Anuradhapura is a major city in Sri
Lanka. It is the capital city of North Central Province, Sri Lanka and the
capital of Anuradhapura District.
Anuradhapura is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, famous for its well-preserved ruins of ancient Sri
Lankan civilization. It was 3rd capital of the Kingdom of Rajarata after Tambapanni and Upatissa Nuwara.
The city, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site,
lies 205 km north of the current capital Colombo in Sri Lanka's North Central Province,
on the banks of the historic Malvathu Oya. It is one of the oldest
continuously inhabited cities in the world and one of the eight World Heritage Sites of Sri
Lanka.
It is believed that from
the 4th century BC, it was the capital of the Sinhalese until the beginning of the 11th century AD. During
this period it remained one of the most stable and durable centers of political
power and urban life in South Asia. The ancient city, considered sacred to the
Buddhist world, is today surrounded by monasteries covering an area of over
sixteen square miles (40 km²).
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| Anuradhapura |
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| Kuttam Pokuna |
THE CITY
PROTOHISTORIC IRON AGE
Although according to
historical records the city was founded in the 5th century BC, the
archaeological data put the date as far back as the 10th century BC. Very
little evidence was available about the period before the 5th century BC (i.e.
the protohistoric period), though excavations have revealed information about
the earlier inhabitants of the city.
Further excavations in
Anuradhapura have uncovered information about the existence of a protohistoric
habitation of humans in the citadel. The protohistoric Iron Age which spans
from 900 to 600 BC, marked the appearance of iron technology, pottery, the
horse, domestic cattle and paddy cultivation. In the time period 700 to
600 BC the settlement in Anuradhapura had grown over an area of at least
50 ha. The city was strategically situated of major ports
northwest and northeast, it was surrounded by irrigable and fertile land. The
city was also buried deep in the jungle providing natural defence from
invaders.
LOWER EARLY HISTORIC PERIOD
The Lower Early Historic
period, spanning from 500 to 250 BC, is studied on the lines of the chronicles.
During this time King Pandukabhaya formally planned the city,
with gates, quarters for traders etc. The city at the time would have covered
an area of 1 square kilometre which makes it one of the largest in the
continent at the time.
BEGINNINGS
The layout of
Anuradhapura as described in the Mahavamsa:
"He laid out four
suburbs as well as the Abhaya-tank, the common cemetery, the place of
execution, and the chapel of the Queens of the West, the banyan-tree of
Vessavana and the Palmyra-palm of the Demon of Maladies, the ground set apart
for the Yonas and the house of the Great Sacrifice; all these he laid out near
the west gate."
"A hermitage was
made for many ascetics; eastward of that same cemetery the ruler built a house
for the nigantha Jotiya.(...) On the further side of Jotiya's house and on this
side of the Gamani tank he likewise built a monastery for wandering mendicant
monks, and a dwelling for the ajivakas and a residence for the brahmans, and in
this place and that he built a lying-in shelter and a hall for those recovering
from sickness."
It is believed that King
Pandukabhaya made it his capital in the 4th century BC, and
that he also laid out the town and its suburbs according to a well organized
plan. He constructed a reservoir named Abhayavapi. He established shrines for yakkhas such as
Kalawela and Cittaraja. He housed the Yaksini-Cetiya in the form of a mare
within the royal precincts and offerings were made to all these demi-gods every
year. He chose the sites for the cemetery and for the place of execution, the
Chapel of the Western Queen, the Pacchimarajini, the Vessavana Banyan Tree, the
Palm of the Vyadhadeva, the Yona Quarter and the House of the Great Sacrifice.
The slaves or Candalas were assigned their duties and a village was set apart
for them. They build dwellings for Niganthas, for wandering ascetics and for
Ajivakas and Brahmanas. He established, the village boundaries. The tradition
that King Pandukabhaya made Anuradhapura the capital
city of Sri Lanka as early as the 4th century BC had been very
important.
The administrative and
sanitary arrangements be made for the city and the shrines he provided indicate
that over the years the city developed according to an original master plan.
