Access to the archaeological zone of Anuradhapura is only permitted with a valid ticket. An exception from this rule is a visit of the area to the south of the B234 road, which runs just to the south of Mirisaveti Dagoba and the Sacred Bo Tree. There are several archaeological sites in Anuradhapura South. Except from Isurumuniya, which charges a separate entry free not included in the Anuradhapura ticket, all sites are open to the public free of charge. That’s why we recommend to use the Anuradhapura ticket for a full day in the central and northern part of the archaeological park, comprising Ruwanweliseya, Abhayagiri and citadel in particular, whereas the historical sites in southern Anuradhapura can be visited without additional charges on another half-day excursion. Besides the ancient Tissa Wewa tank, there are four archaeological sites in Anuradhapura South which can count as places of interest for cultural tours.

The Dakkhina Dagaba, which translates to „southern stupa“ is a medium-sized brick monument not restaured in a modern fashion, although it is a sacred site of historic significance for Sinhalese people, as it is believed to be the tomb of Dutugemunu (Dutthagamani), the national hero. It was considered to be the tomb of his Tamil opponent Elara by earlier archaeologists. Actually, the site could have been the place where the two opponents faught the decisive duel ending with the defeat and death of Elara. The stone pillars surrounding the stupa of Dakkhina Dagaba carry some typical carvings from the Anuradhapura period, such as a depiction of Kubera, the deity of wealth.

Not far away from Dakkhina Dagoba is the rock temple of Isurumuniya, which is the most-visited site in Anuradhapura South. It’s a remarkable sanctuary for various reasons. This sacred site seems to have been heavily influenced by local cults and by Hinduism. It is now famous for ist rock carvings many of which are excellent works of art and some of which are quite unique. The depiction of a loving couple, now on display in the museum attached to Isurumuniya Temple, is very famous in Sri Lanka. It is said to represent Prince Saliya and his girlfriend Ashokamala, the Romeo and Juliette of ancient Sri Lanka. A man with a horse behind him is a quite enigmatic relief just beside the main rock shrine. At the foot of the rock is a pond. Here you can see carvings depicting bathing elephants.

Just north to the famous Isurumuniya temple is Ranmasu Uyana, the „Goldfish Park“, which is a less crowded side. Is was a rock boulder garden with some artificial ponds already in ancient times and the atmophere is pleasant till the present day. It’s said to be the place where Saliya and Ashokamala fell in love. Excellent elephant carvings can be seen here, too. A little bit hidden is a very extrordinary relief depicting a kind of spiritual map. It’s the oldest map in South Asia. Modern esoterics believe that it is a star gate allowing you to get access to other planets. So be careful not to disappear from our earth when visiting this place.

To the south of Isurumuniya is another rock temple which once served as a Buddhist monastery. It’s called Vessagiriya now. You will find lots of rock shelters with ancient inscriptions in Brahmi letters and also some ruins of monastic buildings within this picturesque ensemble of boulders. Vessagiriya is one of the very few places besides Sigiriya, where traces of rock paintings from the first millennium can be seen in Sri Lanka. They are not well-preserved and not easy to detect but well worth climbing into the cave system. The best time to visit Vessagiriya is the evening, whereas the morning is definitely the best time to see the nearby Isurumuniya temple.

Dodan Ella, also spelt ‚Dodam Ella‘ and pronounced ‚Dodang Elle‘ and also spelt 'Dodam Ella, literally translates to ‚orange waterfalls‘. The name refers to the red colour of the water after heavy rainfall, when lots of coppery soil is washed away by the Kuru Ganga originating from the mountain massif of Siri Pada (Adam’s Peak). Dodan Ella near Kuruwita in Ratnapura District is not often visited, although it’s not far ways from the very popular waterfalls of Bopath Ella.  

Situlpahuwa in the area of Yala National Park is probably the most attractive archaeological site in southern Sri Lanka. There are various spellings of the Sinhales name, for example Sithulpahuwa or Situlpawwa. The original Pali name of the ancient Buddhist monastery often mentioned in the chronicles was ‚Chittala Pabbatha‘, which translates to ‚hill of the calm mind‘. The name refers to legends of Arhats once inhabiting this lovely place. Situlpahuwa is said to have been inhabited by thousands of such enlightened beings at one time.

