Anuradhapura
For over 1000 years, Sinhalese kings – and occasional South Indian interlopers – ruled from the palaces of Anuradhapura. It was the most extensive and important of the Sri Lankan royal capitals, but its size and the length of its history, and the length of time since its downfall make it more difficult to comprehend than younger, shorter-lived Plonnaruwa Current-day Anuradhapura is a rather pleasant, planned city. Mature trees shade the main guesthouse areas, and the main street is orderly compared to the ugly concrete agglomerations seen in so many other regional centres.
Getting there & away
BusAnuradhapura has ‘old’ and ‘new’ bus stations – the old bus station is further north, closer to the train station. Private express buses leave from near the old bus station. Buses heading south start at the old bus station and call by the new bus station, while buses heading north to Vavuniya and east to Trincomalee start from the new bus station. It is easier to get a good seat from the starting point. There are departures to Trinco (Rs 47, 3½ hours) from early morning; to Kandy (CTB/intercity bus Rs 75/150, three hours), via Kekirawa and Dambulla, every hour or so until about 5pm; and to Polonnaruwa (Rs 46, three hours) every hour from around 5.30am to 6pm. Buses to Kurunegala (CTB/intercity bus Rs 45/100, two hours) leave every 30 minutes from about 6am; those to Colombo (CTB/intercity bus Rs 107/210, five hours) leave every 30 minutes between 4.30am and 7pm. For Puttalam you may have to catch a bus to Kala Oya (private bus Rs 20), and then another bus on to Puttalam (Rs 27). Buses to Kala Oya go past the road to Wilpattu National Park (get off at Maragahawewa and change for Hunuwilagama).
Train
Anuradhapura has two train stations; the main Anuradhapura station and the smaller Anuradhapura New Town further to the south. Trains to Colombo depart at 7am, 8.40am, 2.30pm and 11.40pm. First-class seats are available on the 7am intercity express and the 2.30pm and 11.40pm trains. It takes four to five hours to reach Colombo, all being well. Prices are Rs 102 for a seat in 3rd class, Rs 191/309 in 2nd class for a seat/sleeper and Rs 420/520 in 1st class for a seat/sleeper. For Matara (9½ hours) and Galle (3rd/2nd class Rs 154/291, 8½ hours) catch the Rajarata Rajini at 5am. You can also travel between Anuradhapura and Kandy by any train, changing at Polgahawela.
History
Anuradhapura first became a capital in 380 BC under Pandukabhaya, but it was under Devanampiya Tissa (r 247–207 BC), during whose reign Buddhism reached Sri Lanka, that it first rose to great importance. Soon Anuradhapura became a great and glittering city, only to fall before a South Indian invasion – a fate that was to befall it repeatedly for more than 1000 years. But before long the Sinhalese hero Dutugemunu led an army from a refuge in the far south to recapture Anuradhapura. The ‘Dutu’ part of his name, incidentally, means ‘undutiful’, because his father, fearing for his son’s safety, forbade him to attempt to recapture Anuradhapura. Dutugemunu disobeyed him, and later sent his father a woman’s ornament to indicate what he thought of his courage.
Dutugemunu (r 161–137 BC) set in motion a vast building program that included some of the most impressive monuments in Anuradhapura today. Other important kings who followed him included Valagamba, who lost his throne in another Indian invasion but later regained it, and Mahasena (r AD 276–303), the last ‘great’ king of Anuradhapura, who was the builder of the colossal Jetavanarama Dagoba. He also held the record for tank construction, building 16 of them in all, plus a major canal. Anuradhapura was to survive for another 500 years before finally being replaced by Polonnaruwa, but it was harassed by invasions from South India again and again – invasions made easier by the cleared lands and great roads that were a product of Anuradhapura’s importance.
Sights
Basawakkulama
Anuradhapura has three great tanks. The oldest tank, probably dating from around the 4th century BC, is the 120-hectare Basawakkulama (the Tamil word for tank is kulam ) to the north.Polonnaruwa 
Once the site of an important royal capital, this town in northeastern central Sri LankaColombo and Batticaloa, and more famously because of its ancient city site, well preserved as a historical park. The fact that it’s conveniently close to several national parks also draws a number of visitors. blossomed into a medium-sized city due to its location along the most important land transport route between Getting there & away
Bus
Polonnaruwa’s main bus station is actually in Kaduruwela, a few kilometres east of the old town on Batticaloa Rd. Buses to and from the west pass through the old-town centre, but if you’re leaving Polonnaruwa and want to make sure of a seat, it’s best to start off at Kaduruwela.
