ANURADHAPURA GUIDED TOUR

The sacred city of Anuradhapura, now in picturesque ruins, was once a major centre of Sri Lankan civilisation. The fascinating ancient ruins include huge bell-shaped stupas built of small sun-dried bricks, temples, sculptures, palaces, and ancient drinking-water reservoirs. Although people may have lived in this area as early as the 10th century BC, Anuradhapura became a great city after the arrival of a sapling from the sacred Bodhi Tree from India, under which the Buddha attained enlightenment. The sacred branch was brought to Sri Lanka by Bhikkhuni Sanghamitta, the founder of an order of Buddhist nuns. Anuradhapura went on to become Sri Lanka's political and religious capital in the 4th century BC and flourished for 1,300 years. In its prime, Anuradhapura ranked alongside Nineveh and Babylon in its colossal proportions-its four walls, each 16 miles (26 km) long, enclosing an area of 256 square miles (663 km2)-in the number of its inhabitants, and the splendour of its shrines and public buildings.