Some of the most important historical landmarks in our beautiful island include mystic and exciting well-known places such as Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Kandy, Dambulla, Sigiriya and Galle as well as more off-the-beaten track less traveled heritage sites such as Yapahuwa situated in the once royal city of Kurunegala. Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Kandy located in the north central and central provinces in the country form the shape of a triangle and are now popularly known as the cultural triangle. Buddhist kingdoms flourished within this triangular area bounded in the north by the ancient capital and sacred city of Anuradhapura, in the east by the medieval capital Polonnaruwa and in the south by Kandy the hilltop capital of the last Sinhala king. The cultural triangle is profoundly important to us because of the deep history within this area, the fact that cultural triangle forms the center from which the influence of Theravada Buddhism and Sinhalese culture spread far and wide and also because of the astonishing concentration of historical sites and monuments within this area.
Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura is an ancient city, located at a distance of 206 km from Colombo. The city is in northern Sri Lanka and is the capital of North-Central province. Anuradhapura was established in 4th century BC. It was the first capital of Sri Lanka and remained so until 8th century AD. Anuradhapura is an archaeologist's delight and contains several monuments of historical importance. The city is considered very sacred by the Buddhists and is home to the largest dagobas in Sri Lanka. A dagoba is a dome enshrining sacred relics or the bodily remains of the Buddha, or articles used by Him like the alms bowl and other objects of veneration. It is built in different sizes on a pedestal with a spire on top crowned with a pinnacle. The earliest dagobas had a stone umbrella on top of the dome in place of the spire.- Sri Maha Bodhi
The right branch of the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya in India under which the Buddha attained enlightenment was brought to Sri Lanka in the 3rd century BC by princess Sanghamitta, the daughter of Emperor Asoka. It was planted in Anuradhapura and is venerated to this day by the Buddhists from many countries of the world. This is the oldest recorded tree in the world whose exact age is known. - Ruwanweliseya
As with most historical monuments in Sri Lanka, Ruwanweliseya has a deep connection with Buddhism. The dome shape of the dagoba is thought to be the perfect milk bubble shape, representing the Buddhist philosophy on life… the bubble of life which will burst in no time like the fragility of our lives.
- Thuparamaya
Thuparama is the first dagoba to be built in Anuradhapura during the reign of King Devanmpiyatissa (3rd century BC) enshrining the right collarbone of the Buddha, His alms bowl and other relics. - Kuttam Pokuna
Kuttam Pokuna or the Twin Ponds-the two breathtakingly beautiful bathing ponds aligned lengthwise-is a manifestation of the artistic achievements in the field of hydraulic engineering in ancient Sri Lanka. They date back to around 8-10th century AD. - Mihinthalaya
Thirteen kilometers from Anuradhapura is the sacred mountain of Mihintale, the site of introduction of Buddhism to Sri Lanka in the year 247 BC. World's first fauna and flora sanctuary was established at Mihintale in the 3rd century BC. Today the peak of Mihintale, approached by a grand stairway of 1840 granite steps, has many temples, lodgings for monks and several splendid statues of the Buddha. Each June on the full moon there is a pilgrimage commemorating the date when Mahinda first preached the Buddhist doctrine in Sri Lanka and many thousands of pilgrims flock from all over Sri Lanka to meditate on the holy peak.Polonnaruwa
Declared as a world heritage site, the city of Polonnaruwa is the second most ancient of Sri Lanka’s kingdoms. Polonnaruwa was the medieval capital of Sri Lanka from the 11th to the 13th century AD. However, it was supposed to be inhabited long before this from around the 2nd century BC.
The reign of King Parakramabahu in the 12th century AD is known as the Golden Age of Polonnaruwa. During his time trade and agriculture flourished and Polonnaruwa was completely self-sufficient. The King was adamant that no drop of water falling to the earth should be wasted, but instead be used for development of the land. Hence superior irrigation systems were developed, far superior to those of Anuradhapura. Even today, these systems supply water to the paddy cultivations during the dry season in the east of the country, and remains one of the best planned archaeological relic sites in the country. In terms of architecture you’ll notice a cocktail of Anuradhapura, South Indian and a unique Polonnaruwa style of building. The kings who followed were unable to achieve the same greatness as King Parakramabahu, and this great ancient city fell into decline.While a large number of places of historical and archaeological interest are scattered over a large area in Anuradhapura, in Polonnaruwa a large number of places can be seen within a much smaller area.- Gal Viharaya
Is the most celebrated site in Polonnaruwa and one of the most famous in the whole island. It is known for its large rock-cut images which are in a perfect state of preservation. Across the face of the rock is (1) a seated Buddha image in deep meditation (2) a sculpture inside a cave out of sold rock (3) a standing Buddha statue 7 meters high (4) the Buddha lying down. - Watadageya
The formation of watadageya is another part of the city infrastructure done by King Parakramabahu. One remarkable feature of this structure is that there are four pillars of Guardians at its entrance, of which one pillar has been taken off by the Department of archeology for exhibition purposes at the Museum in Colombo.