His son Mutasiva, succeeded to the throne. During his reign of sixty years, he
maintained Anuradhapura as his capital and further laid out the Mahameghavana
Garden which was to play an important role in the early history of Buddhism in
Sri Lanka. It was in the period of his successor, his son Devanampiya Tissa,
that Buddhism was first introduced this island 236 years after the passing away
of the Buddha. Emperor Ashoka in India was a contemporary of Devanampiya Tissa.
“Mahinda” was the son of Emperor Ashoka of India. King Ashoka embraced Buddhism
after he was inspired by a very small monk named “Nigrodha.” The King who was
in great misery after seeing the loss of life caused by his waging wars to
expand his empire, was struck by the peaceful countenance of such a young monk.
Meeting this young monk made a turning point in his life and he thereafter,
renounced wars. He was determined to spread the message of peace, to neutralize
the effects from the damages caused by him through his warfare. As a result
both his son and daughter were ordained as Buddha disciples, and became
enlightened as Arahats. In his quest to spread the message of peace instead of
war, he sent his son MahindaMahinda came to Sri Lanka from India on the full moon day of
the month of Poson (June) and met King Devanampiyatissa and the people, and preached the doctrine.
Historically this period is believed to extend from 250 to 210 BC. This is
the point at which a kingship began and a civilization developed based on one
of the most significant religions of South Asia, Buddhism.
BUDDHISM AND ANURADHAPURA
With the introduction of
Buddhism, the city gained more prominence and the great building era began. The
Mahavansa states that King Kutakannatissa
built the first city wall to a height of seven cubits
with a moat in front of the wall. This fortification was further enlarged by
raising the wall a further 11 cubits to 18 cubits by King Vasabha. The king also added fortified gatehouses at the
entrances of which the ruins can be seen to date. The Mahavamsa also states
that soothsayers and architects were consulted in the construction.
During the late
Anuradhapura period, the royal family and nobility of Sri Lanka strongly
supported Buddhism. As such, they frequently commissioned works of art and
donated these items to Buddhist temples. In return, the temple and local
Buddhist community supported the king's rule. Art works featuring depictions of
Avalokitesvara, the Bodhisattva of Mercy and Compassion, became increasing
popular.
THE CITY GROWS
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| The Ruwanweli Saya Stupa in Anuradhapura |
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| Anuradhapura is famous for its well-preserved ruins of ancient Sri Lankan civilization |
Parks were also provided
in the city. The Ranmasu Uyana below the bund of Tissavapi or Tissa weva was
one such, but it was strictly reserved for the members of the royal family.
Health care and education were two other aspects to which the authorities paid
attention. There were several hospitals in the city. In the 4th century King Upatissa
II provided quarters and homes for the crippled and the blind. King Buddhadasa (337-365 AD), himself a physician of great
repute, appointed a physician to be in charge of every ten villages. For the
maintenance of these physicians, one tenth of the income from the fields was
set apart. He also set up refuges for the sick in every village. Physicians
were also appointed to look after the animals. Kassapa V (914-923 AD)
founded a hospital close to the southern gate of Anuradhapura. General Sena in
the 10th century is believed to have built a hospital close to the ceremonial
street (Managala Veediya). The history of medical care began early, for in the
4th century BC King Pandukhabaya, in the
course of sanitizing the town constructed a hospital. A large workforce was
entrusted with the task of keeping the city clean.
Large lakes were also
constructed by the city's rulers to irrigate paddy lands and also to supply
water to the city. Nuwara wewa and Tissa wewa are among the best known lakes in
the city.
THE GREAT CITY
Anuradhapura attained
its highest magnificence about the commencement of the common era. The city had some of the most complex irrigation
systems of the ancient world, situated in the dry zone of the country the
administration built many tanks to irrigate the land. Most of these tanks still
survive.
PICTURES
FOUND IN THE OLDEST GREAT CITY AT ANURADHAPURA EXCAVATIONS
According to carbon
dating, the ruins excavated were from the 10th century BC.
IN RUINS
The ruins consist of
three classes of buildings, dagobas, monastic buildings, and pokunas.
The dagobas are bell-shaped masses of masonry, varying from a few feet
to over 1100 ft (340 m) in circumference. Some of them contain enough
masonry to build a town for twenty-five thousand inhabitants. Remains of the
monastic buildings are to be found in every direction in the shape of raised
stone platforms, foundations and stone pillars. The most famous is the Brazen
Palace erected by King Dutugamunu about 164 BC. The pokunas
are bathing-tanks or tanks for the supply of drinking water, which are
scattered everywhere through the jungle. The city also contains a sacred Bo-Tree, which is said to date back to the year 245 BC.
