3/11: Anuradhapura UNESCO Sights: World's Oldest Tree!

Before embarking on a day-long tour of the architectural and archaeological wonders of Anuradhapura, we asked our tuk tuk driver to take us to the train station so we could buy tickets for our journey south the next morning to near the capital's airport.

Anuradhapura became Sri Lanka's first capital in 380 BC under King Pandukabhaya but the city rose to great prominence under Devanampiya Tissa who ruled from 307-267 BC. It was during his rule that Buddhism reached the country from India. Anuradhapura was the epicenter of the island's Buddhist civilization for about 1300 years. The city's importance was reinforced when the relic of Buddha's tooth was enshrined in the city in the 4th century AD. When the Sinhalese hero Dutugemunu ruled the city from 161-137 BC, a mammoth building program was undertaken which included some of the most impressive monuments in the ancient city that was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

As the scale of the complex was huge, we were so glad we had the tuk tuk driver for the full day so we could see as many of the sights as we had the energy for before our interest flagged! The ruins were divided into four main zones so, to make it simple, we started at Isurumuniya Vihara as the ticket office was nearby. The rock temple dated to the 3rd century BC and was located around a beautiful lotus pond. 

There was a small museum by the stupa. Never ones to pass by a museum we entered only to see a sign indicating no photos. The guard, however, was asleep. I joked with Steven that was the type of museum I liked!

The sign said this was the King's Family from 6th-8th century AD.

These Isurumuni Lovers were from the 4th-6th century.

We figured we were in good shape from climbing almost 2,000 steps the day before to the top of Mihintale so a few more steps here would be easy!

The view from one tower to another:

We had climbed around the back of the summit of the rock so we could see the bell-shaped stupa and especially because it had a pair of Buddha footprints etched into the rock.

The bell-shaped stupa:

In each 'corner' of the round stupa was a niche with a Buddha.

After spending a week by then exploring the ruins in the country's Ancient Cities, we knew to expect to see a Bodhi tree or sacred tree by each temple. This was the one closest to the rock temple.

You can see where we climbed up to the top of the rock and then down a few steps to the bell-shaped stupa in the rear.

A corner of the pond was carved with images of elephants playing with water.

The drive to the Archaeological Museum took about 10 minutes and past some lovely terrain.

It was soon apparent that the common feature at Anuradhapura was its many, many ponds, the likes of which we'd never seen before!

The recently renovated museum was located in an old British colonial administration building.

I read that the foundation of stupas generally extended down to the bedrock by laying huge boulders on soil puddled with water. Then the elephants were allowed to tread on it to compact the soil. The stupa would then be placed on a platform raised above the ground level. The dome of any stupa was made only out of bricks and plastered lime. Inside the dome, relic chambers were built to hold relics of course! Stupas could be bell-shaped, pear-shaped, bubble-shaped or paddy-heap-of-rice shape whatever the latter one meant!

I read that ash, charcoal, other, soil, white clay, the sap, and bark of trees all were used to make pigments and colors in ancient times. The colors were applied with fingertips and wooden sticks which must have been the precursor of popsicle sticks!

I hope you're prepared to look at a few Buddha statues as the museum was full of them! The ones in the glass cabinet came from the 7th century.

The exquisite bronze statue of Shiva Nataraja represented one form of God Shiva according to Hinduism and symbolized the tandava dance of Shiva as a comic dancer. His dancing posture was performed by maintaining the balance of the body by placing the weight on one foot. The statue was thought to have been brought from south India in the 11th century. 

And more Buddha statues!

The clay statues belonged to the ancient Sri Lankan culture. Their height varied from 4-30cms. Wet clay was used to build the basic structure with clay balls used to complete the statue with hands and legs. The ancient people believed they would prosper when they created clay figures. Most clay figures were found in agricultural areas. These likely came from the 2nd century BC.

