Exploring Sri Lanka's archaeological and cultural treasures

Get ready to experience Sri Lanka’s version of a full moon party,” warned Viraj, my story-loving guide, as we headed deep into the ancient citadel of the island’s first capital, Anuradhapura. Founded in the 4th century BC, the city continued for 1,300 years as Sri Lanka’s foremost urban centre, and my gaze was pulled in every direction as we drove the remains of one of the largest monastic citadels the world has ever seen on a busy holy day.

This was just the start for me. I was on a journey that would take me to some of Sri Lanka’s finest treasures, on a route navigating the Cultural Triangle linking the ancient capitals of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Kandy, ending at the island’s historic commercial gateway, Galle.

“You’re very lucky to be visiting Anuradhapura, one of the holiest places for Buddhists on the island, on a Duruthu full moon Poya,” said Viraj as we drove past dagobas and palaces. Every full moon in January, Buddhists commemorate the first visit of the Buddha to Sri Lanka (around 528 BC), and I’d arrived in time to see the festivities.

The holy Sri Maha Bodhi tree is surrounded by Buddhist pilgrims

The holy Sri Maha Bodhi tree is surrounded by Buddhist pilgrims

We headed first to Mahavihara, the oldest of the city’s monasteries. It was thronged by thousands of worshippers drawn to the holy Sri Maha Bodhi tree, said to be grown from a cutting of the original tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment. Dressed in all-white, pilgrims carried colourful exotic flowers as offerings while loudspeakers blasted pirith chanting, to help with their quest for spiritual contentment.

“It’s a little louder than usual with the use of speakers, but it really does help with meditation,” Viraj affirmed, acknowledging my surprise at the scene.

“It wouldn’t be a party without loudspeakers, after all,” I smiled back at him.

While the scale of Anuradhapura’s ancient citadel is extraordinary, nothing prepares you for that first view of the colossal dagoba of Jetavanaramaya, taking over a gargantuan square platform of over 233,000 square metres. Erected in the 3rd century AD, it is still the largest brick-built monument in the world and a highly revered site by Buddhists everywhere.

A dagoba, also known as a stupa, is a dome-shaped shrine containing relics of the Buddha or a Buddhist saint. Anuradhapura boasts several fine examples, including the first built in Sri Lanka, the Thuparama dagoba.

Pilgrims dressed in all-white approach the Thuparamaya, the oldest dagoba in Sri Lanka

Pilgrims dressed in all-white approach the Thuparamaya, the oldest dagoba in Sri Lanka

“After the Giza Pyramids in Egypt, the Jetavanaramaya was the third tallest building in the ancient world, originally reaching a height of 122m,” announced Viraj, “yet our own pyramids, our dagobas, are nowhere near as famous!” Today, the monument stands at just 71m high and has perhaps lost some of the pristine glory that its former glowing-white stucco-painted exterior once afforded. Regardless, for the pilgrims celebrating this full moon Poya, the Jetavanaramaya remains an essential stop, and I left them circling the circumference of this great remnant of Anuradhapura’s heyday.

“The Jetavanaramaya was the third tallest building in the ancient world”

The ruined temples of Polonnaruwa

A giant Buddha sculpture at Polonnaruwa

The ruined temples of Polonnaruwa

The second apogee

In the 11th century AD, Anuradhapura succumbed to invaders from Southern India, forcing the city’s royalty to flee to Polonnaruwa, which later became the new royal capital. Its peak would arrive during the 12th century when, under the reign of kings Vijayabahu I and Parakramabahu, striking monuments, both religious and secular, and exceptionally advanced irrigation schemes were built.

This ancient city, as well as the surrounding plains, were watered by a unique irrigation network known as the Parakrama Samudra (Sea of Parakrama). This allowed for significant agricultural development, enabling Polonnaruwa to export rice to many countries across Southern Asia.

“Thanks to this ancient system, this region of Sri Lanka still produces plenty of rice and other farming products, too,” said Viraj, pointing towards the lake-like Parakrama Samudra that survives to this day.

During the Anuradhapura era, stone became the primary building material, whereas brick was mostly used in the construction of Polonnaruwa, enabling the erection of many large-scale edifices in a comparatively short period of time. Among the city’s palatial and well-preserved medieval buildings, an architectural tour de force stands out: the Vatadage. It is a type of building that is unique to ancient Sri Lanka, with only ten examples remaining in existence today – and the best-preserved is found right here in Polonnaruwa.

Vatadages were built to encircle small stupas for their protection, and had multiple levels. The example I saw in Polonnaruwa was built of both brick and stone, with the latter more visible in the ornate columns supporting what was once a wooden roof. I found the exquisite stone carvings stole the show, specifically the sandakada pahana (moonstones) on the doorways and the two muragalas (guard stones) which were located on the eastern façade. These were some of the most intricate, life-like examples of stone craftsmanship I’d encountered anywhere in Asia.

“Does it remind you a bit of Stonehenge?” asked Viraj, adding that a British couple who recently visited had found it quite similar. The circular shape was the only similarity I could identify, and I promised Viraj a visit to Stonehenge when he was next in the UK, so he could see for himself.

