Page 42 - Off the Tourist Trail - 1000 Unexpected Travel Alternatives (Part 1 of 2)

38 5 MORE ASIAN MONUMENTS TO RIVAL ANGKOR

ANCIENT AND HISTORICAL SIGHTS
Ayutthaya Anuradhapura

NEED TO KNOW NEED TO KNOW

LOCATION The ancient site -"04 LOCATION Anuradhapura
lies 50 miles (80 km) north of .:"/."3 lies in north-central Sri Lanka */%*" +BõOB
#63." $IJBOH .BJ
Bangkok in Thailand DATE OF
5)"*-"/%
DATE OF CONSTRUCTION
CONSTRUCTION ":655)":" 3rd century BC to "/63"%)"163"
14th–18th centuries #BOHLPL $".#0%*" 10th century AD
43* -"/,"
DAYTIME "OEBNBO 7*&5/". DAYTIME #BZ PG
TEMPERATURES 4FB TEMPERATURES $PMPNCP ,BOEZ #FOHBM
Jan: 79°F (26°C); Apr: 86°F Jan: 79°F (26°C); Apr: 84°F ABOVE Thuparama Dagoba and its pillars, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka
(30°C); Jul: 82°F (28°C); 1IVLFU (VMG PG (29°C); Jul: 81°F (27°C); *OEJBO
Oct: 82°F (28°C) 5IBJMBOE Oct: 81°F (27°C) 0DFBO
."-":4*"
which is almost 328 ft (100 m) high and was built
using an estimated 90 million bricks. This is the
The great city of Ayutthaya was founded in 1351 The capital of ancient Sri Lanka for over 1,000 second-largest man-made structure in the ancient
by King Ramathibodi I, who came here from the years, Anuradhapura was one of the greatest world, surpassed only by the pyramids at Giza in
disease-ravaged city of Lopburi. It served as the monastic cities the world has ever seen. In its Egypt. Be sure to follow the crowds of sarong-clad
Thai capital for over 400 years and boasted three heyday, it was the archetypal Buddhist theocracy; locals to the Sri Maha Bodhi, a 2,000-year-old
royal palaces, hundreds of temples, 87 miles a miniature kingdom where divinely ordained sacred fig tree that was allegedly grown from a
(140 km) of canals, and a cosmopolitan population kings ruled alongside a powerful Buddhist clergy, cutting of the tree in India where the Buddha
of a million people, including merchants from and where the boundaries between the secular himself gained enlightenment. This is thought to
Portugal and samurai bodyguards from Japan. and the religious remained hazy at best. The city be the world’s oldest human-planted tree, and
Ayutthaya’s glory days ended abruptly in 1767, had a population of some 10,000 monks and its attracts thousands of Buddhist pilgrims every year.
when it was sacked and destroyed by the Burmese, monasteries were a powerhouse of Buddhist Finally, take a trip to the ancient reservoirs and
who left the ruins that we see today. These include learning and theology, the influence of which irrigation works that pepper the countryside near
several needle-sharp stupas, innumerable statues spread to India, Burma, Thailand, and beyond. Anuradhapura and serve as an enduring reminder
of Buddhas staring soulfully into space, and many Anuradhapura fell into terminal decline of the city’s once-thriving agrarian society.
crumbling Buddhist temples, including Wat Phra following an Indian invasion in AD 993, but its
Mahathat, known for its eerie stone Buddha’s ruins still paint a memorable picture of the large
Practical Information
head smothered with overgrown tree roots. and sophisticated society that once flourished
Getting There Take a flight straight to Colombo, and then travel by train,
here. Pride of place goes to the city’s succession
bus, or car to Anuradhapura, which is 128 miles (206 km) away. The site is
of gargantuan stupas, including the Thuparama quite spread out and is most easily and enjoyably tackled on a bicycle.
Practical Information
Dagoba, which is surrounded by narrow stone
Getting There Fly into Bangkok, from which point it’s a short journey When to Go The best time to visit Sri Lanka is from November to April,
by train, bus, car, or boat to Ayutthaya. pillars, and the mighty Jetavanaramaya Dagoba, outside the main monsoon months, although Anuradhapura itself
remains fairly dry all year round.
When to Go Visit from November to February, the coolest, driest months.
Reclining Buddha statue in a temple at Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka Website www.tourslanka.com/Anuradhapura.htm
Website www.tourismthailand.org
Buddha’s head encased in tangled tree roots at Wat Phra Mahathat,
Ayutthaya, Thailand

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