Anuradhapura

Anuradhapura, city in northern Sri Lanka, capital of North-Central Province. Founded in 437 bc, the city was the capital of a Sinhalese kingdom until the 8th century ad, when it was abandoned following a Tamil invasion. Today the city is noted for its extensive Buddhist ruins, including a rock-hewn temple, the Brazen Palace (2nd century), and several stupas and statues. Many pilgrimages are made to the sacred bo tree, believed to have sprung from a branch of the tree under which the Buddha attained Enlightenment. The branch was supposedly brought from India to Sri Lanka about the middle of the 3rd century bc, the time that marks the coming of Buddhism to the island of Sri Lanka. The city was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982. Population (1982 estimate) 38,000.