Central Transport Board (CTB) buses run regularly to Kandy (Rs 78). Air-con intercity buses to Kandy (Rs 150, four hours) run until 4pm via Dambulla and Habarana. If you want to get to Dambulla, catch this bus.
CTB buses for Anuradhapura (Rs 60, three hours) leave regularly from 5.15am to 4.15pm; there are no air-con buses. Alternatively, you can go to Habarana and pick up another bus there, but a lot of people do this and seats are rare.
There are regular CTB buses to Colombo (Rs 170, six hours) until 7.15pm. The intercity air-con buses (Rs 230) leave every 30 minutes during the day.
Train
Polonnaruwa is on the Colombo–Batticaloa railway line, and is about 30km southeast of Gal Oya, where the line splits from the Colombo–Trincomalee line. The train station is at Kaduruwela, near the bus station, and in fact the sign over the station entrance reads Kaduruwela Railway Station.
Trains to Colombo (six to seven hours) depart at 8.13am, 8.40pm and 11.27pm. Tickets cost Rs 335 in a 2nd-class sleeper (seat only Rs 285), Rs 560 (seat only Rs 490) in 1st class. For Trincomalee there is a direct train at 3.15pm or you can catch the 8.13am Colombo train and change at Gal Oya for a 12.30pm Trinco-bound train.
Sights
Archaeological Museum
The Archaeological Museum, near the Polonnaruwa Rest House, is first class. It's designed so you walk from one end to the other, passing through a series of rooms, each dedicated to a particular theme: the citadel, the outer city, the monastery area and the periphery, and Hindu monuments. The latter room contains a wonderful selection of bronzes.
Buddha Seema Prasada
Buddha Seema Prasada is the highest building in the Alahana Pirivena group, and it was the monastery abbot's convocation hall. This building features a fine mandapaya (raised platform with decorative pillars).
Gal Vihara
Gal Vihara is a group of beautiful Buddha images that probably marks the high point of Sinhalese rock carving. They are part of Parakramabahu's northern monastery. The Gal Vihara consists of four separate images, all cut from one long slab of granite. At one time each was enshrined within a separate enclosure. You can clearly see the sockets cut into the rock behind the standing image, into which wooden beams would have been inserted.
King's Council Chamber
The king's throne, in the shape of a stone lion, once stood here. It is now in the Colombo's National Museum. Inscribed into each column in the chamber is the name of the minister whose seat was once beside it. The mound nearby becomes an island when the waters of the tank are high; on it are the ruins of a small summer house used by the king.
Kiri Vihara
The building of the dagoba Kiri Vihara is credited to Subhadra, Parakramabahu's queen. Originally known as the Rupavati Chetiya, the present name translates as 'Milk White' because, when the overgrown jungle was cleared away after 700 years of neglect, the original lime plaster was found to be in perfect condition. It is still the best preserved unrestored dagoba at Polonnaruwa.
Lankatilaka
Built by Parakramabahu, and later restored by Vijayabahu IV, the huge gedige Lankatilaka has 17m-high walls, although the roof has collapsed. The cathedral-like aisle leads to a huge standing headless Buddha. The outer walls of the gedige, decorated with bas-reliefs, show typical Polonnaruwa structures in their original state.
Lotus Pond
A track to the left from Polonnaruwa's northern stretch of road leads to the unusual Lotus Pond, nearly 8m in diameter, which has five concentric, descending rings of eight petals each. The pool was probably used by monks.
Nissanka Malla's palace
Concentrated a few steps to the north of the Polonnaruwa Rest House are the ruins of the Nissanka Malla's palace, which aren't in anywhere near the same state of preservation as the royal palace group. The Royal Baths are nearby.
Northern Ruins
You will need a bicycle or other transport to comfortably explore these very spread-out ruins, which are all north of the city wall. They include the Gal Vihara, probably the most famous and beautiful group of Buddha images in Sri Lanka, and the Alahana Pirivena monastic group, which is the subject of a Cultural Triangle restoration project. The Alahana Pirivena group consists of the Rankot Vihara, Lankatilaka, Kiri Vihara, Buddha Seema Prasada and the other structures around them.
Pabula Vihara
Pabula Vihara, also known as the Parakramabahu Vihara, is a typical dagoba from the period of Parakramabahu I. It is the third-largest dagoba in Polonnaruwa.
