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| The sacred city of Anuradhapura is located in North Central Province in Sri Lanka. Anuradhapura is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka. It is UNESCO World Heritage Site in Sri Lanka and it is lies 206 km north of the current capital Colombo in Sri Lanka. Anuradhapura was established in 4th century BC. It was the first capital of Sri Lanka and remained so until 11th century AD. During this period it remained one of the most stable and durable centers of political power and urban life in South Asia. Anuradhapura has been made royal capital by the king Pandukabhaya in 380 BC. It remained residence and royal capital for 119 successive Singhalese kings till the year 1000 AD when it was abandoned and the capital moved to Polonnaruwa. The ancient city Anuradhapura, considered sacred to the Buddhist world, is today surrounded by monasteries covering an area of over sixteen square miles (40 km²).The sacred city of Anuradhapura is an archaeologist's delight and contains several monuments of historical importance. The sacred city of Anuradhapura, in picturesque ruins, was once a major center of Sri Lankan civilization. The ruins consist of three classes of buildings, dagobas or stupa, monastic buildings, and pokunas (ponds). The dagobas are bell-shaped masses of masonry, varying from a few feet to over 1100 ft (340 m) in circumference. Some of them contain enough masonry to build a town for twenty-five thousand inhabitants. Remains of the monastic buildings are to be found in every direction in the shape of raised stone platforms, foundations and stone pillars. The pokunas are bathing-tanks or tanks for the supply of drinking water, which are scattered everywhere through the jungle. Places to visit in Anuradhapura
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