Anuradhapura

Anuradhapura lies on Sri Lanka's north-central plain beside the Malwathu Oya. Once a major royal capital, it developed an enduring sacred landscape of monasteries, stupas and reservoirs. The Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi is revered as a descendant of the Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya.

After Chola conquest and the shift of the royal capital, Anuradhapura's political importance diminished, but sacred places continued to draw devotion. During the later Kandyan period, pilgrims visited sites including the Sri Maha Bodhi and Ruvanveliseya amid the remains of the old city. The former capital's religious significance thus outlasted its role as a seat of kingship.