Off the beaten path around AnuradhapuraThis page is about less-frequented places of interest in the
area of Anuradhapura. Find a list of links to dozens of off-the-beaten-path destinations all over Sri Lanka here... |
Anuradhapura
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Popular tourist attractions in Anuradhapura District
Anuradhapura is the largest archaeological site in the country, it’s a must for study trips. Mihintale in only 10 km distance is not on each and every bus group’s itinerary but visited by many foreigners. Both historical sites, however, have a lot of undisturbed places, for example the Ashokarama in the very north of Anuradhapura or the Rajagirilena in Mihintale are left out on most shortlists of attractions, although they could count as highlights. Another major natural attraction in the Anuradhapura area is Wilpattu National Park. Most guests enjoy a half-day safari including the central lakes or ponds called Villus as highlights. Less crowded is the coastline of Wilpattu, the ancient Tambapanni, which can be reached on full-day safaris.
Lonesome places in surroundings of Anuradhapura & Mihintale
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2**stars & almost secret
Katopotha Kandy, which in historical times surfed as a quarry, is the highest mountain in the surroundings of Anuradhapura and Mihintale. The peak has breathtaking cliffs, but the simmit can be reached without mountaineering skills, though not without climbing with hands. The top is the best panoramic viewpoint around Anuradhapura. However, there is no trail and due to gun traps and risks of hornet attacks you should go there only accompanied by a local guide.
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2**stars & rarely visited
The quite picturesque historical pilgrimage site of Hatthikucchi, situated between Yapahuwa and Anuradhapura, is not completely off-the-beaten path any more, but most visitors are surprised to be able toe experience this charming ensemble of ruins surrounded by rock boulders in perfect tranquility. The rock-shelter with the perfect view to the valley is believed to have been the hideout of the legendary King Sirisanghabo.
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2**stars & rarely visited
Thantirimale to the northwest of Anuradhapura is most notweworthy for one of only three surviving rock-cut Buddhas in reclining posture. It's therefore sometimes called "Sri Lanka's second Gal Vihara". The giant statue is probably from the Polonnaruwa period, a much smaller seated Buddha carved from another rock surface definitely is. The wavy surfaces of the dark granite rocks and the valleys filled with water make Tantirimale an alluring historical site. A footpath leads to a cave with very rare examples of prehistoric paintings in Sri Lanka.
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1*star & almost secret
Really off-the-beaten-path are the archaeological sites to the west of Anuradhapura and Mihintale. They are almost never frequented by tourists. Not far away from Mihintale is Veheragala. It has a painted cave temple and a stupa on a rock and some small ancient bathing ponds. Most importantly, Veheragala was the finding place ot the largest treasure of Mahayana Buddhist figurines, samples or copies of which can be seen in the small museum of the temple. However, for photographers Veheragala is not as attractive as other places further away from Mihintale.
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1*star & almost secret
Thammennakanda Purana Viharaya near the remote village of Hettikattiyais a rarely visited site to the northeast of Mihintale. Apart from ancient rock inscriptions, the temple has a stupa in an early form of the first centuries AD. The stupa, not renovated by later kings, was restored truly to the original in a scientific way by archaeologists only recently. The temple also offers views to the plains of the Mihintale area and the lonesome bushland of the so-called Vannis.
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1*star & almost secret
Gonagiri Raja Maha Viharaya is a Buddhist temple directly at the road from Anuradhapura to Trincomalee. It is an ancient cave temple and a modern monastery alike. The rock of the temple is crowned by a typical white stupa, but it's special attraction is a long line of monk statues climbing the rock to meet a Buddha statue at the top. Many people love this site particularly for this row of statues.
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1*star & almost secret
Kalpe, a rarely visited archaeological site near Horowupotana in Anuradhapura District, has few remains from the Anuradhapura period, such as a stupa and a guardstone and a moonstone. The latter is sometimes attributed to the Polonnaruwa period. Pillar stumps of a Tampita Vihara are undoubtedly from the Kandy period, so that the small sacred site has remnants of completely different periods, from antiquity to early modern.
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2**stars & almost secret
Highly recommendable for heritage enthusiasts is a visit of the archaeological site of Kiralagala. It’s located 43 km northeast of Mihintale. However, when travelling from Anuradhapura or Mihintale to Trincomalee or Nilaveli Beach, a visit of Kiralagala only requires a small detour, of less than 10 kms. Kiralagala is the ancient Weherabendhigala. It seems to have been the first large monastery of the hermit brotherhood known as Pansukulikas, where typical features of Pansukulika architecture occur for the first time.
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2**stars & almost secret
The very remote rock and cave temple of Handagala Kanda is situated between Medavachchiya and Horowupotana, to the northeast of Mihintale. The pretty large group of rocks contains several abris used as hermitages by Buddhist monks already in the Anuradhapura period. Handagala Kanda is a calm and peaceful place, inviting for relaxation and meditation or just enjoying the beauty of the natural setting.
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1*star & almost secret
The Buddhist temple of Thambalagollewa, one of the remotest and most tranquil sacred sites in Sri Lanka, has a cave shrine decorated with sculptures and paintings in the Kandyan style. This is the reason why it's also called Kuda Dambulu, which means "Little Dambulla". Apart from that, it is newly decorated with a long line of monk statues on the forested rock. Nearby is the historically important Wewelketiya Pillar Inscription from the late Anuradhapura period.
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1*star & almost secret
Kokabe is a very small but charming achaeological site about 10 km to the south of Hamillewa at the Anuradhapura-Trincomalee road (A12). Let’s say, it’s worth a detour only for temple excavation fanatics. But when having a full day available for the transfer from Anuradhapura or Mihintale to Trincomalee or Nilaveli beach, it’s possible to see all those off-the-beaten-path destinations in this remote area, namely Veheragala and Kokabe and Kiralagala and also one or two more, for example Divulwewa and Madagama (the latter will be discussed further below, because it’s closer to Trincomalee than to Anuradhapura).
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1*star & almost secret
Divulwewa is off-the-beaten path but a visit requires a quite long detour either from the Anuradhapura or the Sigiriya area (almost 50 km from each). To be honest, it’s not recommendable to spend so many driving hours to see this archaeological site, as you could visit many more other places of higher significancce elswhere during the same period of time. Divulwewa is an insider tip and a special recommendation only for those studying Buddhist scultures, as it has one of the very few large seated Buddha statues still in situ.
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1*star & almost secret
A rarely visited temple of a completely different character is in Isinbassagala 25 km to the north of Mihintale. The shrine is new and gaudy. However, it’s worth climbing the granite rock which is crowned by a shining white stupa. This is one of the 360 degree panoramas in the plains of the so-called Vanni area, a dry zone scrub jungle in the very north of Sri Lanka. A break in Isinbassagala makes sense when travelling the direct route (A9) from Anuradhapura to Jaffna.
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