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| Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi Anuradhapura. |
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| A Moonstone from Anuradhapura |
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| Abhayagiri Dagaba |
SRI MAHA BODHIYA
The Bodhi Tree, also known
as Bo and 'peepal tree' in Nepal and Bhutan, was a large and very old Sacred
Fig tree (Ficus religiosa) located in Bodh Gaya, India, under which
Siddhartha Gautama, the spiritual teacher later known as Gautama Buddha, is
said to have achieved enlightenment, or Bodhi.
In religious iconography, the Bodhi tree is recognizable by its heart-shaped
leaves, which are usually prominently displayed. Bodhi trees are planted in
close proximity to every Buddhist monastery.
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| The Mahabodhi Tree at the Sri Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya |
The term "Bodhi Tree"
is also widely applied to currently existing trees, particularly the Sacred Fig
growing at the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya, which is a direct descendant
planted in 288 BC from the original specimen. This tree is a frequent
destination for pilgrims, being the most important of the four main Buddhist
pilgrimage sites. Other holy Bodhi trees which have a great significance in the
history of Buddhism are the Anandabodhi tree in Sravasti and the Bodhi tree in Anuradhapura,
Sri Lanka. Both are believed to have been propagated from the original Bodhi
tree.
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| Sculpture of the Buddha meditating under the Mahabodhi tree |
The Vajrashila, where the Buddha sat under the Bodhi Tree in Bodh Gaya
IN BUDDHIST CHRONOLOGY
BODHI DAY
On
December 8, Bodhi Day is celebrated by Buddhists. Those who follow the Dharma
(Buddhism), greet each other by saying, “Budu saranai!” which translates to
“May the peace of the Buddha be yours.”
BODH GAYA
The
Bodhi tree at the Mahabodhi Temple is called the Sri Maha Bodhi. According to Buddhist
texts the Buddha, after his Enlightenment, spent a whole week in front of the
tree, standing with unblinking eyes, gazing at it with gratitude. A shrine,
called Animisalocana cetiya, was later erected on the spot where he stood.
A
small temple beneath the Bodhi tree, Bodh Gaya, built in 7th century, after the
original built by King Ashoka in 3rd century BCE, c. 1810
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| A small temple beneath the Bodhi tree, Bodh Gaya, built in 7th century |
The
tree was again cut down by King Pusyamitra Sunga in the 2nd century BC, and by
King Shashanka in 600 AD. Every time the tree was destroyed, a new tree was
planted at the same place. In 1881 a British archaeologist planted a Bodhi tree
at Bodh Gaya after the previous one had died due to old age.
TO JETAVANA, SRAVASTI
Buddhist
recounts that while the Buddha was yet alive, in order that people might make
their offerings in the name of the Buddha when he was away on pilgrimage, he
sanctioned the planting of a seed from the Bodhi tree in Bodhgaya in front of
the gateway of Jetavana Monastery near Sravasti. For this purpose Moggallana
took a fruit from the tree as it dropped from its stalk, before it reached the
ground. It was planted in a golden jar by Anathapindika with great pomp and
ceremony. A sapling immediately sprouted forth, fifty cubits high, and in order
to consecrate it the Buddha spent one night under it, rapt in meditation. This
tree, because it was planted under the direction of Ananda, came to be known as
the Ananda Bodhi.
TO ANURADHAPURA, SRI
LANKA
King
Asoka’s daughter, the nun Sanghamittra, brought a piece of the tree with her to
Sri Lanka where it is continuously growing until this day in the island’s
ancient capital, Anuradhapura. The Bodhi tree that is growing in Sri Lanka to
this day was originally named Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, and was a piece of another
Bodhi tree planted in the year 245 B.C. Although the original Bodhi tree
deteriorated and died of old age, the descendants of the branch that was
brought by Emperor Ashoka’s son, Mahinda and his daughter, Sanghmitta, can
still be found on the island.
