There are not many destinations in the world with such a large number of ancient cultural monuments as Sri Lanka. This small island offers a unique experience to discover the sacred cities, ancient temples, and timeless ruins in astounding world heritage sites. Particularly, the Cultural Triangle in Sri Lanka is abundant with a lot of cultural landmarks where you can immerse yourself in an epic environment. With their high universal value, thousands of visitors come to witness these monuments.
For first-time visitors to Sri Lanka, the perfect place to start their exploration is Cultural Triangle. This triangular area connects 3 major cities including Kandy, Anuradhapura, and Polonnaruwa. These 3 cities and the area inside this triangle including Sigiriya and Dambulla showcase some of Sri Lanka’s most awe-inspiring architectural landmarks. All these ancient cities are equally worthy of a visit and are relatively easy to travel between each historical monument.
In this post, you can discover all the major highlights of the Cultural Triangle in Sri Lanka. This is our essential guide for you to visit the Cultural Triangle and what to see and do once you’re there.
1. Buddhist Temples in Kandy
Located among the lush green mountains of the Central Highlands, Kandy is the Hill Capital of Sri Lanka. It is the second largest city next to the capital of Colombo. Kandy is a world-famous historical city and the home of the Temple of Sacred Tooth Relic which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
This ancient Buddhist temple houses tooth relics of Lord Buddha. Adorned with elegant paintings, wood carvings, and a marvelous golden roof, this temple shows the grandeur of the Sri Lankan Kandyan architecture. Furthermore, the temple premises is also home to the Royal Palace and Kandy Lake.
Other than the sacred temple of Tooth Relic, the three temple loop is a worthy sight to witness in Kandy. Just a half an hour drive from Kandy, you’ll find these three ancient temples with great historical value. They are small but have a long history dating back to the last Kandyan reign. Named as Gadaladeniya Temple, Lankatilaka Temple, and Embakke Devala, these temples are characterized by the amazing architectural legacy that the Kandyan dynasty left behind.
Moreover, a major cultural highlight in Kandy is the 10-day Esala Perahera procession which is held in late July into early August each year. The festival has its roots back the centuries, to the establishment of Kandy’s Sacred Temple of Tooth Relic. Adorned with traditional dances, this procession is one of the most spectacular Buddhist festivals in Sri Lanka.
2. Sacred City of Anuradhapura
The second corner of the Cultural Triangle is the sacred city of Anuradhapura, the historic capital of the ancient Sinhalese kingdom. It is known as ‘the sacred city’ because of the abundance of ancient Buddhist temples. Particularly, there are 8 sacred places call as Atamasthana which consider as must-visit cultural landmarks in Anuradhapura city. These places are venerated by many devotees throughout the year.
The Eight sacred places of veneration in Anuradhapura include the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, Ruwanwelisaya, Thuparamaya, Lovamahapaya, Jetawanarama, Abhayagiri Dagaba, Mirisawetiya, and Lankaramaya. Most of them are great historical stupas, which have a history dating back thousands of years.
One of the major points of interest in Anuradhapura includes 2500 years old sacred Bodhi tree. Most importantly, this is the oldest human-planted tree in the world.
Among the stupas in Anuradhapura, Ruwanweliseya is the largest and most magnificent one. Although small in size, Thuparamaya is an important historical monument as the first stupa created in Sri Lanka. Jetavanaramaya and Abhayagiriya Dagaba are large stupas that remain in their original brick structures.
As well, Mirisawetiya and Lankaramya are beautiful stupas renovated to show the former glory of the Anuradhapura era. Ruined Lovamahapaya has thousands of stone pillars still remaining while the main buildings are destroyed over time.
There are many more structures such as Moonstones, Guard stones, Samadhi Buddha, stone carvings in Isurumuniya, and Twin Ponds that depict the greatness of the ancient Anuradhapura kingdom.
3. Ancient city of Polonnaruwa
The third corner of the Cultural Triangle is the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, the second oldest capital of the Sinhalese kingdom. One of the most spectacular historical places in this ruined city is Gal Viharaya. The 4 Buddha figures at the temple are cut from one huge slab of granite.
Then you can wander around the ruins of the majestic Royal Palace, from the period of King Parakramabahu. Once towering at 7 stories, still you can see the massive walls over 1 m thick and 9 m tall.
The sacred quadrangle is one of the main highlights of the Polonnaruwa archaeological site. It is a square-shaped terrace where most of the ancient Buddhist ruins have remained. The ruins on the terrace include Polonnaruwa Vatadage, Atadage, Hatadage, Sathmahal Prasada, Nissanka Latha Mandapaya, Thuparamaya and Shiva Devale.
Among them, The Vatadage is one of the most beautiful ancient buildings in Sri Lanka. Certainly, it is the most magnificent creation by traditional Sri Lankan architecture. Adorned with exquisite guard stones, moonstones, and carved stone steps it leads you up to the main shrine.
Thuparama is the oldest image house in Polonnaruwa. This brick-walled shrine is decorated with elaborate carvings. One crystalline limestone Buddha remains in the deepest part of the image house. Above all, Nissanka Latha Mandapaya is a masterpiece of Sri Lankan architecture. Elegantly decorated stone pillars of this ruined structure take the shape of lotus stalks rising upwards.
Some other well-known attractions of this ancient city include the Statue of King Parakramabahu, Rankoth Vehera, Rathna Prasada, Thiwanka Pilimage, Lotus Pond, and many more. Explore all these historic places, ruins, and sprawling complexes while unearthing the ancient history of Polonnaruwa.
4. Cave Temple in Dambulla
While you are exploring the cultural triangle, the historical city of Dambulla is a major point of interest you shouldn’t miss in Sri Lanka. One of the most important spots is Dambulla Golden Temple, the largest preserved cave temple in the country.
Dambulla rock towers 160 meters over the surrounding plains there are 5 caves where visitors can witness the gorgeous paintings that depict Lord Buddha’s life. Remember to step into these caves and marvel at these impressive Buddha statues.
5. Sigiriya Rock Fortress
Another main point of interest in the cultural triangle is Sigiriya Rock Fortress. This 180 m tall Sigiriya Rock is certainly worthy of its status as the eighth Wonder of the World. Walk through the landscaped Royal Gardens along the water gardens, the boulder gardens, and the terraced gardens.
After climbing the summit, you can see the remnants of the royal palace on the top of this huge rock. Panoramic view from the top gives sweeping views across the plains in the surrounding areas miles away.
6. Mihintale Buddhist Monastery
One important point of interest in Anuradhapura is Mihintale Buddhist Monastery. It is a historical place where Buddhism was inaugurated in Sri Lanka.
Mihintale is a much-visited pilgrimage site with several religious monuments. Moreover, you’ll see Mihintale Maha Seya, one of the great stupas in Sri Lanka.
7. Ancient Temples in Matale
There are plenty of things to see beyond these major ancient cities of the Cultural Triangle. You’ll find another cave temple call as Aluviharaya Temple in Matale. It locates around 30 km from Kandy City. This Rock Temple is one of the most important historic Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka, where Buddhism was first written down completely in text on ola leaves.
The Great King Walagamba built this during the 03rd century BC. There is a gorgeous statue of Lord Buddha on a rock on the top of the hill which is 400-500m away from Aluviharaya Cave Temple. You’ll find some beautiful images of Lord Buddha inside the rock caves.
8. Yapahuwa Rock Fortress
The majestic citadel of Yapahuwa is one of the most interesting cultural landmarks to visit in Sri Lanka. This long-abandoned rock fortress has the most elaborate stone staircase in the country. This long, ornamental stairway is one of the top photogenic spots in Sri Lanka.
This is constructed on the steep embankment of the rock with around 100 stairs. Once you climb up to the summit, it gives a sweeping view over the surrounding lowland area.
9. Avukana Buddha statue
The incredible Avukana Buddha is the most perfectly preserved ancient Buddha statue in Sri Lanka. Standing 14 m high, the imposing image was carved out of a single granite rock. The Buddha stands erect, with his right hand raised in the posture of blessing, while his other hand touches his shoulder.
10. Ritigala Mountain
Surrounded by jungles in the rugged hills, Ritigala is one of the most mysterious places in Sri Lanka. The broken stone structures, stone pillars, and ponds show there was a Buddhist Monastery long ago. Ritigala features several natural caves where monks lived and meditated.
Certainly, the ancient Ritigala monastery has some of the island’s most enigmatic ruins. According to the legend, this place is one of the 5 Sanjeevani mountains in Sri Lanka, related to the epic Indian tale of Ramayana.
To sum up, the cultural triangle is an integral part of Sri Lanka’s historical core and gives supreme expression to its religious values. It is a treasure trove of some of the island’s finest ancient monuments. Certainly, these historical landmarks should be preserved for the sake of future generations. Welcome guys, discover the ancient architectural marvels in the Cultural Triangle of Sri Lanka.
Text by Magnificent Sri Lanka. Images from Wikimedia Commons, Pixabay, and Unsplash. All the copyrights are reserved by the original authors.
