King's Cities of Sri Lanka
In 380 BC, the first king settled in Anuradhapura. Fifteen hundred years later and 119 kings further, the city was dismissed as king's city. But the shrines have not become less sacred over the years. Crowd-pleasers are the dagoba's, the biggest stupas in Sri Lanka. These huge Buddhist monuments make Anuradhapura a place of pilgrimage. Every day pilgrims walk for three laps around the stupa in tribute to the gods. Visitors are welcome to walk along.
A place in the spotlight is also there for the Sri Maha Bodhi tree, the 'Bo Tree'. This giant was once no more than a spot, but a spot of the tree that the Buddha was under when he was enlightened, and got the true insight.
The smaller Polonnaruwa is more than a thousand years younger and the crumbling palaces and monasteries are in better condition here. The area is green, but the jungle has not been able to conquer this terrain. The ruins of the twelfth century can therefore still be clearly recognized as temples. Old columns are still standing. And besides the huge Buddhas, visitors still feel small. The centuries have left a black layer on the once white stones of these shrines. But the Buddha still has a smile on his face.