In the 8th century, a new order of ascetic monks moved to the western edge of Anuradhapura. They chose to live among the lowest castes of people and clothed themselves in scraps of fabric taken from graveyards. They renounced the luxury of the main monastery and are thought to have lived on nothing but rice. To show their disdain for monks who chose to live more luxuriously, they carved beautiful stone squat-style toilets with their brother monks' monasteries represented on the bottom! Their urinals depicted the god of wealth bestowing handfuls of coins down the hole. I learned that ironically the world's most ornate toilets were still some of the most beautifully ornate objects in all of Anuradhapura! 

Patanagala was a special type of monastery built for meditation. It was constructed in a special architectural tradition as a twin structure on a rock outcrop surrounded by a moat. Although carvings and sculptures weren't used in this type of monastic building, urinal and lavatory structures were built with ornate carvings!

It was surprising that there was hardly another soul at any of the archaeological sites here at Anuradhapura compared to the throngs of people at Polonnaruwa. I was at a loss to explain why there were so few people visiting this amazing site and ancient city.

This was one of the two moonstones in Sri Lanka that have been described as exceptionally artistic. The word 'moonstone' referred to the shape of the stone, not the variety of stone. This one was created between the 7th and 8th centuries. We tried to count the many species of animals that had been so elaborately carved. 

I loved the jovial dwarf figures on the steps!

Our driver took us to Ratnaprasada next which was part of the Abhayagiri Monastery zone which was described as arguably "the most evocative part of the entire ancient city."

Though most of the 8th century Jewel Palace was now in ruins, it had originally been seven stories tall. The entrance was marked by a gorgeous, carved muragala or guardstone which depicted the Cobra King holding a full vase and a flowering branch. At the king's feet was a dwarf attendant.

The Elephant Pond by the ruins was used for swimming and washing by 5,000 monks. It may have been used as an ancient water storage tank and not as a pool for pachyderms. The pond was so large that six Olympic-sized pools could fit inside it easily!

The Rectory at the same site also was built for the same number of monks. The rice buffet looked like a trough for horses!

This was all that remained of the nearby kitchen and storage areas. 

The immense Abhayagiri Stupa was built in the 1st century BC and was 235 feet high and 310 feet wide. When the Central Cultural Fund began the conservation of the stupa in 1997, almost 2,900,000 bricks were used at a cost of 530 million rupees or more than $7 million which was an enormous amount in such a struggling nation so that the faithful could pray there.

The temple was the ceremonial focus of the 5,000-strong monastery and was originally over 100 meters high. As such it was one of the greatest structures in the ancient world and only matched by the Giza pyramids in Egypt and by a nearby Buddhist stupa we'd see shortly. The name of the stupa meant Hill of Protection or Fearless Hill. Scripture recorded a statue of a golden bull containing relics of the Buddha lay in the middle of the stupa.

I know it's hard to see from this photo but all the sand surround the stupa had been painstakingly raked earlier.

We really appreciated the long sisal runner that protected our bare tootsies from the hot stones!

Small elephant busts adorned the exterior of the stupa every dozen feet or so as we walked clockwise around.

It was such a delight seeing the shade provided by the tree after hopping around the hot pavement! We were only one-third around the stupa by this point as it was huge.

Grass was beginning to grow from between the bricks.

We figured this was probably a shrine but weren't sure. 

An octagonal yupa or spire once topped the dagoba before this square top was placed here. 

A sign indicated there was evidence that the Bodhi Tree Shrine once had four Buddha images on the four sides. As the original Bodhi tree was no longer in existence, this was one of the four ancient tree shrines in Abhayagiri. The Buddha image built within a Bodhi tree was supposed to be the most exquisite image found in Sri Lanka. It was sculpted between the 5th and 6th centuries AD and likely was a gift and had once been studded with jewels. The Samadhi Buddha was seated in the samadhi or meditation pose.

I asked our driver why there were cattle grazing in such a sacred area. He responded, saying there was no grass on their farms.

South of the stupa was the Abhayagiri Museum. Though it wasn't such an imposing structure as the Archaeological Museum, it still had an interesting collection of religious sculptures and other items from the site.

A statue of a lion:

Limestone Buddha statues:

These 12th century ornamental stone slabs came from the Eastern Altar of the Abhayagiri Stupa.

More limestone objects:

The Eight Auspicious Symbols were a common feature in Indian culture. The ancient religious work Darmapradeepikawa stated that the sacred footprint of Lord Buddha contained 108 such symbols. Prosperity and fertility could be determined by the eight major symbols found in the footprint and other carvings.

The lavatory stone appeared to be identical to the one we'd also seen outside the previous museum.

Kuttam Pokuna or Twin Ponds were like swimming pools and had been used by monks from the nearby Kaparamula dormitory. Water entered the larger pond through the mouth of a mythical hybrid beast called a makara that featured the body of a fish, an elephant's trunk, and a crocodile's mouth. The water then flowed through a pipe underground.

The entrance to the larger pond:

The ponds were the end of the Abhayagiri Monastery area.

We proceeded next to the Citadel area which, though it dated from a later period than most of the Buddhist constructions, had not fared as well. We looked first at the Dalada Maligawa whose central relic chamber may have once been the first Temple of the Tooth in the 4th century AD and was therefore considered very important to religious Sri Lankans.

Directly across the road was the Mahapali Refectory and another immense trough for feeding rice to many monks at a time.

Next up in the Citadel area was the Royal Palace which was built in 1070, about 1200 years after the height of Anuradhapura's importance.  

Since only two small guard stones remained from the ruins, we were done within five short minutes seeing the palace!

I am sure the water buffalo and the cattle egrets loved having the place almost entirely to themselves.

Our driver took us next to Jetavanarama, the biggest stupa in the world that was built using 93 million bricks, and which dominated the eastern section of Anuradhapura. A British guidebook from the early 1900s estimated that many bricks would have been enough to build a wall three meters high from London to Edinburgh! Built in the 3rd century by King Mahasena, it likely then topped 120 meters but now was 'only' 70 meters high. When it was constructed, just two Egyptian pyramids were taller in the whole world!

Darlene: Was I ever glad you gave me these socks as the pavement was incredibly hot and we'd learned our lesson after walking around all the scorching sites at Polonnaruwa sockless!

The elephant figures on the lower level represented good luck.

Hardly recognizable was Ganesh, the god of prosperity and knowledge.

Around the Buddhist stupa were the ruins of a monastery that once housed 3,000 monks!

Not too far away was the Mahavihara zone which was the heart of Anuradhapura and therefore the focus of religious practices which drew crowds of believers dressed to the nines. Relics in this area came from between the 3rd and 11th centuries AD.

In a serene wooded setting was Thuparama Dagoba, the oldest stupa in Sri Lanka and likely the oldest visible one in the world! Built in the 3rd century BC by King Devanampiya Tissa, worshippers believe it contains the right collarbone of the Buddha. It used to have a 'heap of paddy rice' shape but it was modified to the more conventional bell shape in 1862.

One of the stunning guardstones by the entrance:

This was the only stupa we'd seen that had a small separate shrine surrounded by pillars.

As we were about to leave, a long procession of monks made their way to the stupa with their offerings of flowers. They were followed by faithful, all dressed in white as a sign of respect, also carrying items to leave. Did we luck out seeing them!

We asked our driver when we got back to the car why there were so many monks and learned the monks and the others had come for the full moon festival. We just happened to be in the right place at the right time as we hadn't known anything about it before then!

Another of the star sights at Anuradhapura was Ruvanvelisaya Dagoba, a magnificent gleaming white stupa. During its consecration in 140 BC, some of Buddha's ashes were thought to have been enshrined here in a grand ceremony attended by monks who had come from as far away as Kashmir and Afghanistan! At that time it would have been the biggest stupa in the world. I felt honored to be in such august surroundings.

It was a pretty brutal 95 degrees plus lots of humidity by 1 that day. I thank my lucky stars we didn't go to Sri Lanka in the hot season as we'd have melted. This was plenty hot for us!

The dagoba was guarded by a frieze of 344 elephants who stood shoulder to shoulder. These replaced ones from 140 BC and were a staggering sight to behold!

For some reason, we only saw women chanting, no men, as we walked around the entire perimeter.