The largest picture gallery in the ancient world

As the most iconic of all Sri Lanka’s heritage sites, Sigiriya doesn’t fail to impress. Surrounded by a lush expanse of jungle, a sheer rock rises almost 200 metres upwards. Atop the summit lie the remains of a royal palace and citadel, while beautiful pleasure gardens nestle at its foot.

“It’s a bit like Sri Lanka’s own Acropolis, isn’t it?” Viraj teased me with a smile.

Well, the myth behind its short-lived rise and fall is certainly worthy of a Greek tragedy: Kasyapa, the son of a king, murders his father, whereupon a power struggle between him and his brother leads to him building an impregnable fort, Sigiriya. Spoiler alert: it does not end well for Kasyapa, who only had a few years to enjoy his new capital. Along with a gift for megalomania, he did have an eye for beauty and artistic excellence, though. Sigiriya was as much an artistic masterpiece as it was a forbidding fortress.

While the rock-topped fort of Sigiriya takes up much of the attention of visitors, spare time for the exquisite pleasure gardens and complex water system of pools, fountains and streams at its foot

While the rock-topped fort of Sigiriya takes up much of the attention of visitors, spare time for the exquisite pleasure gardens and complex water system of pools, fountains and streams at its foot

Indeed, Viraj was eager for me to see the true highlight of Sigiriya. “It’s not the rock itself nor the views from the top that make this a genuine cultural treasure,” he explained, “but the incredible 5th-century paintings we visit on the descent.”

We stopped in front of a smallish gallery, seemingly full of uniformed minders yelling, “No photo!”.

“John Still, a British archaeologist who did major research here in Sigiriya in the early 1900s, called this the largest picture gallery in the ancient world,” exclaimed Viraj as he pointed to what remained. “This is but a small fragment of an ancient band of paintings that once extended to the whole corner of this rock.” Indeed, Sri Lankan archaeologists have found the original painted area was about 150m long and up to 40m high.

The Sigiriya frescoes are widely regarded as some of the most captivating examples of South-Asian apsara painting. Affectionally nicknamed the Sigiriya ladies, these sensational creations most likely represent celestial nymphs, divine beings and goddesses. Some archaeologists built on the uniqueness of each painting’s facial and bodily features to ascertain that they formed part of a “royal gallery” of queens and princesses dominating Kasyapa’s court. Aesthetically pleasing, highly sensual – some would even say erotically charged – the unique painting style of the Sigiriya ladies is a crowning achievement of ancient Sri Lankan artists.

Theories on the origins of who the “Sigiriya Ladies” were abound, and while they are ostensibly images of celetial nymphs, known as *apsara*, it has been speculated that their likenesses came from those women within the royal court of Sigiriya, whether queens, princesses or maids of King Kasyapa

Theories on the origins of who the “Sigiriya Ladies” were abound, and while they are ostensibly images of celetial nymphs, known as *apsara*, it has been speculated that their likenesses came from those women within the royal court of Sigiriya, whether queens, princesses or maids of King Kasyapa

“We are very lucky that these paintings survive to show the level of artistic excellence in Sigiriya,” said Viraj.

“And that Lord Elgin never visited your Acropolis,” I added with a wry smile.

Heading south from Sigiriya, I couldn’t leave without a visit to the spectacular cave temples of Dambulla, hewn into a 160m-high granite outcrop. The transformation of the five caves into masterpieces of Buddhist art started when they allegedly provided shelter to a Sri Lankan king fleeing invasion back in the 1st century BC. King Valagamba of Anuradhapura later had temples built in the caves, initiating a tradition of fresco painting that would continue for many centuries, creating the island’s – and one of the world’s – finest Buddhist viharas (temples/monasteries). Yet, it was Kandyan artists who were primarily responsible for the look and feel of this splendid vihara today. The five main temples were mostly repainted in the post-classical style of the Kandyan School of the late 18th century. Fittingly, my next stop would bring me to the capital of Sri Lanka’s last surviving kingdom, Kandy.

Kandy’s city-center traffic

Kandy’s Temple of the Tooth is a pilgrimage site for Buddhists

The silver door and ivory gate at the Temple of the Tooth

Chef Gunasiri at the Vil Uyana restaurant stands in front of a Kandyan-style mural

The last royal bastion

I was expecting to be mesmerised by this final stronghold of Sri Lanka’s indigenous royalty, a place that many locals I met spoke of with respect and admiration. “European visitors love Kandy,” confirmed Viraj as we waited in traffic to enter the city. Instead, I experienced a crowded, traffic-laden urban chaos that gravitated around an artificial lake, with the imposing Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Tooth of Buddha) attracting a hive of pilgrim activity at one end.

The hypnotic murmur of Buddhist invocations provided the soundtrack as we entered the temple complex, following airport-style security checks. The pilgrim numbers were so significant that we decided to skip the relic chamber that held the revered tooth of the Buddha – Viraj added that this is possibly the single most important pilgrimage site on the island. I would instead shift my focus to the artisanship of the temple and surrounding royal edifices, with most surviving structures here dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries.