According
to the Mahavamsa, the Sri Maha Bodhi in Sri Lanka was planted in 288 BC, making
it the oldest verified specimen of any angiosperm. In this year (the twelfth
year of King Asoka's reign) the right branch of the Bodhi tree was brought by
Sanghamittā to Anurādhapura and placed by Devānāmpiyatissa his left foot in the
Mahāmeghavana. The Buddha, on his death bed, had resolved five things, one
being that the branch which should be taken to Ceylon should detach itself.
From Gayā, the branch was taken to Pātaliputta, thence to Tāmalittī, where it
was placed in a ship and taken to Jambukola, across the sea; finally it arrived
at Anuradhapura, staying on the way at Tivakka. Those who assisted the king at
the ceremony of the planting of the Tree were the nobles of Kājaragāma and of
Candanagāma and of Tivakka.
The Jaya
Sri Maha Bodhi is also known to be the most sacred Bodhi tree. This came upon
the Buddhists who performed rites and rituals near the Bodhi tree. The Bodhi
tree was known to cause rain and heal the ill. When an individual became ill,
one of his or her relatives would visit the Bodhi tree to water it seven times
for seven days and to vow on behalf of the sick for a speedy recovery.
TO HONOLULU, HAWAI'I
In
1913, Anagarika Dharmapala took a sapling of the Sri Maha Bodhi to Hawai'i,
where he presented it to his benefactor, Mary Foster – who had funded much
Buddhist missionary work. She planted it in the grounds of her house in Honolulu,
by the Nu'uanu stream. On her death she left her house and its grounds to the
people of Honolulu, and it became the Foster Botanical Garden.
THE TREES OF PREVIOUS
BUDDHAS
According
to the Mahavamsa, branches from the Bodhi trees of all the Buddhas born during
this kalpa were planted in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) on the spot where the sacred
Bodhi tree stands today in Anurādhapura. The branch of Kakusandha's tree was
brought by a nun called Rucānandā, Konagamana's by Kantakānandā (or
Kanakadattā), and Kassapa's by Sudhammā.
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| Terracotta Bodhi leaf with dragon decoration, 13th-14th century, Vietnam |
RUWANWELISAYA
The Ruwanwelisaya is a stupa in Sri Lanka, considered a marvel for its architectural qualities and 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 Elara, was defeated. It is also known as Mahathupa, Swarnamali
Chaitya, Suvarnamali Mahaceti (in Pali) and Rathnamali Dagaba.
This is one of the Solosmasthana
(the 16 places of veneration) and the Atamasthana
(the 8 places of veneration in the ancient sacred city of Anuradhapura). The
stupa is one of the world's tallest monuments, standing at 338 feet
(103 m) and with a circumference of 950 ft (290 m).
The Kaunghmudaw Pagoda in Sagaing, Myanmar is modeled after this stupa.
MATERIALS
The ancient texts recount the
following:
- From the bank of the river Gambhīra,
situated a yojana (a distance measure) to the north of Anuradhapura bricks were
acquired;
- From the village Avuruvini,
situated three yojanas to the north-east, nuggets of gold were acquired;
- From the village Tambapittha,
situated seven yojanas to the east, copper were acquired;
- From the village Samanveve,
situated four yojanas to the south-east, gems were acquired;
- From the rock-cave Ridi, situated
eight yojanas to the south, silver were acquired;
- From the small town Uruvel,
situated five yojanas to the west, pearls and corals to the size of myrobalan (nelli)
fruits were acquired;
-From the village Pelavapi, situated seven yojanas
to the north-east, four large gems were acquired.
