Atamasthana (The Eight Sacred Sites in Anuradhapura) – අටමස්ථාන

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Thuparama Stupa and the Vatadage

Anuradhapura, the first capital of the Sri Lanka flourished for almost 1500 years starting form the 4th century BC. In the middle of 3rd Century BC, after 236 years of passing away of Buddha, Buddhism was introduced to Sri Lanka and from that point onward a great civilization was built upon the teaching of Buddha. Today Anuradhapura is one of the most sacred cities for the Buddhists all over the world and it is filled with Ancient Dagabas, monasteries, palaces, man made water tanks and royal parks.

Out of these, Atamasthana ( the 8 sacred sites ) are considered the most important places that a Buddhist pilgrim must visit in Anuradhapura. These are the main sites in Anuradhapura that Buddha visited during his 3 visits to Sri Lanka.   They are

Atamasthana in Anuradhapura

1. Sri Maha Bodhi
2. Ruwanweliseya
3. Thuparamaya
4. Lovamahapaya
5. Abhayagiriya
6. Jetavanaramaya
7. Mirisavetiya
8. Lankaramaya

Driving Directions to Anuradhapura

Anuradhapura can be reached through many routes from Colombo. The two main routes are through Puttlam (Puttalama) and though Kurunegala. Traveling from Puttlam you will pass scenic Wilpattu area. the From Kurunegala there are two main routes to Anuradhapura. The most common route is through Dambulla. The other route is though Galgamuwa. Out of all the routes, the commonly used is the Kurunegala – Dambulla route (Route 2).