The stupa 'only' reached a height of 55 meters now because it had been severely damaged by invading Indian forces when it was considerably higher. Its shape had also been modified from the original 'bubble' shape.

Offerings of prayer flags adorned the tables. 

In the small pavilion adjacent to the stupa was a limestone statue of possibly King Dutugemunu who commissioned the stupa's construction. As he didn't live to see it completed, a false bamboo and cloth finish was placed around the stupa so the king's final view was of his 'completed' masterpiece. 

Because it had been so brutally hot walking on the pavement (even with socks on), it was a relief to escape to the relatively cool of the covered area where believers had lit votive candles.

The area around the dagoba was filled with the remains of ponds and pools, pillars, and columns.

We spotted several egrets at Basawak Kulama, another of the storage tanks that were common to Anuradhapura and which had been commissioned by the city's kings to provide water for irrigation and to provide tax revenue for the Buddhists. This was the oldest tank, probably dating to the 4th century BC.

If I had had a swimsuit, I would have gone swimming then, too!

Away from the main historic and sacred areas were several important sites. One was Mirisavatiya Dagoba which had been built by King Dutugemunu after he recaptured the city in the 2nd century BC. According to the legend, he went to bathe in the tank, leaving his fancy scepter planted in the bank. On emerging from the water, he was no longer able to pull his scepter out as it contained a relic of the Buddha. He took this as an auspicious sign to have the dagoba placed on the site.

Tissa Wewa, another water tank, was a favorite with pelicans.

The driver took us back to the Mahavihara zone as we'd missed seeing its Lowanahapaya or the Brazen Palace, so-called because it once had a bronze-tiled roof although I didn't get that connection. I wonder if the translators got it wrong and it should have been called the Bronze Palace!

I felt bad we didn't have all-white clothes to wear as a sign of respect as requested when we explored the sacred sights at Anuradhapura.

Another sacred tree was in full bloom and looked fantastic.

All that was left of the palace was an impressive array of 1600 columns that had once supported a nine-story high building that accommodated 1,000 monks. Built more than 2,000 years ago, it was rebuilt over time but less grandly each time. Sadly, the palace was closed.

Another reason for returning to this area was to view Sri Mada Bodhi or the sacred bodhi tree that was central to Anuradhapura in both a physical and spiritual sense. The tree had grown from a cutting carried over from Bodhgaya in India and it's believed to be the oldest historically authenticated tree in the world! The tree has been tended by an uninterrupted series of caretakers for over 2,000 years! Not surprisingly, thousands of devotees come from all over to bring offerings, especially on full moon days, which we had unknowingly had done, too. 

The tree:

It was more easily viewed once we accessed the second level.

Another beautiful moonstone graced the portal.

Cuttings had been taken from the Bodhi tree to grow new trees nearby.

There was much greater security at this part of Anuradhapura because there had been a terrorist bombing here last year.

You can understand the importance of the sacred tree because of the presence of monks and other worshippers who gathered underneath it.

Our time at Anuradhapura had been a peaceful and religious experience as we were in the presence of world-famous sites considered holy to Buddhists and it was important for that 'vibe' not to be carried over to us even though we weren't followers or adherents of that faith.

We were only too relieved to be back at our very humble abode by 3:30, however, as we were totally spent by the heat. I remember dousing my head in water several times to cool off. Luckily, my 'hairdo' wasn't affected as my curls reappeared in minutes! We'd managed to buy some bread and cheese at a grocery store on the way back but no butter to make grilled cheese sandwiches in the 'hotel' kitchen. I was able to trade some chocolate chip granola bars for butter with the owner so he and we were happy!

Next post: Our adventurous train journey to near the Colombo airport the next day!

Here's a link to my most recent post on our last day in Edinburgh last fall when we toured the world-class Scottish National Museum:
https://bergersadventures7.blogspot.com/2020/06/104-edinburgh-through-ages-at-scottish.html

Posted on June 9th, 2020, as so many mourn the passing of George Floyd who unknowingly had a huge impact on people around the world. Stay safe and take care of yourself and each other.