THE FULL MOON DAY
King
Dutugemunu began the work of building the stupa during Vesak, on the full-moon day of the month of Vesakha (April–May), under the
constellation of Visakha. In
Buddhism this is considered a sacred full-moon day on which numerous events
occurred, such as:
The definite declaration by Dīpankara
Buddha to the ascetic Sumedha Bodhisatta Gotama in a past life) that he will
become a Buddha;
- The birth of Bodhisatta Gotama from
Tusita heaven in the human world;
The Enlightenment of Prince
Siddhartha
- His arrival in the city of Kapilavatthu;
- His performance of the Twin
Miracle;
- His arrival in Sri Lanka three
times;
- His passing into Parinibbāna;
- The disembarkation of Prince Vijaya
in Sri Lanka
- The coronation of the great king Devanampiya
Tissa
FOUNDATION
On
such a full-moon day King Dutugemunu had the inscribed stone pillar that was
erected by King Devanampiya Tissa, removed;
- had the
site leveled;
- had it
dug to a depth of seven cubits;
- had round
stones spread there by warriors;
- and had
the stones broken with hammers;
- then he
had them stamped down by elephants;
- fine clay
was brought from the Himalayas by Arahant novices, spread over the layer of
stones;
- had
bricks laid over the fine clay, rough plaster over the bricks, quartz over the
rough plaster, a network of iron over the quartz, fragrant clay over the
network of iron, white stones over the fragrant clay, rock-crystal over the
white stones, and slabs of stones over the rock-crystal.
- Then he had mercury, resin of the
wood-apple, and fine clay mixed together; had these spread over the slabs of
stones; and had bronze sheets eight inches thick laid over these.
- He had arsenic and sesame oil mixed
together; had these spread over the bronze sheets; and had silver sheets four
inches thick laid over these.
When
the king had thus built and completed the foundation of the Great Stupa, he
arranged that the foundation stone should be laid on the full-moon day of the
month of Āâsàëha (June–July).
He
then had Anuradhapura decorated like a divine city along with the terrace of
the Great Stupa. Ninety-six koñis
of Arahants came by from
Australian On the full-moon day of the month of Āsāëha, under the constellation of Uttarā-sāëha, he laid the foundation-stone of the Great Stūpa
and determined: 'Should the work I carry for this Stupa be completed safely,
may then the Venerable Arahants Buddharakkhita, Dhammarakkhita, Saïgharakkhita and Ānanda arrive and stand at the four
quarters of the Great Stupa's terrace.'
This happened as he determined. The Arahant Indagutta
arranged that it should thus happen. In addition, the Venerable Arahants, Siddhattha, Maïgala, Paduma,
Sivalī, Candagutta, Indagutta,
Suriyagutta, Cittasena, Jayasena, and Acala
looking eastwards arrived and stood in front of the pitcher placed at the gate
of this festive occasion. Supatiñhita,
the son of Nandisena and Sumana devi, and the minister
appointed for the festive ceremonies, walked around the relic-chamber and went
and brought a staff made of silver for measuring the circular boundary of the
Stupa. When Arahant Siddhattha
saw the minister walking thus around the relic-chamber and measuring too large
dimensions, he ordered him to measure moderate ones. On hearing the name of
Arahant Siddhattha, the names
of the eleven other Arahants, and the name of the minister and his parents,
king Dutugemunu felt particularly glad, thinking: 'The work on the Stūpa will
certainly be successful.'
He then had eight large water pots of gold and eight of silver placed
in the midst of the Great Stupa, and had a hundred and eight vases placed
around the large water pots. He had, likewise, eight bricks of gold placed in
eight corners and a hundred and eight bricks of silver around each of the
bricks of gold.
THE STUPA IS BLESSED
Arahant Cittasena
placed a lump of fragrant resin in the east side upon the boundary line drawn
around the Great Stūpa. Arahant Jayasena
sprinkled scented water over it, and when, under the constellation of Uttarāsāëha, Supatiññhita, the minister for the festive ceremonies, placed
bricks of gold together with lavish offerings over the scented water.
It is said that: the earth, all of two
hundred seventy thousand yojanas, roared and quaked at that time.
He had through his sons, similarly, placed bricks of gold in the
other seven sides of the Great Stupa. Afterwards, king Dutugemunu and the
people there honoured with gifts the Arahants who were seated at the four
quarters, and took themselves seats to hear a Dhamma talk delivered that day by
the great Arahant Piyadassī.
Having heard it, forty thousand people became Arahants, forty
thousand were established in the fruit of stream-entry (sotāpatti-phala), a
thousand became once-returners (sakadāgamis), and a thousand became
non-returners (anāgamis). Eighteen thousand monks and fourteen thousand nuns
became Arahants.
