-
Viewpoint
Follow Harbour Road around the point and into the military area (which is usually wide open); there are great vistas from this viewpoint along the grassy verge.
-
Sri Nagavihara International Buddhist Centre
For Buddhists there’s the solitary Sri Nagavihara International Buddhist Centre which was quickly rebuilt after government forces retook Jaffna in 1995.
-
Jami
The decorative 1909 Jami-Ul-Alfar Mosque has candy-striped red-and-white brickwork. The mosque is closed to non-Muslims during prayer times and Fridays.
-
Batticaloa Market
Stock up with tropical fruit as well as gifts for back home, like spoons made from coconut shells and palmyra palm jaggery (raw sugar) in laid-back, hassle-free environs.
-
Gnanasiha Tapowana Vihara
There’s a full-size replica of the Aukana Buddha at the Gnanasiha Tapowana Vihara, on top of a hill overlooking town; you can walk to it through Pompakelle Forest Park
-
Muthiyagana Vihara
A large Buddhist complex that includes a whitewashed dagoba in spacious grounds in the southeast of town. During festivals the resident elephant may be paraded around.
-
British Council
Opening in 2014, the British Council has a library stocked with magazines, newspapers and English literature and hosts cultural events including art exhibitions.
-
Buddhist Temple
This small Buddhist temple at the west end of the beach has a vigilant monk ready to chase away anyone who is hoping to feign some piety in return for a shady rest.
-
Nuwara Wewa
Nuwara Wewa, on the east side of the city, is the largest tank in Anuradhapura, covering about 1200 hectares. It was built around 20 BC and is well away from most of the old city.
-
Fish Market
Across the lagoon bridge there’s a second fish market. If you can stagger out of bed at 6am, it’s a good place to watch much bigger fishing boats return with their catches.
-
Rajah Tusker Hall
Inside the Rajah Tusker Hall are the stuffed remains of Rajah, the Maligawa elephant who died in 1988. The building is just north of the Temple of the Tooth but within the same compound.
-
Vishnu Devale
The Vishnu Devale is reached by carved steps and features a drumming hall. The great Hindu god Vishnu is the guardian of Sri Lanka, demonstrating the intermingling of Hinduism and Buddhism.
-
National Art Gallery
The grandest thing about the National Art Gallery is its name. Next to the National Museum, it has a small collection of portraits and landscapes shown without labels or air-conditioning.
-
Kandy War Cemetery
This small and beautifully melancholic cemetery is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. It is the final resting place for those who died defending Sri Lanka during WWII.
-
Buddha Seema Prasada
The highest building in the Alahana Pirivena group, this was the monastery abbot’s convocation hall. This building features a fine mandapaya (raised platform with decorative pillars).
-
Audience Hall
To the north of the Temple of the Tooth, but still within the compound, is the 19th-century Audience Hall, an open-air pavilion with stone columns carved to look like wooden pillars.
-
Aradhana Gala
To the east of Ambasthale Dagoba is a steep path over sun-heated rock leading up to a point with great views. A railing goes up most of the way. Aradhana Gala means ‘Meditation Rock’.
-
Rest House
The shady Rest House was once home to the Dutch administrators. It’s one of the oldest rest houses in the country, and was originally built (as a plate on the front steps indicates) in 1774.
-
Dalada Maligawa
In the Royal Palace area you can also find the Dalada Maligawa, a temple that may have been the first Temple of the Tooth. The sacred Buddha’s tooth originally came to Sri Lanka in AD 313.
-
Cave V (Devana Alut Viharaya)
This newer cave was once used as a storehouse, but it’s now called the Second New Temple. It features a reclining Buddha; Hindu deities, including Kataragama (Murugan) and Vishnu, are also present.
Total
424 -travel
FirstPage PreviousPage NextPage LastPage CurrentPage:
7/22 20-travel/Page GoTo Page:
