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The Ancient Cities

Why Go? Matale ...... 183 Crumbling temples, lost cities and sacred sites are reason Nalanda ...... 184 enough to head up country. It was here on the hot central Dambulla ...... 185 plains of that ancient Sinhalese dynasties set up ...... 188 their capitals and supported massive artistic and architec- tural endeavours. Eventually these kingdoms fell, giving na- ...... 192 ture a chance to reclaim the land. Giritale ...... 198 For more than a century archaeologists have been slowly Mandalagiri Vihara ...... 200 shedding the many layers of history from this overgrown Habarana ...... 200 landscape. The Rock at Sigiriya, the bulging dagobas Ritigala Ruins ...... 202 of Polonnaruwa and the serene Buddhas scattered around ...... 202 Anuradhapura are but a few of the sites now considered ...... 211 national treasures. Padeniya ...... 214 The area covered in this chapter is commonly called the ‘Cultural Triangle’. Besides the amazing ruins, save time for Panduwasnuwara ...... 215 the national parks, which teem with elephants. Plan on Ridi Vihara ...... 216 spending several days here, wandering from town to town, ...... 216 making new discoveries daily.

Best Places to Eat When to Go Dambulla » A&C Restaurant (p 184 ) °C/°F Temp Rainfall inches/mm » Ancient Villa Hotel (p190) 40/104 16/400 » Heritance Kandalama Hotel (p 186 ) 30/86 12/300

» Milano Tourist Rest (p 209 ) 20/68 8/200

10/50 4/100 Best Places to 0/32 0 Stay J FDNOSAJJMAM » Habarana Rest House (p 200 ) Jun A great May–Sep Ele- Dec–Feb Coastal festival, the phants abound in beaches are » Hotel Shalini (p 209 ) , is the central and packed, but » Jetwing Vil Uyana (p191) held at Mihintale easily visited cultural sites » Rice Villa Retreat (p 198 ) on the Poson full- Minneriya offer a meaning- moon night. National Park. ful escape. Park Flood Plains National Ulhitiya To Reservoir (27km) Ratkinda Reservoir Trincomalee Kaduruwela Dimbulagala ὈὈ ὈὈ ὈὈ (p 202 ) (p 202 Kantale Mannampitiya Mahiyangana Vihara (p 185 ), where

Mandalagiri Medirigiriya Ganga Mahaweli Hingurakgoda Ritigala Ritigala Giritale Park 00 20 km 12 miles Tank Going Buddha-spotting Summoning your inner Summoning your National Minneriya Kaudulla Tank Samudra Kantale Park Dambulla Parakrama Kaudulla National in of some contain caves rock stunning most Sri Lanka’s and temples paintings, images Buddhist explorer at the mysterious mysterious at the explorer ruins at 7 6 A26 Wasgomuwa Polonnaruwa A6 ὈὈ Ὀ Ὀ Gal Oya Junction Range (1863m) Victoria Reservoir Knuckles Minneriya Giritale Tank Pallegama Gal Oya National Park

(55km) Dambagolla

Tank Hurulu Wewa Karagahandala Galenbindunuwewa Ambagaswewa To Trincomalee Kandalama Kandalama Ritigala Ruins ) (p 202 Elkaduwa Habarana ὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈ ὈὈ ὈὈ Fortress A11 Sigiriya Kandy Ritigala Nalanda (p 188 ) Rattota Sigiriya Rock

Cave Peradeniya Temples A9 A9 Cycling around around Cycling Spotting elephants and Spotting elephants Getting lost for hours in hours for Getting lost Kekirawa Naula Inamaluwa the sprawling ruins of the sprawling Anuradhapura other wildlife in the lush other wildlife National Park Minneriya ) (p 201 Sri Lanka’s best museum at at museum best Sri Lanka’s Sigiriya 4 5 3 Ritigala Strict Nature Reserve Matale Dambulla Kala Wewa Kalawewa A6 Aluvihara

Melsiripura ὈὈ Mihintale Ridi Vihara Galkulama Ridigama Gunnawalpule A10

Galewela A9 Malwatagama (p 188 ), ), 188 (p A20 A13 Tank Hakwatuna Oya Tank Aukana Buddha ne artwork artwork ne fi A1 Nachchaduwa Madagalla Sigiriya Arankele Rambe Kegalle Ibbagamuwa Rambukkana

(35km) A6 Yapahuwa Giratalana Scaling the rock rock the Scaling Admiring Admiring the

To Tantirimalai Sasseruwa Talawa monastery at monastery known for its epic views, epic views, its for known art and mind- outstanding boggling ruins carved into the fascinating into carved Quadrangle Polonnaruwa (p 194 ) 2

1 The Ancient Cities Highlights

Maho Wariyapola Kurunegala

Anuradhapura Polgahawela Padeniya A12

(60km) To Colombo A28

THE ANCIENT CITIES 182