Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Citadel
Time has not been kind to the Citadel and its once-great walls have almost entirely been
reabsorbed by the earth.
Royal Palace
RUIN
Built in 1070 (some 12 centuries after Anuradhapura's fall) this palace was an attempt by
King Vijayabahu I to link his reign with the glories of the ancient Sinhalese capital. Little
remains today except two fine guardstones.
Mahapali Refectory
RUIN
The Mahapali refectory is notable for its immense trough (nearly 3m long and 2m wide)
that the lay followers filled with rice for the monks.
Dalada Maligawa
RUIN
In the Royal Palace area you can also find the Dalada Maligawa, a temple that may have
been the first Temple of the Tooth. The sacred Buddha's tooth originally came to Sri Lanka
in AD 313.
Jetavanarama
Jetavanarama Dagoba
BUDDHIST TEMPLE
The Jetavanarama Dagoba's massive dome rises above the entire eastern part of
Anuradhapura. Built in the 3rd century by Mahasena, it may have originally topped 120m,
but today is about 70m - similar to the Abhayagiri. When it was built it was almost cer-
tainly the third-tallest monument in the world, the first two being Egyptian pyramids.
Its vast, bulbous form is unplastered and said to consist of more than 90 million bricks.
