Anuradhapura Ancient Siva Kovil

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Amid the sacred Buddhist landscape of Anuradhapura, the ancient Siva Kovil near Abhaya Wewa stands in silent ruin. Once crafted from finely dressed granite with classic Hindu architecture, much of its splendor now lives on in the nearby Pillaiyar Kovil, where its relics and the original Shiva Lingam remain preserved.

The ruins of the ancient Siva Kovil in Anuradhapura are situated beside a small yellow and red striped Pillaiyar Kovil near the Abhaya Wewa Reservoir (Basawakkulama Wewa), within the Central Nuwaragam Palata Divisional Secretariat of the Anuradhapura District in the North Central Province.

This kovil, built with finely dressed granite, measures 5.55 meters in length and 13.20 meters in width. It features the typical architectural components of an ancient Hindu image house, including the antaralaya (vestibule), mandapa (hall), and garbha (sanctuary). Sadly, many of the original stones from this historic structure were reused in constructing the new Pillaiyar Kovil, leading to the loss of much of its architectural integrity.

The original Shiva Lingam, along with several intricately carved stones—possibly including a guard stone from the old temple—has also been relocated and now rests within the new Kovil.

Ruins of Anuradhapura Ancient Siva Kovil

References

Dissanayake, S. B. (2023). 2015 වර්ෂය සඳහා පුරාවිද්‍යා අධ්‍යක්‍ෂක ජනරාල්ගේ පාලන වාර්තාව. Department of Archaeology, Sri Lanka.

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Travel Directions to Anuradhapura Ancient Siva Kovil

Colombo to Anuradhapura By Bus

Anuradhapura can be conveniently reached by bus, train, or private transport. Both air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned buses operate from the Colombo Fort Main Bus Station. In addition, luxury buses departing from various locations in Colombo travel via Anuradhapura to Vavuniya and Jaffna; these require advance online booking and generally operate overnight, arriving at their final destinations early in the morning.

Colombo to Anuradhapura By Train

Five daily trains operate from Colombo Fort Railway Station to Anuradhapura. Typically, the first train departs at 9.40 a.m. and the last at 8.30 p.m. The journey takes approximately four to five hours, depending on the number of stops made by the particular service.

Colombo to Anuradhapura By Car or Van

Anuradhapura can be accessed from Colombo via several routes, with the two primary corridors running through Puttalam and Kurunegala. The Puttalam route passes the scenic Wilpattu area. From Kurunegala, there are two main approaches: the more commonly used route via Dambulla and an alternative route via Galgamuwa. Among all options, the Kurunegala–Dambulla route (Route 2) is the most frequently used.

Route 01 from Colombo to Anuradhapura	Route 02 from Colombo to Anuradhapura
Through: Negombo – Chilaw – Puttalam Distance from Colombo: 210 km Travel time: 4.30-5.00 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps	Through: Negombo – Chilaw – Puttalam Distance from Colombo: 210 km Travel time: 4.30-5.00 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps.
Route 03 from Colombo to Anuradhapura	Route from Kandy to Anuradhapura
Through : Katunayake Expressway – Narammala – Wariyapola – Padeniya – Thambuthegama Distance from Colombo: 203 km Travel Time: 4.30-5.00 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps	Through: Katugastota – Matale – Dambulla Distance from Colombo: 136 km Travel Time: 3.5 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps