Vessagiriya Monastery of Anuradhapura Kingdom

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Vessagiriya sits just a few hundred meters to the left of the present-day Isurumuniya, along the ancient Anuradhapura-Kurunegala road. Nestled amidst the scenic landscape near Tissa Wewa, this monastery sprawls across three magnificent boulder formations, creating a captivating sight. Among these formations, the remnants of a dagaba can be found on top of one of the rocks.

Original Name of Vessagiriya

An inscription discovered on this site, attributed to King Mahinda IV, identified the monastery as The Great Royal Monastery of Bo-Upulvan Kasubgiri (Ranawella, 2004). To trace the origins of this name, we must delve into the era of King Kassapa I (477-495 CE), who ascended the throne by brutally killing his father, King Dhatusena (459-477 CE). According to the Culawamsa (Lesser Chronicle of Sri Lanka), King Kassapa I, upon seizing power, renovated and enlarged Issarasamanarama, bestowing upon it the names of his two daughters, Bodhi and Uppalavanna (Mahanama et al., 1929; Ch. XXXIV: verses 8-12). Consequently, based on this historical context, it is concluded that the monastery’s original name is Isurumuminya.

By the time inscriptions identifying its original name were discovered, historians had already named the ancient Meghagiri Vihara as Isuruminiya even though no inscriptions had been found. Since the name Isurumuniya was already taken and was well established, this site was named Vessagiriya.

Ashta Pala Maha Bodhi

According to the historic Mahavamsa, of the first eight saplings that grew out of the Sri Maha Bodhi (Ashta Pala Bodhi), King Devanampiyatissa planted one at Issarasamanaramaya. Therefore, the site known as Vessagiriya today is one of the sites in which an Ashtapala Bodhi was planted.

Vessagiriya Monastery

The remains of 23 caves with drip ledges that the monks used can be seen on two rock formations at Vessagiriya. Remains of many buildings had been found around the site, among which there were remains of an image house (pilima geya), dagoba, and refectory (monk’s dining room). Bricks recovered from the dagoba had Sinhalese characters from the 10th and 11th centuries. Also, there are the remains of a rare type of circular building devoid of any statues or pedestals. Although the purpose of this building is still a mystery, archaeologists have found seventy rare coins while excavating this building.

This site has housed 500 priests who received ordinances from the great thero Mahinda, who brought Buddhism to the country in 250 BC. This is another site in Anuradhapura that is not visited by most of the pilgrims. Therefore, this area still seems unspoiled up to now.

Vessagiriya is made in the form of Pabbatha Vihara architecture. Archaeologists believe that Pabbata Vihara was built by merging with a natural rock formation. These are built by arranging several rectangular building areas (courtyards) at different levels surrounded by water. In the upper courtyard itself are the four sacred buildings arranged in a specific order. In the ancient architecture book “Manju Sri Bhashitha Vastuvidyawa” (මඤ්ජු ශ්‍රී භාෂිත වාස්තුවිද්‍යාව) written in Sanskrit, these buildings and standards are well explained.

The basic feature of pabbatha vihara monasteries is a large rectangular precinct or sacred quadrangle that contains the four major shrines: a stupa, a bodhighara, a patimaghara, and a prasada, which has been identified as the uposathaghara. Such monasteries in Anuradhapura are;

Other provincial sites where Pabbata Vihara have been identified are

Kaludiya Pokuna (Dhakkinagiri Viharaya) in Dambulla
Lahugala Magul Maha Viharaya
Menikdena
Pulukunava in the Gal Oya valley
Moragoda in Padaviya
A group of shrines at the foot of the rock at Sigiriya

(Bandaranayake, 1974)

Important Information for Foreign Tourists Visiting Sites at Sacred City of Anuradhapura

Most of the more popular sites in Anuradhapura strictly check for tickets from tourists, while the less-visited sites tend to be more relaxed due to the lack of staff. However, tourists should be cautious, as some unscrupulous tuk-tuk drivers may attempt to exploit this situation.

They sometimes offer to take foreign tourists along routes where ticket checks are less common or even try to collect the entrance fee themselves, claiming they will purchase the tickets on the tourists’ behalf. Tourists are strongly advised not to fall for such scams, as this can lead to unnecessary complications with site security or the police.

Information on the Anuradhapura Cultural Heritage Ticket and where and how to purchase can be found here

Some caves in the complex like the one you see here could have housed over 100 people

View from the road leading to the complex. You can still climb to the top of this rock whare you can see signs of buildings once stood there.

References

Bandaranayake, S., 1974. Sinhalese Monastic Architecture – The Viharas of Anuradhapura. Leiden: Brill.
Mahanama, Geiger, W.H. and Bode, M. (1912) The Mahavamsa: or The Great Chronicle of Ceylon. London: H. Frowde for the Pali Text Society.
Mahanama, Geiger, W. and Rickmers, C.M. (1929) CULAVAMSA Being the More Recent Part of the MAHAWAMSA (Volume 1) (2 vols). London: Oxford University Press.
Ranawella, S. (2004) Inscriptions of Ceylon Vol V (part II). Colombo: Department of Archaeology, Sri Lanka, pp 258-261.

Also See

Anuradhapura – The city of the God Kings
Solosmasthana – The Sixteen Buddhist Sacred Sites Hallowed by Buddha
Atamasthana – The Eight Sacred Sites in Anuradhapura

Map of Vessagiriya and Other Places of Interest

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Traveling Directions to Anuradhapura (Vessagiriya)

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