BUDDHA'S RELIC
After The Buddha's Parinibbāna,
His relics were enshrined and worshipped in stupas by Princes of eight
countries two quarts in each country. The two quarts of relics that were
enshrined in the village Rāmagāma
were, according to The Buddha's determination, destined to be enshrined in the
Great Stūpa Ruvanveli.King Dutugemunu who, on the full-moon day of the month of
Āsāëha (June–July), under the
constellation of Uttarāsāëha,
would officiate in the ceremony for the enshrining of the relics in the Great
Stūpa, worshipped the Sangha
(Order of monks) on the day before the full-moon day, reminded them that
tomorrow is the appointed day for the enshrining of the relics and requested
them to give him the relics. The Saïgha ordered then the novice Arahant Soõuttara, who was gifted with the
six supernormal faculties, to bring the relics, which Arahant Soõuttara manages to bring and offer
to the Sangha.
Then king Dutugemunu received from the Sangha the Buddha's relics upon his head in a casket and
departed from the golden pavilion in the midst of manifold offerings and
honours made by gods and Brahmas.
He circumambulated the relic-chamber three times, entered to it from the east,
and when laid the relic-casket on a silver couch one koñi worth, that was arranged in the north side. An image of the
Buddha was then, according to the Buddha's determination, created in the lion's
reclining posture (sīhaseyya),
and all the relics were enshrined within that image. When the enshrining of the
relics in the Great Stūpa Ruvanveli was completed, the two novices Uttara and
Sumana closed the relic-chamber with the stone-blocks that were previously
hidden to be used as a lid.
In the Thupavamsa numerous types of beings attended the
enshrinement of the relics into the Mahathupa; including the Naga king Mahakala
who until recently guarded them. The relics were to be placed atop a golden
throne crafted by Visvakarman the divine artificer; the throne brought by
Indra. Brahma offers his invisible umbrella of sovereignty, with the king
Dutthagamani offering his own. The arhat Indagutta creates a metal canopy over
the universe, so that Mara will not interfere, as monks chanted the sutra
pitaka. Dutthagamani ceremoniously enters with the urn atop his head; but as he
is about to place the urn on the golden throne, the relics rise into the air
and form Buddha, with each of the 32 major signs and 8 lesser signs of a great
man. In this form he performs the twin miracle of fire and water, fulfilling
the fifth of his death bed resolutions. One hundred and twenty million gods and
humans gain arhatship from this experience. The relics return to the urn and
they are laid to rest and the chamber sealed with forty meter stone slabs.
relic-chamber shall not shake even by
an earthquake; flowers such as jasmine that were offered on that day shall not
wither till the end of Buddha Gotama's Dispensation; the lamps that were
kindled with ghee-oil shall not be extinguished; the clay that was mixed with
perfume and sandalwood shall not dry; even a single scratch shall not appear
within the relic-chamber; stains shall not appear in any of the golden goods
that were offered.' All this occurred by the determination-power of all
Arahants present. They determined also that inimical persons should not be able to even see the relic-chamber. Furthermore, by order
of king Dutugemunu, the people of Srī Lanka enshrined, along with many other
objects such as golden and silver caskets, thousand more of the Buddha's relics
over the relic-chamber."
THE GREAT STUPA IS CONSTRUCTED
When the unique Great Stūpa Ruvanveli was completed as far as the
square turret 10, and while ninety-six koñis
of Arahants were chanting protective suttas,
the great king Dutugemunu who reigned in Srī Lanka for twenty-four years, had
his record of meritorious deeds read and, while looking at the Great Stūpa, he
died and was born as a divine king in the Tusita-heaven. His brother, the king Saddhatissa, completed the
remaining work at the Great Stūpa and later was also born in the Tusita-heaven.
THE GREAT KING
During the Dispensation of the future Buddha Metteyya, king Dutugemunu will become
the Buddha's chief disciple on His right side. King Saddhātissa will become the
chief disciple on His left side. Kāvantissa
and Vihāra Mahā- Devī will
become the parents of the future Buddha Metteyya.
Princess Anulā, the younger
sister of king Kāvantissa, will become the chief Queen of the Bodhisatta Metteyya. Prince Saliya
will become the son of the Bodhisatta Metteyya.
Saõgha, king Dutugemu's
Chancellor of the Exchequer, will become the chief attendant of the Buddha Metteyya. The Chancellor's daughter
will become the chief she-attendant.
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