World Heritage List - Sacred City of Anuradhapura
- Anuradhapura
- The Official Website of the Ancient Tantirimale Viharaya
- Official website of the Sri Lanka Tourism Board
- Anuradhapura in AsiaExplorers
- List of traditional names for cities in the North and East (Archived 2009-10-25)
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