In truth, Kandyan architecture cannot be compared with the magnificent achievements of Anuradhapura or Polonnaruwa. Its primarily wooden buildings – of a simpler appearance and more measured scale – reflected the different needs of the smaller, mostly agricultural community that made up the Kingdom of Kandy. Kandyan artists, however, were far more trailblazing, and there are some excellent surviving examples of exquisite frescoes, fine lacquerware and wooden carvings with ornate decorative patterns.

“Kandy is the mecca of Sri Lankan craftsmen,” explained Viraj as we walked past the many craft stores in town, “and it is here that you will find some of the best-quality mementos to bring back home from our island.”

The impact of royal artistic traditions on the area is particularly evident in modern examples of weaving, brass and silversmithing, as well as painting. I was starting to see its influence everywhere. That night, as I returned to Vil Uyana, the eco-resort that served as my base for exploring the Cultural Triangle, my eye was suddenly drawn to the impressive mural adorning its restaurant wall. Even here, the peculiar style of Kandyan painting worked its seductive charm.

South-Asia’s best-preserved sea fort

The historic southern port city of Galle was the final stop on my cultural treasure hunt. The island’s most cosmopolitan outpost, with its naturally sheltered harbour, had been the prime channel for Sri Lanka’s contact with the world for the better part of the last four centuries, serving as a major hub of Indian Ocean sea lanes. But its past is complicated. For many locals, the city is a symbol of foreign invasion, hegemony and the occupation of their land; first by the Portuguese, then the Dutch, and finally the British Empire.

As I entered, I couldn’t help but be taken by its size. Galle Fort is the largest and best-preserved sea fort not only in Sri Lanka but all of South Asia. UNESCO recognised its world heritage value as early as 1988, and its urban fabric is a testament to the productivity and craftsmanship of Sri Lankan society throughout the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, as well as the many artisans and expert builders involved in its construction.

The early-20th-century lighthouse and the Mosque of Galle Fort (aka Al Mereen Mosque) stand over the coast alongside a small stretch of beach that lies outside the old walls

The early-20th-century lighthouse and the Mosque of Galle Fort (aka Al Mereen Mosque) stand over the coast alongside a small stretch of beach that lies outside the old walls

I was staying at the city’s historic Amangalla Hotel, which once served as a residence for the Dutch Governor. Mithuru, who worked in guest relations, suggested a walk over to Galle’s bastions, originally built in 1620 by the Portuguese.

“It was these stone defenses that protected the old town from many perils, all the way up to the 2004 tsunami that devastated the region,” Mithuru explained, pointing to the city’s restored rooftops from the hotel’s veranda. “Look at how different and varied the buildings are – their colours, their frames.”

As we walked around the pedestrian-friendly fort, I came across a unique amalgam of Dutch, Portuguese, British colonial and South Asian forms. Nonetheless, the most remarkable surviving buildings were predominantly remnants of activity by the Dutch East India Company.

The architectural diversity here is matched only by that of the population, Mithuru explained: “We have churches of multiple denominations, a mosque and a Buddhist temple in this tiny speck of land, and people of many ethnicities still call this home today.”

Galle Fort’s 18th-century Groote Kerk (or Dutch Reformed Church)

Galle Fort’s 18th-century Groote Kerk (or Dutch Reformed Church)

I met the fort’s artist-in-residence, Janaka De Silva, curator of The Galle Fort Art Gallery and a 100% Sri Lankan, as he proudly pointed out, despite his Portuguese-sounding surname.

“Galle Fort has always been Sri Lanka’s gateway to the world,” he told me, “with people coming and trading goods and artworks – a tradition that in many ways continues today.”

I agreed that it was certainly popular, though mostly filled with day-trippers from the beach resorts that skirt the country’s southern coast. I was curious how locals viewed this.

“It’s a good thing many people are coming here,” Janaka assured me. “They are helping to fund further restoration work and support a growing arts scene in town.”

Artist Janaka de Silva holds a mask-carving workshop in Galle Fort (Shutterstock)

Artist Janaka de Silva holds a mask-carving workshop in Galle Fort (Shutterstock)

His own unique painting style was a fusion of Asian and European primitivism, with Galle Fort and its rich history prominent among his subjects. “This pearl of a town is an endless source of inspiration,” Janaka elaborated before inviting me back for a longer stay, so we could visit the underwater gallery that he’s developing off the coast of the fort.

I assured him I’d return, for I too had fallen for the island’s magic, which has captivated visitors and conqueror-wannabes for centuries. I told him that the Ancient Greeks, at the time of Alexander the Great, called this island Palaesimoundu, meaning “beyond the sea”, and wrote of its mythical riches.

“Ah, there is so much more to Sri Lanka than most visitors see, and it’s true that many more treasures lie inland,” he smiled as he handed over one of his Galle landscape paintings, which would soon hang back at Wanderlust HQ in London.

The author was a guest of Sri Lanka Tailor-Made, which curated a bespoke journey focusing on Sri Lankan culture, history and archaeology. They offer tailor-made authentic travel experiences created by a team of specialists and guides. For guests looking for cultural inspiration, their private tours utilise renowned Sri Lankan artists, chefs, historians, archaeologists and architects.