Anuradhapura Ancient City tuk tuk tour

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Isurumuniya Temple, At Royal Pleasure Gardens, Anuradhapura 50000 Sri Lanka

Isurumuniya is a Buddhist temple situated near to the Tissa Wewa in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. There are four carvings of special interest in this Vihara. They are the Isurumuniya Lovers, Elephant Pond and The Royal Family.

Duration: 20 minutes

Stop At: Ranmasu Uyana, Anuradhapura Sri Lanka

Ranmasu Uyana is a park in Sri Lanka containing the ancient Magul Uyana. It is situated close to Isurumuni Vihara and Tissawewa in the ancient sacred city of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. It sits on approximately 40 acres, and is a noted example of Sri Lankan garden architecture of the pre-Christian era

Duration: 40 minutes

Stop At: Sri Maha Boodhi Temple, Anuradhapura Sri Lanka

The oldest tree known to have been planted by a human rather than by natural seeding is a 2,300-year-old sacred fig or bo-tree (Ficus religiosa) that has been named Sri Maha Bodhiya, and stands in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. It was planted there in 288 BC.

Duration: 20 minutes

Stop At: Mirisaveti Stupa, Anuradhapura Sri Lanka

The Mirisaweti Stupa is situated in the ancient city of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. King Dutugamunu built the Mirisaveti Stupa after defeating King Elara. After placing the Buddha relics in the sceptre, he had gone to Tissa Wewa for a bath leaving the sceptre.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Tissa Wewa, Anuradhapura Sri Lanka

Tissa Wewa, an artificial reservoir, was built by Devanampiya Tissa in order to increase the water supply to his capital city of Anuradhapura. Only Panda Wewa and Abhaya Wewa are older. The embankment of Tissa Wewa is 2 miles long and 25 feet high.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Ruwanwelisaya, Abhayawewa Rd, Anuradhapura 50000 Sri Lanka

The Ruwanwelisaya is a stupa, a hemispherical structure containing relics, in Sri Lanka, considered sacred to many Buddhists all over the world. It was built by King Dutugemunu c. 140 B.C., who became lord of all Sri Lanka after a war in which the Chola King Ellalan, was defeated.

Duration: 20 minutes

Stop At: Dagoba of Thuparama, Anuradhapura Sri Lanka

Thuparamaya dagoba has been built in the shape of a bell. This dagoba was destroyed from time to time. During the reign of King Agbo II it was completely destroyed and the King restored it. What is seen presently is the construction of the dagoba, done in 1842 AD

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Abhayagiri Dagaba, Watawandana Rd, Anuradhapura 50000 Sri Lanka

Historically it was a great monastic centre as well as a royal capital, with magnificent monasteries rising to many stories, roofed with gilt bronze or tiles of burnt clay glazed in brilliant colors. To the north of the city, encircled by great walls and containing elaborate bathing ponds, carved balustrades and moonstones, stood "Abhayagiri", one of seventeen such religious units in Anuradhapura and the largest of its five major viharas. One of the focal points of the complex is an ancient stupa, the Abhayagiri Dagaba. Surrounding the humped dagaba, Abhayagiri Vihara was a seat of the Northern Monastery, or Uttara Vihara and the original custodian of the Tooth relic in the island

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Samadhi Statue, Anuradhapura Sri Lanka

The Samadhi Statue is a statue situated at Mahamevnāwa Park in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. The Buddha is depicted in the position of the Dhyana Mudra, the posture of meditation associated with his first Enlightenment. Whether the Buddha's Enlightenment was the experience technically called samadhi, or some other phenomenon, may depend upon the philosophical allegiance of the believer. In the Dhyana Mudra the Buddha sits cross-legged with his upturned palms placed one over the other on his lap. This position is universally known throughout the Buddhist world, and this statue is therefore one of the most typical pieces of Buddhist sculpture. It is not to be confused with the very similar "Earth-Touching Mudra," which depicts the simple action the Buddha took to fend off the illusions projected by Mara, who was desperate to prevent the Buddha from realizing that his, Mara's, projections, and with them the entire world, are an illusion. This statue is 8 feet in height and carved from granite.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Moonstone or Sandakada pahana, Anuradhapura Sri Lanka

The carvings of the semi circular stone slab were the same in every sandakada pahana (Moonstone). A half lotus was carved in the centre, which was enclosed by several concentric bands. The first band from the half lotus is decorated with a procession of swans, followed by a band with an intricate foliage design known as liyavel. The third band has carvings of four animals; elephants, lions, horses, and bulls. These four animals follow each other in a procession symbolizing the four stages in life: growth, energy, power and forbearance. The fourth and outermost band contains a carving of flames, usually interpreted as representing a fire altar. Sandakada pahana, also known as Moon-stone, is a unique feature of the Sinhalese architecture of ancient Sri Lanka.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Twin Baths (Kuttam Pokuna), Watawandana Road, Anuradhapura 50000 Sri Lanka

One of the best specimen of bathing tanks or pools in ancient Sri Lanka is the pair of pools known as Kuttam Pokuna (Twin Ponds/Pools). The said pair of pools were built by the Sinhalese in the ancient kingdom of Anuradhapura. These are considered one of the significant achievements in the field of hydrological engineering and outstanding architectural and artistic creations of the ancient Sinhalese.

Duration: 20 minutes

Stop At: Lankarama Sthupa, Anuradhapura Sri Lanka

Lankarama is a stupa built by King Valagamba, in an ancient place at Galhebakada in the ancient kingdom of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. Nothing is known about the ancient form of the stupa, and later this was renovated. The ruins show that there are rows of stone pillars and it is no doubt that there has been a house built encircling the stupa (vatadage) to cover it.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Eth Pokuna, Anuradhapura Sri Lanka

Eth pokuna (Elephant pond) is an ancient man made pond situated close to Lankaramaya. It is 159 meters in length 52.7 meters across and 9.5 meters in depth with the holding capacity of 75,000 cubic meters of water.

The water to this pond has been supplied from the Periyamkulama Tank through a network of underground canals. These underground canals still work after so many hundreds years. This tank probably has been used by the monks in the Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery who amounted over five thousand priests.

Duration: 20 minutes

Stop At: Gal Palama (Stone Bridge) over Malwathu Oya, Close to twin ponds, Anuradhapura Sri Lanka

Only a part of this stone bridge can be seen today. Stone slabs are laid across rows of 3 stone pillars. There have been attempt to restore this bridge in the recent past but work has been abruptly stopped in 2001. The bridge conserved to a great extent. This stone bridge has been dated to 5-9th centuries.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Jethawanaramaya Stupa, Watawandana Road B341, Anuradhapura 50000 Sri Lanka

The Jetavanaramaya is a stupa, or Buddhist reliquary monument, located in the ruins of Jetavana monastery in the world heritage city of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. At 122 metres (400 ft) it was the world's tallest stupa and the third tallest structure in the world when it was built by King Mahasena of Anuradhapura (273–301).

Duration: 20 minutes