Anuradhapura Sacred City (the First Royal Capital of Sri Lanka)

Anuradapura was the first royal capital in Sri Lankan history. It was the period that the foundation for a new civilization that gave the Sinhalese a new face. Sinhala civilization has been described as a harmonious blend of two elements: the dagaba, (temple) the symbol of spiritual progress and the wewa, (water tank). First, it saw the birth of a Buddhist civilization. Buddhism, which was introduced into the island in the 3rd century BCE, gave the islanders a view of life The island became one of the most important strongholds of Buddhism in Asia. Thousands of monks came from the Far East for the foundation ceremony of the Mah Thupa. Anuradhapura was an example of excellence of a Hydraulic Civilization, The Sinhalese mastered the art of building gigantic reservoirs or tanks called wewa. . Anuradhapura itself has three large tanks: Abhaya wewa, Nuvara Vava and Tisa vava. The construction of reservoirs, canals and irrigation channels during this period have their excellent examples of water management, the biso kotuva that the Sinhala engineer invented in the pre-Christian era to control water in the tank is considered an engineering marvel. .Buddhist monasteries in anuradhapura period had libraries that attracted scholars even from abroad.The birth of a tradition of Buddhist art and architecture that produced many masterpieces with a distinctively .Anuradhapura is thus the most sacred city of the Sri Lankan Buddhists. The Ruwanveli seya, Abhayagiriya, Jethawanaramaya and Thuparamaya Stupas are still venerated by Buddhists and these massive works along the large tanks reveal the past glory of the city. The sacred Bo Tree (Sri Maha Bodhi) considered the world’s oldest recorded surviving tree; the seated Samadhi statue of the meditating Buddha; Kuttam Pokuna (Twin Ponds), many temples and Isurumuniya are some of the attractions in Anuradhapura