Things to Do in Sri Lanka

The Eight Sacred Places (Atamasthana)

While there are hundreds of smaller ruins, Buddhist pilgrims and travelers focus on the eight primary sacred monuments:

• Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi is a sacred fig tree in the Mahamewna Gardens within Anuradhapura. Planted in 288 BC, it is the oldest human-planted tree in the world with a verified planting date — a southern-branch cutting from the Bodhi Tree in Bodh Gaya under which Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment.
• Ruwanweliseya (Ruwanweli Maha Seya / Swarnamali Maha Seya), built by King Dutugemunu around 140 BCE, stands about 338 feet (103 meters). Famed for its classic bubble shape, it holds a massive collection of the Buddha’s bodily relics and remains actively revered.
• Ancient Jetavana Monastery includes a stupa built by King Mahasena (273–301 CE). Once 122 meters (400 ft) tall, it was the tallest stupa in the ancient world and remains the largest brick structure ever built — about 93.3 million baked bricks — and holds a part of a belt or sash worn by the Buddha.
• Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery, established in the 1st century BCE by King Vattagamani Abhaya, grew into a massive international university for Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana scholarship. In the 5th century, Chinese pilgrim Faxian recorded over 5,000 resident monks.
• Thuparamaya is recognized as the first historical Buddhist stupa in Sri Lanka, dating to the 3rd century BCE under King Devanampiya Tissa. It is believed to enshrine the right collarbone of the Buddha, with concentric stone pillars that once supported a protective wooden roof.

Other Unique Archaeological Highlights

• The Kuttam Pokuna (Twin Ponds): sophisticated ancient pool engineering used by monks for ritual baths, with underground filtering and a lion-headed spout.
• The Samadhi Buddha Statue in Mahamewna Park: a 4th-century crystalline limestone carving of Buddha in deep meditation, among Sri Lanka’s finest sculptures.
• Isurumuniya Rock Temple: famous for exquisite rock carvings, especially the “Isurumuniya Lovers,” a 5th-century Gupta-style relief.

1. The Royal Palace Group

• Palace of King Parakramabahu I: originally a massive 7-story brick building with 1,000 rooms; towering 3-meter-thick walls still show sockets for wooden floor beams.
• The Royal Bath (Kumara Pokuna): a beautifully tiered stone-cut pool fed by underground gravity pipes from the nearby lake.
• Audience Hall / Council Chamber of King Parakramabahu the Great (1153–1186 CE): exceptionally well preserved.

2. The Sacred Quadrangle (Dalada Maluawa)

The architectural heart of Polonnaruwa, with the highest concentration of unique buildings on a single raised terrace:

• The Vatadage: circular relic house with stone pillars, guardstones, four seating Buddhas, and a famous Moonstone.
• Hatadage and Atadage: ancient shrines built to house the sacred Tooth Relic before it moved to Kandy.
• Nissanka Latha Mandapaya: stone pavilion with curved pillars carved like twisting lotus stems.
• Thuparamaya Image House: finest surviving gedige-style vault-roofed image house with its original brick vault intact after nine centuries.
• Gal Potha (Stone Book): a ~26-foot (8.2 m), 25-ton inscription commissioned by King Nissanka Malla — the largest stone slab inscription in the country.

3. The Northern Group

• Rankoth Vehera: the largest completed stupa in Polonnaruwa at 55 meters (180 feet).
• Lankatilaka Image House: cathedral-like brick walls over 17 meters high with a giant headless standing Buddha.

4. The Masterpiece: Gal Vihara

Four large Buddha images carved into a single granite face:

• A 4.6-meter Seated Buddha in deep meditation.
• A smaller seated Buddha flanked by Hindu deities.
• A rare 7-meter Standing Buddha with crossed arms.
• A breathtaking 14-meter Reclining Buddha depicting the final passing into Nirvana.

History

• Built by King Kasyapa (477–495 AD), who assassinated his father King Dhatusena to seize the throne from his half-brother Moggallana.
• Fearing retaliation, Kasyapa fled Anuradhapura and transformed this magma plateau into a fortified royal citadel.
• After Kasyapa’s defeat, Sigiriya became a Buddhist monastery until the 14th century. Early Brahmin inscriptions from the 1st–2nd centuries also record offerings of the monastery to monks.

