When you travel to Sri Lanka you will see that Sri Lanka’s hill capital, Kandy, is situated 488 meters above sea level. This capital of the Central Province is renowned for its culture and beauty and is a sacred city to all Buddhists since the “Dalada Maligawa” (the temple of the sacred tooth relic) is located in the heart of Kandy town. When you travel to Sri Lanka you will see that the Esala Perahara, a cultural pageant venerating the tooth relic of Lord Buddha, is a spectacular parade which goes on for ten nights in the month of August.

Nature lovers who travel to Sri Lanka are advised to visit the Peradeniya botanical garden which is situated in the hill capital, Kandy. When you travel to Sri Lanka you will see that the botanical garden provides spectacles of extraordinary beauty and is sure to absorb the interest of nature lovers as well as casual visitors. When you travel to Sri Lanka you will see that the place is a popular attraction for locals as well since the extensive lawns of the garden boasts of a variety of flora from all over the world.

If you travel to Sri Lanka, the city of Anuradhapura is a must see. This sacred city was Sri Lanka’s first capital and is also the best known of Sri Lanka’s ancient cities. The Kingdom of Anuradhapura lasted one thousand and five hundred years from 380BC. If you travel to Sri Lanka and visit Anuradhapura you can witness some of the country’s most famous dagabas, remains of ancient palaces, temples, monasteries, ceremonial baths and the temple of the holy Bo-tree. This sacred Bo-tree, “Sri Maha Bodiya” has been grown from a sapling of the very Bo tree under which Lord Buddha attained enlightenment more than 2500 years ago. When you travel to Sri Lanka you will see that since the city is home to many of the early monuments of Sri Lanka, it is a popular destination for Buddhist pilgrims. Among other places of significance the following Buddhist monuments are key attractions to local as well as overseas visitors who travel to Sri Lanka:

When you travel to Sri Lanka you will see that this 13 meter high statue of Lord Buddha is located around 50 km south of Anuradhapura. When you travel to Sri Lanka you will see that the statue has been carved out of solid granite and dates back to the 5th Century.

The Thuparama temple is considered the oldest dagaba in Sri Lanka and is a sacred place of worship for Buddhists since it is believed to enshrine the collar bone of Lord Buddha. The guard stone at Thuparama, the likes of which are found at entrances to palaces and temples, is an attraction to visiting tourists who travel to Sri Lanka.

Built in the 3rd Century B. C. the Isurumuniya temple is popular for its rock carvings, the most noted among these being the carving of the “Isurumuniya Lovers”. The carving is believed to represent Saliya, the son of King Dutugamunu, and a low caste maiden with whom he was in love. When you travel to Sri Lanka you will see that local song writers and poets have taken inspiration from this carving to compose their lyrics.

Raised in the 2nd Century B. C., the Ruwanweli Seya is considered the greatest of the stupas located at Anuradhapura. When you travel to Sri Lanka you will see that this dagaba is built in a perfect water bubble shape. Among the many statues found in the courtyard of Ruwanweli Seya, one can observe in one’s travel to Sri Lanka a statue of a larger-than-life man. When you travel to Sri Lanka you will see that this statue is considered to be that of the Great Emperor Dutugamunu, who is believed to be watching his work from a distance.

Founded in the 2nd Century B.C. by King Valagamba, the Abhayagiri monastery was already an international institution by the 1st Century AD. It was the largest monastery complex in the Anuradhapura kingdom, covering an area of 200 ha and including full components of a Buddhist temple together with other buildings. When you travel to Sri Lanka you will see that the stupa at Abhayagiri is 108m tall and is one of the tallest brick buildings known to the ancient world. When you travel to Sri Lanka you will see that the Samadhi Statue, considered the finest sculpture of Lord Buddha, is among the many stone carvings at Abhaygiri.

Situated about 50 km south east of Anuradhapura, the Buddhist monastery at Ritigala Rock is one of the oldest historical places, dating back to around 350 B.C. When you travel to Sri Lanka you will see that the monastery is located at the foothill of 600 m high Ritigala rock with a paved footpath, elevated platforms and terraced pond. If you wish to visit Anuradhapura, following your travel to Sri Lanka, the following table, listing the distance to Anuradhapura from other cities, would be useful: Colombo 206 Habarana 57 Polonnaruwa 101 Kandy 138 Dambulla 66 Sigiriya 80

Another must visit place when you travel to Sri Lanka is Sigiriya, considered the 8th Wonder of the World and declared a World Heritage site since 1982. The city boasts of the famous rock fortress which was a royal citadel for more than 18 years. When you travel to Sri Lanka you will see that the central rock, rising 200 meters above the surrounding plain, has two rectangular precincts on the east (90 hectares) and west (40 hectares), surrounded by two moats and three ramparts.

When you travel to Sri Lanka you will see that the royal citadel of Sigiriya is considered the best preserved city center in Asia from the first millennium and Sri Lanka’s ancient architectural tradition is probably best portrayed here. When you travel to Sri Lanka you will see that the layout of the city extends outwards from co-ordinates at the centre of the palace complex at the summit, with the eastern and western axis directly aligned to it, with the city being built on an exact square module. When you travel to Sri Lanka you will see that even today, the city displays its skeletal layout and bears witness to the grandeur and complexity of urban planning in ancient Sri Lanka.

When you travel to Sri Lanka you will see that a significant feature of the Sigiriya rock is the lion staircase leading to the palace garden on the summit. When you travel to Sri Lanka you will see that although only the paws of the lions have withered the ruins of time, one can still get a good idea of the size and shape of the lion figure. In the depressions of the rock face, only two sets of paintings survive for the visitor of today. However, the paintings are examples of 5th century art of Sri Lanka and are distinctly different from the Ajanta school of painting of Central India. The ladies depicted in the paintings are generally identified as being ladies of the king’s court. When you travel to Sri Lanka you will see that out of the other remains of paintings discovered in some of the caves at the foot of the rock, special significance is attached to the painting on the roof of the Cobra Hood Cave. When you travel to Sri Lanka you will see that the painting is an expressionist masterpiece, combining geometrical shapes and motifs with a free rendering of characteristic motifs.

When you travel to Sri Lanka you will see that the medieval capital of Sri Lanka, Polonnaruwa, lies 135 miles from Colombo and South East of Anuradhapura. In its hey day, the city had been fortified with three concentric walls which were beautified with parks and gardens. Among the places popularly visited by those who travel to Sri Lanka, the following are primary: - The vata-da-ge - Gal Viharaya - Paramrama Samudra - The royal palace and pavilion