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Anuradhapura Ruins. King Bathing pond.
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Anuradhapura, a former capital, is famous for the ruins of the ancient civilization of Sri Lanka
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According to legend, the first settlement at Anuradhapura was built by Anuradha, the Hindu King Vijaya's first general. Anuradha is said to have founded the Sinhalese race. The city was made capital of the Anuradhapura Kingdom in the 4th century BCE by King Pandukabhaya.
Anuradhapura remained the capital during the sixty years' rule of Mutasiva, son of King Pandukabhaya. The successor to Mutasiva, Devanampiya Tissa, introduced Buddhism two centuries after the death of Lord Buddha to Ceylon.
The importance of Anuradhapura increased with the introduction of Buddhism. According to the historical poem of Mahavamsa, King Kutakannatissa constructed the first city wall.
As Anuradhapura became famous as an administrative and ritual center, people started settling here. The kings made several arrangements to accommodate the growing population. King Vasabha built many ponds. These ponds were fed by several subterranean channels and supplied water to the people of the city. King Upatissa II (4th century BCE) constructed quarters and homes for the blind and the crippled. King Buddhadasa (337-365 CE) appointed a physician for every ten villages. Kassapa V (914-923 CE) established a hospital near the southern gate of the city. It is believed that General Sena built a hospital near the ceremonial street (Managala Veediya) in the 10th century.
At the beginning of the Christian era, Anuradhapura was at the height of its glory. The decline of this city began when it was damaged by the continuous wars with the South Indian invaders and was abandoned as Ceylon's capital by 1017 CE.
What is remarkable about this bath is the similarity to Great Bath at Mohenjo-daro (link below) from the ancient Indus Civilization which pre-dated it by at least 2,000 years.
The original owner of this card wrote on the back: "Where the Lion or The Lizard keeps the courts
Where I sat in moonlight thinking of this and suddenly a lizard ran over my fort." |
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© imagesofasia 2007-08 |
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