Layout & What You Will See

• The Royal Gardens: among the oldest landscaped gardens in the world, with Water Gardens, Boulder Gardens, and Terraced Gardens.
• The Frescoes (Cloud Maidens): 1,500-year-old paintings of celestial women. Photography is strictly illegal here to protect the pigments.
• The Mirror Wall: a polished glaze wall where centuries of visitors left graffiti and poems valuable to Sinhalese language history.
• The Lion’s Paw Terrace: colossal brick lion paws — remnants of a giant lion structure through whose mouth the staircase once climbed.
• The Summit Palace: 1.6-hectare summit with throne, rock-cut bathing pools, and unmatched 360-degree views.

The History: A King’s Sanctuary

• In the 1st century BC, King Valagamba fled Anuradhapura during a South Indian invasion and found refuge in these caves with Buddhist monks.
• After reclaiming his throne, he transformed the caves into magnificent rock temples in gratitude.
• Later kings expanded the shrines; in the 12th century King Nissanka Malla added gold leaf gilding — Ran Giri (Golden Rock).

Inside the Five Caves

• Cave 1 – Devaraja Viharaya: a 14-meter reclining Buddha carved from granite, with Ananda at his feet and Vishnu near his head.
• Cave 2 – Maharaja Viharaya: the largest cave (~52 m wide, 23 m deep) with 50+ statues, vivid ceiling frescoes, and a sacred everlasting drip of water.
• Cave 3 – Maha Aluth Viharaya: 18th-century cave by Kirti Sri Rajasinha with a 9-meter reclining Buddha and Kandyan geometric ceiling art.
• Cave 4 – Pachchima Viharaya: smaller cave with a seated Buddha under a Makara Torana arch.
• Cave 5 – Devana Aluth Viharaya: early 20th-century cave with brick-and-plaster statues including Hindu deities Kataragama and Vishnu.

The Epic Journey of the Relic

• Preserved in India after the Buddha’s passing in 543 BC, the relic was smuggled to Sri Lanka in the 4th century AD by Princess Hemamali and Prince Dantha, hidden in the princess’s hairstyle.
• As capitals shifted southward under invasion pressure, new temples safeguarded the tooth. It finally came to Kandy under King Vimaladharmasuriya I and has remained there since.

Layout & What You Will See

• The Moat and Octagon (Pattirippuwa): iconic facade tower that today houses palm-leaf manuscripts.
• The Drumming Hall (Hewisi Mandapaya): Kandyan drummers perform during daily ritual hours.
• The Upper Floor Relic Chamber: the tooth is kept inside seven interlocking golden caskets — visitors see the outer casket through a gold-plated doorway.
• The Alut Maligawa (New Wing): Buddha statues donated by international Buddhist nations and paintings of the relic’s journey.
• The Sri Dalada Museum: artifacts, royal gifts, and temple history.

Ancient Preparations: The Kap Situveema Ritual

• The festival begins with Kap Situveema: at an auspicious hour, a young unblemished jackfruit tree that has never borne fruit is felled.
• The trunk is split into four logs for the four historic Devales: Natha, Vishnu, Kataragama, and Goddess Pattini.
• For five days, internal processions occur inside shrine courtyards before public street parades begin.

Festival Structure: The 10 Nights

• Kumbal Perahera (first 5 nights): smaller, more subdued processions — ideal for fewer crowds.
• Randoli Perahera (final 5 nights): lavish processions with maximum dancers, musicians, and decorated elephants. The Final Night (Maha Randoli) is the climax.

The Water-Cutting Ceremony (Diya Kepeema)

At dawn after the 10th night, priests from the four Devales carry sacred swords and vessels to the Mahaweli River at Getambe for a symbolic cutting of the current and collection of blessed water for the year ahead. A final daytime Dahawal Perahera concludes the festival.

Order of the Procession

• Whip-crackers and fire dancers clear the streets.
• Flag bearers and Peramune Rala lead with historic Kandyan provincial flags.
• Hundreds of Geta Beraya drummers and Ves dancers in silver headdresses.
• The Maligawa Tusker carries the illuminated golden replica casket of the Tooth Relic on a white carpet.
• Four Devale processions follow: Natha, Vishnu, Kataragama, and Pattini.

Wildlife Highlights

• Sri Lankan Leopard: stable wild population often photographed on branches or lake rims.
• Sri Lankan Sloth Bear: among the best places in Sri Lanka to spot them, especially during Palalu fruit season (May–July).
• Asian elephants, spotted deer, barking deer, sambar, and wild boar.
• Over 150 bird species including Painted Stork, Spoonbill, Crested Serpent Eagle, and endangered Black-necked Stork.