Situlpahuwa is a combination of ruins of ancient buildings, cave temples and restored stupas on summits of rocky hills. The valley in between the two major rocks of the former monastic compound has a picturesque ancient reservoir. Situlpahuwa is the finding place of several Buddhist statues from the Anuradhapura period, some of which are still in situ. They are influenced by Mahayana Buddhism. Important historical inscriptions, some of which attributed to the pre-Christian centuries, can be seen in Situlpahuwa, too.

Galle Fort is one of the eight World Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka, it’s the best preserved fortified town from the Dutch colonial period in Asia. A first Galle Fort was originally built by the Portuguese in 1588, but it was the Dutch who enlarged and extensively fortified in the present dimensions in the second half of the 17th century. A guided walk or strolling around in the straight streets and on the ramparts are perfect ways to explore Galle Fort. Former stables are occupied by a colonial museums. Restaurants with a colonial ambiente can be found easily. Jewellery shops are abound in Galle, too. The luxurious Amangalla Hotel is at the site of the former gouvernor’s palace. Galle is the capital of Sri Lanka’s Southern Province and definitely a must-see for travellers who spend their holidays at the southwest coast of the beautiful island. The hinterland is the world’s largest are of cinnamon production.

The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy is commonly known as Tooth Temple. It’s also called Sri Dalada Maligawa by locals. It enshrines a canine of the historical Budhha Shakyamuni, one of the most venerated relics in the entire Buddhist world. Since the 4th century AD, this relic has played a major role in local ceremonies and became a kind of national palladium, as in the Middle Ages and modern period it has been believed that the holder of the  Tooth Relic is the chosen guardian of the faith and rightful ruler of the island and the city safekeeping the relic is the capital of the Buddhist nation. The Kandyan kings became the protectors of the Tooth Relic in the late 16th century. Kandy has therefore been regarded as the Sinhalese capital and the Tooth Temple formed a part of the royal palace.

The buildings of the Tooth Relic Temple in Kandy are mainly from the late 18th century, except from the wooden hall in the very centre, which keeps the Sacred Tooth and is crowned by a gilded canopy. This hall is from the 17th century, its two storeys are known as "Palle malaya" (lower floor) and "Udu malaya" (upper floor) or "Weda hitina maligawa". The entire complex of the Tooth Relic Temple together with the nearby Hindu Devales is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The best times to visit the temple are the three daily puja ceremonies. Foreign guests are welcome to join the celebrations taking place mainly in front of the upper floor of the wooden hall, if they are dressed properly and behave in a respectful way. Taking pictures of the ceremonies is permitted.

Bopath Falls is a weekend destination popular with locals. The picturesque 30 m tall waterfalls are situated just outside Kuruwita in Ratnapura District. Bopath Ella translates to „Bot-tree-leaf waterfall“. The name refers to the eye-catching shape of the waterfalls, which resembles the leaf of the Sacred Fig, known as "Bo-tree“ in Sri Lanka or „Bodhi-tree“ in India. Local legends have it that Bopath Falls are haunted and hiding a treasure trove.

More about the waterfalls of Bopath Ella here...

The first huge temple complex that was developed into a Pansukulika monastery was called Veherabandigala in the Anuradhapura period. The modern name of the location is Kiralagala. Despite ist historical significance, the quit large archaeological site is far away from the tourist routes and therefore almost untouched. Besides doubled meditation platforms called Padhinagaras, which are typical of monasteries of the Pansukulika brotherhood, an Ayurvedic hospital is another type of structure usually found at sites inhabited by this specific group of monks. Another characteristic feature is a large pond. The bassin in Kiralagala is the largest of ist type. The occurence of a stupa, which is usually not found in Pansukulika compounds, indicates that this location was an ordinary monastery prior to ist transformation into one of the main complexes of the reform fraternity, besides Ritigala and Arankala and Manakanda and Anuradhapura’s Western monasteries. Read more...