The Eight Sacred Sites of Worship in Anuradhapura

The “Atamasthana” is the collective name given to the eight sacred places of worship by Buddhists in Sri Lanka. All eight of these sites are congregated in the city of Anuradhapura within easy travelling distances. You can either opt to walk (might be a little too difficult considering the hot sun !), cycle or drive.  

Words - Lakmini Wijemanne

Second only to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy (Dalada Maaligawa), the eight sacred sites are considered a “must” for any Buddhist to make a pilgrimage of, during his/her life time. Built during different times and by different kings , each stupa is not second to the other in their importance in veneration. They each are architectural marvels considering the times they were built with limited technical skills (or, as the case may be, with more technical skill and knowledge than today ?!) With the arrival of Arahat Mahinda bringing Buddhism to Sri Lanka during the reign of King Devanampiyatissa, a variety of knowledge and skills were also shared among the people of the island. Stupa building was one such fete .

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