Sri Lanka is one of the most spiritual places in the world. You can literally feel the spirituality in the air.
The main religion there is Buddhism (70 % of the population) but there are also many Hindus, Muslims and Christians living on this tiny island.
The tradition of Buddhism and spirituality is extremely old in Sri Lanka, dating back to 246 BC.
So it’s not surprising that there is a huge amount of sacred sites and monuments found there.
If you are interested in visiting some of them then keep on reading!
1. Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura was the first capital of Sri Lanka. The city was built in 4th century BC and stayed the capital city for six centuries. It has a huge cultural and historical importance and you can still visit the old ruins of the ancient capital city which are very well preserved.
Anuradhapura covers around 40 km² and there are many important and sacred monuments in the area. It is also considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
2. Abayagiriya Stupa
Abhayagiriya stupa used to be a part of one of the most important Buddhist monastery complex in the Anuradhapura area. Even today it is still one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Sri Lanka.
The Abayagiriya stupa was also the largest of Anuradhapura’s five important stupas. Here is also where the Tooth relic (Buddha’s tooth, now in Temple of the Tooth in Kandy) was treasured for the first time after arriving in Sri Lanka.
- stupa means a small hill in Sanskrit and it is a hemispherical structure containing relics (the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns), it also symbolically represents Buddha and steps towards the enlightenment and it is used as a place for meditation and sacred rituals
3. Jethawanaramaya Stupa
The Jetavanaramaya is another stupa in Anuradhapura, which also used to be a part of Jetavana monastery. It was the world’s tallest stupa in the time when it was built, measuring 122 m in height. It dates back to 273 AD. It is believed that a part of a belt used by the Buddha himself is stored inside the stupa.
After the Anuradhapura kingdom was abandoned in the 11th century, this stupa was covered by the jungle. In the 12th century it was renovated it and since then it has the today’s height which is much lower – now it stands at 71 m.
Despite that, Jethawanaramaya stupa is still the largest stupa in the world – app. 93,3 million bricks were used to build it.
4. Bodhi Tree Temple – Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi
The Bodhi Tree was a large and ancient sacred fig tree under which the Buddha (at that time prince Siddharta Gautama) is said to have reached enlightenment (Bodhi in Sanskrit). The original tree was located in Bodh Gaya in India.
Sri Lankan king Ashoka’s daughter is said to have brought a piece of the tree with her to Sri Lanka and it was planted in the Anuradhapura. The current tree is said to be the oldest tree in the world planted by humans – it was planted in 288 BC.
There is a temple built beside the tree as well as a big courtyard where locals give offerings, meditate and pray. The tree is protected by a wall and a golden fence as well as supported by golden sticks.
5. Ruwanvelisaya Stupa
The Ruwanwelisaya stupa is a huge white stupa in Anuradhapura, only a short walk away from the Bodhi Tree Temple. It was built around 140 B.C. and it is one of the world’s tallest ancient monuments – it stands at 103 m and its circumference is 290 m. The original stupa was much smaller though (around 55 m in height) but later it was renovated and enlarged by several Sri Lankan kings.
In the 19th century, this stupa was in ruins and at the beginning of the 20th century, money was raised by Sri Lankan people to renovate it. It was opened as it is now in 1940.
6. Mihintale
Mihintale is one of the most sacred places in Sri Lanka because it is said to be the place where Buddhism started on the island. The legend goes that prince and monk called Mahinda, who was the son of the Indian Buddhist emperor Ashoka, visited Sri Lanka in 246 B.C.
He then met the Sri Lankan king of that time Devanampiya Tissa in Mihintale. Mahinda told the king all about the Buddhist teachings and beliefs and the king was so excited about them that he converted into Buddhism right away and since then Buddhism started to flourish on Sri Lanka.
There is a smaller stupa marking the exact spot of this event and Mihintale is now a pilgrimage site where you can find several religious monuments (such as a bigger white Maha Stupa and a huge white Buddha statue). These monuments are located on a hill and you can reach them by walking a long stairway.
7. Sigiriya Fortress – Lion’s Rock
Sigiriya is an ancient rock fortress located in the Central Province of Sri Lanka. This huge rock is almost 200 m high and it stands in the middle of the jungle.
Supposedly, this humongous rock was selected by King Kasyapa for his new capital in the 5th century AD. He built his palace on the top of this rock and he decorated its side walls with colourful frescoes which are still very well preserved and you can see them in small caves on the way to the top of the rock. Frescoes depict naked women which are thought to be king’s concubines.
On a small plateau about halfway up the fortress, king Kasyapa also built a gateway in the form of an enormous lion. Today you can only see the lion’s paws guarding the staircase to the top of the palace but it is said that there also used to be lion’s head carved out of the rock. This is why the fortress is called like this: Sīhāgiri means the Lion Rock in Sinhalese (the native language of Sri Lanka).
The capital and the royal palace were abandoned very soon after the king’s death and later it was used as a Buddhist monastery until the 14th century. Today we can still see the well-preserved remains of the palace walls, water pools and cisterns.
For its age and cultural importance as well as its uniqueness Sigiriya fortress is also on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and it is considered by some as the eighth wonder of the world.
8. Dambulla – Golden Cave Temple
Dambulla cave temple is also known as the Golden Temple of Dambulla and it is yet another UNESCO World Heritage Site in Sri Lanka. It is situated in the central part of the island.
Dambulla is the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka. There are more than 80 documented caves in the surrounding area. The caves are situated on the hill which is around 160 m in height.
There are five main caves which are full of Buddha statues and frescoes depicting him in different positions and phases of his life. In total there are 153 Buddha statues as well as three statues of Sri Lankan kings and four statues of Hindu gods and goddesses.
Before the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, prehistoric people lived in these cave complexes.
9. Temple of the Tooth – Kandy
Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is a Buddhist temple in the city of Kandy which houses the holy tooth of the Buddha. This relic has always played an important role in local politics since it was believed that the one who possesses the tooth will have the power to rule the whole kingdom of Sri Lanka.
The temple is a part of the former kingdom of Kandy’s royal palace complex. In the temple, rituals are performed three times each day: at dawn, at noon and in the evenings.
Kandy was the last capital of the Sri Lankan kings and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
10. Sri Pada – Adam’s Peak
Adam’s Peak is a 2,243 m tall conical mountain in central Sri Lanka.
It is also called Sri Pada, which means a “sacred footprint”. That is because at the top of the summit there is a hollow rock formation (1.8 m in length), which Buddhists believe to be the footprint of the Buddha. Hindus, on the other hand, believe that it is a footprint of Shiva and in Islamic and Christian tradition, it is believed to be a footprint of Adam.
This is why Adam’s Peak is a holy place for all four major religions and every day numerous people of different religions do their pilgrimage up to the summit. There are app. 5800 stairs leading to the top of Sri Pada.
There is a small temple built around the footstep today and the shrine is guarded by the priests.
I hope you enjoyed this list of sacred sites in Sri Lanka. If you plan to visit don’t forget to put at least some of them on your list. 🙂
Now let’s talk!
Did you visit any of these already and if so which one was your favourite?
And if you didn’t visit Sri Lanka yet, which sacred site would you most likely want to go to?
Let’s get chatty in the comments down below. 🙂