Temple · Buddhist
Anuradhapura
North Central Province, Sri Lanka
UNESCO World Heritage Site (inscribed 1982)
Temple · Buddhist
North Central Province, Sri Lanka
Anuradhapura is Sri Lanka's ancient sacred capital, home to the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi — grown from a cutting of the original Bodhi Tree in Bodh Gaya — and one of the oldest continuously tended trees in recorded history.
The Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi tree, planted in the 3rd century BCE, is considered one of Buddhism's most sacred living relics, directly connecting Sri Lankan Buddhism to the tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment.
Anuradhapura served as Sri Lanka's political and religious capital for well over a thousand years, and its ruins today include numerous stupas, monasteries and the sacred tree, spread across an extensive archaeological zone.
January to March offers the most comfortable weather for exploring the extensive, largely outdoor site.