The Unique Geology of the Willus

Wilpattu means “Land of Lakes.” Nearly 60 natural basins fill with seasonal rainwater, framed by white sand rims that give clear sightlines when animals come to drink. Some coastal willus are brackish, attracting different bird and crocodile species.

The Elephant Gathering

• From July to October, as water holes dry, hundreds of elephants migrate to Minneriya Tank, built by King Mahasen in the 3rd century.
• Visitors can see 200–300 elephants at once — matriarchs with calves, young bulls play-fighting, and herds grazing on grass exposed by the receding waterline.

Other Wildlife

• Elusive leopard and endangered sloth bear in denser jungle.
• Spotted deer, sambar, wild buffalo, wild boar, Toque Macaque, and Purple-faced Langur.
• Important Bird Area with Painted Storks, Spot-billed Pelicans, White-bellied Sea Eagle, and Grey-headed Fish Eagle.

The Kaudulla Elephant Migration

• Elephants roam freely between Minneriya, Kaudulla, and Hurulu Eco Park.
• From July to October, up to 200–250 elephants converge on Kaudulla Tank shores.
• Expect family units bathing, nursing calves, and solitary bulls on scrub borders.

Biodiversity Beyond Elephants

• Leopard and sloth bear in denser forests (elusive).
• Spotted deer, sambar, wild boar, wild buffalo, and grey langur.
• Important Bird Area for pelicans, painted storks, open-bills, spoonbills, and raptors.

Wildlife Highlights: The Big Three

• Sri Lankan Leopard: Block 1 is a global hotspot; leopards are often bold along tracks and boulders.
• Sri Lankan Sloth Bear: best chances May–July during palu fruiting season.
• Asian Elephants: solitary bulls and family herds on plains, water holes, and coastal dunes.
• Also common: mugger crocodiles, water buffalo, spotted deer, wild boar, grey langurs, and ruddy mongooses — plus 215+ bird species.

The Five Blocks of Yala

• Block 1 (Ruhuna): highest leopard density and iconic coast — most visited zone.
• Block 2: quieter across the Menik River, excellent birdwatching.
• Blocks 3, 4, and 5: denser forest, uncrowded and serene.

Wildlife Highlights

• Permanent herd of roughly 600–700 wild elephants — easy to spot year-round in open terrain.
• Water buffalo, sambar, axis deer, barking deer, wild boar, hares, and jackals; leopard and sloth bear are resident but rarely seen.
• Birdlife includes Sri Lanka Junglefowl, Changeable Hawk-Eagle, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Painted Stork, and Little Green Bee-eaters.

Elephant Transit Home (ETH)

Just outside the park, this conservation facility cares for orphaned wild elephant calves with minimal human contact before release into Udawalawe. Visitors can watch bottle-feeding from a viewing platform at scheduled times.

Wildlife Highlights

• Mixed-species bird flocks (“bird waves”) led by Crested Drongo and Orange-billed Babbler — often including Sri Lanka Blue Magpie and Red-faced Malkoha.
• Endangered Purple-faced Langur in the high canopy.
• Green Pit Viper, Hump-nosed Lizard, and many endemic frogs.
• A tiny, elusive “ghost” elephant herd deep in the interior.

Trekking Trails & Waterfalls

• Moulawella Trail: scenic 3–4 hour climb to panoramic canopy views.
• Sinhagala Trail: demanding full-day 5–7 hour hike to Lion Rock peak.
• Waterfall circuit: shorter paths to Duwili Ella and Kakuna Ella.

Architecture: A European–Asian Fusion

• Fourteen massive granite and coral bastions, including Sun, Moon, and Star Bastions at the land gate.
• Dutch grid street layout with tidal underground brick sewers.
• Colonial bungalows with thick walls, columns, courtyards, and verandahs for tropical airflow.

Walking Route Highlights

• Galle Lighthouse on Point Utrecht Bastion — Sri Lanka’s oldest light station.
• Dutch Reformed Church (Groote Kerk, 1755) with baroque facade and engraved tombstone floors.
• Old Gate with British royal arms outside and 1669 VOC monogram inside.
• Maritime Museum in a 1656 Dutch warehouse.
• Ramparts at sunset near Triton Bastion — locals and travelers gather as cliff divers leap into the waves.