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Sri Lanka That Ancient Sinhalese Dynasties Set up Sigiriya

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Sri Lanka That Ancient Sinhalese Dynasties Set up Sigiriya ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 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 Sri Lanka that ancient Sinhalese dynasties set up Sigiriya.......................... 188 their capitals and supported massive artistic and architec- tural endeavours. Eventually these kingdoms fell, giving na- Polonnaruwa .................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 Fort at Sigiriya, the bulging dagobas Ritigala Ruins ...............202 of Polonnaruwa and the serene Buddhas scattered around Anuradhapura ..............202 Anuradhapura are but a few of the sites now considered Mihintale........................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, Kurunegala ....................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 ) Poson Poya, 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. 182 To Tantirimalai A20 To Trincomalee To (35km) (55km) Trincomalee A9 Kantale (27km) Tank Mihintale Kantale Anuradhapura A13 Galenbindunuwewa A12 Galkulama Talawa Kaudulla Nachchaduwa Hurulu National Tank A6 Park Mandalagiri ὈὈὈὈWewa ὈVihara Ritigala Strict Nature Reserve Gal Oya Kaudulla Ritigala Tank Ruins Gal Oya Medirigiriya Ritigala Junction Gunnawalpule Flood A11 Ambagaswewa Minneriya Plains Kekirawa Hingurakgoda National Sasseruwa Aukana Kalawewa Habarana Park Buddha ὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈMinneriyaὈ Giratalana National Park Kala A9 Sigiriya Rock Giritale Wewa Fortress Giritale Tank Sigiriya Polonnaruwa Inamaluwa Kaduruwela A28 Parakrama Kandalama Samudra Mannampitiya Madagalla Dambulla Maho ὈὈὈὈὈὈKandalama ὈὈ Yapahuwa Hakwatuna Tank Oya Tank Cave Temples Dimbulagala Galewela Wasgomuwa Dambagolla Rambe National Park Naula A6 THE ANCIENT CITIES CITIES ANCIENT THE Padeniya ὈὈὈὈὈὈ Nalanda Melsiripura Wariyapola Arankele Ibbagamuwa Ratkinda Ridigama Reservoir Ridi Vihara Rattota Pallegama Aluvihara Kurunegala ὈὈὈὈὈὈ Matale Karagahandala Knuckles Ulhitiya Range Ganga Mahaweli Reservoir Malwatagama Elkaduwa A6 (1863m) A10 A9 Polgahawela MahiyanganaὈὈ Rambukkana A26 Kandy To Colombo Kegalle Peradeniya (60km) A1 Victoria 0 20 km Reservoir 0 12 miles The Ancient Cities Highlights 1 Admiring the fi ne artwork 3 Getting lost for hours in 6 Going Buddha-spotting carved into the fascinating Sri Lanka’s best museum at in Dambulla (p 185 ), where Polonnaruwa Quadrangle Sigiriya (p 188 ) rock caves contain some of (p 194 ) 4 Cycling around Sri Lanka’s most stunning 2 Scaling the rock the sprawling ruins of paintings, temples and monastery at Sigiriya (p 188), Anuradhapura (p 202 ) Buddhist images known for its epic views, 5 Spotting elephants and 7 Summoning your inner outstanding art and mind- other wildlife in the lush explorer at the mysterious boggling ruins Minneriya National Park ruins at Ritigala (p 202 ) (p 201 ).
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