- Parackrama Samudraya
Kandy
Kandy-a major tourist destination-is also known as the cultural capital of Sri Lanka. Nestled in the hills at an altitude of 488 m, it is located at a distance of 115 km from Colombo. Kandy has a rich history. It was originally known as Senkadagala pura after a hermit named Senkada who lived there. Many of Sinhalese people call it Mahanuwara meaning the Great City. The name Kandy was derived by the colonial rulers from the word Kanda in Sinhala, meaning a hill. Kandy was the stronghold of the Sinhalese kings, who promoted and protected the local culture until the city fell to the British in 1815.
Today a bustling commercial city, Kandy is famous for the Kandy Perahara-a huge cultural pageant that takes place in the month of July or August. It is one of the most colorful processions of the world. Thousands of drummers and dancers accompanying a parade of ornamented elephants perform in the streets of Kandy. The leading tusker carries the sacred tooth relic of Lord Buddha, while the spectators pay homage to it. The procession moves along the streets for seven consecutive nights and concludes on the day of the August full moon.
The Sri Dalada Maligawa or The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is a temple in the city of Kandy in Sri Lanka. It was built within the royal palace complex which houses the only surviving relic of Buddha, a tooth, which is venerated by Buddhists. The relic has played an important role in the local politics since ancient times, it's believed that whoever holds the relic holds the governance of the country, which caused the ancient kings to protect it with great effort. Kandy was the capital of the Sinhalese Kings from 1592 to 1815, fortified by the terrain of the mountains and the difficult approach. The city is a world heritage site declared by UNESCO, in part due to the temple.
This temple is built almost exclusively from stone in the 14th century and sits on a hilltop with commanding views of the countryside. The Gadaladeniya rock Temple is famous for its stone carvings. The structure of the temple is influenced by South Indian architecture.
- Dalada Maligawa
The Sri Dalada Maligawa or The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is a temple in the city of Kandy in Sri Lanka. It was built within the royal palace complex which houses the only surviving relic of Buddha, a tooth, which is venerated by Buddhists. The relic has played an important role in the local politics since ancient times, it's believed that whoever holds the relic holds the governance of the country, which caused the ancient kings to protect it with great effort. Kandy was the capital of the Sinhalese Kings from 1592 to 1815, fortified by the terrain of the mountains and the difficult approach. The city is a world heritage site declared by UNESCO, in part due to the temple.Monks of the two chapters of Malwatte and Asgiriya conduct daily ritual worship in the inner chamber of the temple, in annual rotation. They conduct these services three times a day: at dawn, at noon and in the evening.
On Wednesdays there is a symbolic bathing of the Sacred Relic with an herbal preparation made from scented water and flagrant flowers, called Nanumura Mangallaya. This holy water is believed to contain healing powers and is distributed among those present.
The Temple has sustained damage from multiple bombings by terrorists in the past, but has been fully restored each time.
- Gadaladeniya Rock Temple
- Embekke Temple
Built in the 14th century. This temple has been completely built from wood, and is famous for the unique wood work and the splendid carvings. A deistic shrine is dedicated to the God of Kataragama. The wood art of this temple is astounding with dancers, swans, soldiers on horseback, floral emblems and double headed eagles to name a few. Special treasures are the doorways of sandalwood. - Lankathilaka Raja Maha Viharaya
Built on a rocky outcrop, the temple is reached by a long series of steps cut directly into the rock. The temple is full of exquisite painted scenes of the lives of 24 former Buddha’s and there is a colossal seated image of the Buddha.Dambulla
Galle
- Dutch Fort
Built in 1663, the fort still retains the atmosphere and charm of Dutch days. Many old Dutch buildings are still intact inside the fort. The best way to see the fort is by walking around at the time of sunset.
- Koggala
Koggala, near Galle is the hometown of a famous local writer Martin Wickramasinghe. The museum of Folk, Art & Culture built in his honour at his old residence has an excellent display of local folk items. They include the costumes of folk dancers, sports items, household items and furniture and vast arena of the folk life of the early 20th century. Take a boat trip in the lagoon and Kogggala Lake to see many of its small islands, which is a popular destination for bird watching.Sigiriya
