Mahakanadarawa Stone Bridge (in Mihintale)

Mihintale is situated in Anuradhapura Trincomalee highway (A12) approximately 12.5 km (7.8 mi) east of Anuradhapura city. This small ancient city is well known as the historic site where Buddhist monk Arahat Mahinda, the messenger from emperor Ashoka, met the King Devanampiyatissa which inaugurated the presence of Buddhism in Sri Lanka.  It is symbolic pilgrimage site with several religious monuments and ruins of ancient structures.

Few kilometers away from the ancient site, next to Mahakanadarawa tank, a thousand years old man made lake, the remains of a stone bridge can be seen. This is a remaining part of an ancient highway system from the then capital Anuradhapura to Trincomalee ( Then called "Gokanna"). (Ref. Vidanapathirana, P., 2017. Highway system in Ancient Sri Lanka. The International Conference on Land Transportation, Locomotive Heritage and Road Culture-2017. https://www.archaeology.lk/highway-system-in-ancient-sri-lanka/ )

Remnants of  few stone bridges can be seen close to Anuradhapura area, mainly across Malwathu oya - the main river flows through the area. The Mihintale or Mahakanadarawa stone bridge is still stands across the water way without collapsing. 

Location : https://maps.app.goo.gl/voNuKZiH6LYz1Ktp8 

Polonnaruwa

The second most ancient of Sri Lanka's kingdoms (from 1070 to 1284 CE), Polonnaruwa was first declared the capital city by King Vijayabahu I. But the real Polonnaruwa Hero of the history books is Parakramabahu I.

Today the ancient city of Polonnaruwa remains one of the best planned Archaeological relic sites in the country. And also it has been declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO.

Other than the sites from Ancient city including royal buildings and temples, Polonnaruwa contains very well organized ancient irrigation system which is active even today. Parakrama Samudraya (resembled to the meaning of Ocean) which is build by Great Parakramabahu and situated in the heart of the city is the nerve center of this irrigation system.

There are lot of eye catching sites and scenes in the ancient city and also in the surrounding of Parakrama Samudraya.

Buddha Statue Watadageya = an ancient building

A stone Lion Statue in the entrance to the Rajasabha Building (Royal Court) of King Parakramabahu. This is considered as the symbol of Polonnaruwa ancient kingdom.

Lankathilaka (Means " Pride of Lanka") Pilima Geya - There was a huge Buddha Statue inside this tall artistic building structure - The remains of the statue is there. The walls had been covered with beautiful paintings - some protected paintings can be seen on the side of the walls.

Parakrama Samudraya - A magical view in a sunny day



Paddy Fields - the living of majority


Another landscape with Paddy Fields


Flowers on the roadside


Rain and Sun together on Parakrama Samudraya




During the rainy season



Colourful sunset at Parakrama Samudraya



Another sunset at Parakrama Samudraya



Elephants

Ritigala

Ritigala is the highest mountain, in the north-central region of Sri Lanka. It is 2,513 feet high (from the see level) and situated close to Anuradhapura - Polonnaruwa main road (A11) between Maradankadawala and Habarana. Being the highest mountain the region, it can be seen clearly from the Dambulla-Anuradhapura road.

This is an indescribable landscape in this dry zone of the country. It is an eye catching sight when you see it with misty look - always there is a flock of cloud on it. It has the misty mountain looking similar to the highlands in central Sri Lanka.

This one of the strict reservoirs in the country. The biodiversity and the number of indegenous plants and the unique ecological system is the reason to consider this mountain as special.

in different heights of the mountain, there are different plant species and type of forest. Close to the top, it appear as a forest in Sri Pada (Adamspeak) or Horton plain. It is unbelievable to see such a plan in the middle of the dry zone.

These are few images from the area

This is how you see it from distance (A11 road - close to Ganewalpola)

View from the Anuradhapura - Polonnaruwa main road

There are lot of birds in the area -this one is Kithala (Purple Swamphen)

Pheasant-Tailed Jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus)

Inside the forest - It is just like a tropical rain forest

Home to huge trees - Like in Sinharaja

Another attractive tree - inside the forest

View from the mountain area

Pictures from Anuradhapura ancient city

Anuradhapura ancient city is spread over large area and mainly consist of ruins of temples and stupa. If you want to explore all these places and ruins, it will take several weeks or perhaps months. But a weekend is sufficient to have a good observation of main places (list of must visit places will be posted soon). It is better to have a map from Archeology department to identify ruins and a bicycle to travel along footpaths.



Path to Sri Mahabodhi



Lion Image from a Stone Pillar



Isurumuni Lovers (Isurumuniya Viharaya)



(Thanks to Bishan Rajapakse for the photograph)
Jethwana Stupa -Constructed by King Mahasen 276 - 303 AD (This is the world largest brick monument -140 meters height and 370 meters diameter - seconds only to the largest pyramid in Egypt from few meters. But pyramids were made out of stone blocks, not bricks)



Royal Family (Stone Carving from Isurumuniya Viharaya)



Section of Moon Stone


Remaining of a Stone Bridge (Gal palama). This stone bridge across Malwathu Oya was part of the main route to Mannar harbor which was the main harbor for the country during Anuradhapura era.



A remaining wall of the place of King Vijayabahu (1056). The ancient plaster and some colour lines are still visible. This is the only royal palace ruins found in ancient Anuradhapura.

Pictorial tour of Anuradhapura Tanks

Padaviya


A small tank close to Ritigala


Nuwarawewa


Sunset at Nachchaduwa


Mahakanadarawa


Padaviya

Tanks in Anuradhapura

Tank (Wewa in Sinhalese) was very important in ancient Sri Lankan agricultural society. Large number of tanks can be seen around the country and almost all of them are build by ancient kings. There are many larger tanks in Anuradhapura district and most of them are more than one and half thosand years old.
Padaviya, Kalawewa, Nachchaduwa, Nuwarawewa, Thisawewa, Abhayawewa, Mahakanadarawa, Wilachchiya, Thuruwila and Wahalkada are examples

Anuradhapura

Anuradhapura is the ancient capital of Sri Lanka for more than one thousand and five hundred years from 380BC. According to the history, the city was initially built by one of the powerful ministers of King Vijaya, called Anuradha. Being the city (Pura in Sinhalese terms) built by Anuradha, this place was called Anuradhapura. Some archeologists say that the history of Anuradhapura even beyond 380BC. There are excavation going on nowadays and we will hear more interesting findings soon.

Anuradhapura is most famous for ruins of amazing stupa, buildings and other historical landscapes. The world's oldest recorded tree - Sri Maha Bodhi- is in Anuradhapura. This is a branch of the Bodhi tree under the shade of which Lord Buddha understood the truth. Emperor Ashoka gifted Sri Maha Bodhi to Sri Lankan king and sent it with his daughter Sangamitta Theraniya.

Rather than a capital of a kingdom, Anuradhapura was the capital of Buddhism. Almost all the ruins and building in the ancient city were once temples or parts of a temple.
The large number of tanks which were build during Anuradhapura kingdom are still used for agricultural purposes. Those tanks have been acting as the life line of this dry zone area. The ancient regional name for Anuradhapura district is "Nuwarakalaviya". This name was derived from the names of three large tanks in the areas - Nuwara wewa, Kala wewa & Padaviya wewa. All these giant tanks had created prosperous agricultural zone around this ancient kingdom even thousand years ago.