Quadrangle
Only a short stroll north of the royal palace ruins, the area known as the quadrangle is literally that - a compact group of fascinating ruins in a raised-up area bounded by a wall. It's the most concentrated collection of buildings you'll find in the ancient cities. As well as the following ruins, there's a recumbent image house, chapter house, Bodhisattva shrine and bodhi tree shrine.
Rankot Vihara
The 54m Rankot Vihara dagoba, the largest in Polonnaruwa and the fourth largest on the island, has been ascribed to the reign of King Nissanka Mall. Like the other major dagobas in Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa, the dome consists of earth fill covered by a brick mantle and plaster. The construction clearly imitates the Anuradhapura style. Surgical instruments found in a nearby ruined 12th-century hospital are said to be similar to those used today.
Royal Palace Group
This group of buildings dates from the reign of Parakramabahu I. Parakramabahu's Royal Palace was a magnificent structure measuring 31m by 13m, and is said to have had seven storeys. The 3m-thick walls have holes to receive the floor beams for two higher floors, but if there were another four levels, these must have been made of wood. The roof in this main hall, which had 50 rooms in all, was supported by 30 columns.
Shiva Devale No 1
Just south of the quadrangle, the 13th-century Hindu temple Shiva Devale No 1 displays the Indian influence that returned after Polonnaruwa's Sinhalese florescence. It is notable for the superb quality of its stonework, which fits together with unusual precision. The domed brick roof has collapsed, but when this building was being excavated a number of excellent bronzes, now in the Archaeological Museum, were found.
Shiva Devale No 2
Shiva Devale No 2 is the oldest structure in Polonnaruwa and dates from the brief Chola period when the Indian invaders established the city. Unlike so many buildings in the ancient cities, it was built entirely of stone, so the structure today is much as it was when built.
Southern Ruins
The small southern group of ruins is close to the compound of top-end hotels. By bicycle it's a pleasant ride along the bund of the Topa Wewa (Topa Tank).
Sigiriya
Rising 200m straight up over the dusty plains of north central Sri Lanka, the flat-topped rock formation of Sigiriya is not only one of the island’s most impressive geological formations but also one of its greatest archaeological legacies. The leafy village that has grown up near its base serves the comings and goings of tourists and pilgrims and is of relatively recent origin.Getting there & awaySigiriya is about 10km east of the main road between Dambulla and Habarana. The turn-off is at Inamaluwa. In the morning buses run from Dambulla about every 30 minutes from around 7am (Rs 14, 40 minutes), but they are less frequent in the afternoon. The last bus back to Dambulla leaves at around 7pm (but double-check this). A three-wheeler from Dambulla to Sigiriya costs about Rs 400. History
Originally called Sihagiri (Remembrance Rock) and later dubbed Sigiriya (Lion Rock), the rock mass is actually the hardened magma plug of an extinct volcano that long ago eroded away. Pocked with natural cave shelters and rock overhangs – supplemented over the centuries by numerous hand-hewn additions and modifications – the rock may have been inhabited in prehistoric times.
Popular myth says that the formation served royal and military functions during the reign of King Kassapa (AD 477–495), who allegedly built a garden and palace on the summit. According to this theory, King Kassapa sought out an unassailable new residence after overthrowing and murdering his own father, King Dhatusena of Anuradhapura.
A new theory, supported by archaeological, literary, religious and cultural evidence rather than local legend, says that Sigiriya was never a fortress or palace, but rather a long-standing Mahayana and Theravada Buddhist monastery built several centuries before the time of King Kassapa. Monks were using it as a mountain hermitage by the 3rd century BC, and there is abundant evidence to show it had become an important monastery by the 10th century AD. According to Sigiriya and its Significance: A Mahayana-Theravada Buddhist Monastery, by Dr Raja De Silva, Sri Lanka’s former archaeological commissioner, the ancient site’s much treasured frescoes of buxom women were not portraying ladies from Kassapa’s court, as was popularly believed. Instead, they were intended to represent Tara Devi, an important Mahayana Buddhist goddess.
After the 14th century, the monastery complex was abandoned. British archaeologist HCP Bell discovered the ruins in 1898, which were further excavated by British explorer John Still in 1907. Whatever exact purposes Sigiriya may have served in the past, the visible ruins today suggest a significant urban site complete with relatively sophisticated architecture, engineering, urban planning, hydraulic technology, gardening and art.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
