Temple Of The Toot
The golden-roofed Temple of the Sacred Tooth houses Sri Lanka's most important Buddhist relic – a tooth of the Buddha. During puja (offerings or prayers), the heavily guarded room housing the tooth is open to devotees and tourists. However, you don't actually see the tooth.Thousands of years after Buddha's death, the tooth, already about four times the length of the average human tooth, is continuing to grow because of what are believed to be its special powers, said Thomas Meier, a monk at the Lu Mountain Temple whose monk name is XianJie.
Sigiriya
The ruins of the capital built by the parricidal King Kassapa I (477–95) lie on the steep slopes and at the summit of a granite peak standing some 180 m high (the 'Lion's Rock', which dominates the jungle from all sides). A series of galleries and staircases emerging from the mouth of a gigantic lion constructed of bricks and plaster provide access to the site.It was used as a monastery from the third century, with caverns prepared and donated by devout Buddhists. The garden and the palace were built by King Kasyapa, and after his death it continued as a monastic complex until the fourteenth century, when it was abandoned.
Sacred City Of Anuradhapura
This sacred city was established around a cutting from the 'tree of enlightenment', the Buddha's fig tree, brought there in the 3rd century B.C. by Sanghamitta, the founder of an order of Buddhist nuns. Anuradhapura, a Ceylonese political and religious capital that flourished for 1,300 years, was abandoned after an invasion in 993. Hidden away in dense jungle for many years, the splendid site, with its palaces, monasteries and monuments, is now accessible once again.
Dambulla Cave Temple
A sacred pilgrimage site for 22 centuries, this cave monastery, with its five sanctuaries, is the largest, best-preserved cave-temple complex in Sri Lanka. The Buddhist mural paintings (covering an area of 2,100 m2 ) are of particular importance, as are the 157 statues.Dambulla is an important shrine in the Buddhist religion in Sri Lanka, remarkable for its association with the long-standing and wide-spread tradition of living Buddhist ritual practices and pilgrimage for more than two millennia.
Polonnaruwa
The second capital of Sri Lanka, filled with beautifully preserved ruins and ancient structures.
Mihintale
A pilgrimage site believed to be where Buddhism was first introduced to Sri Lanka.
Koneswaram Temple (Trincomalee)
A famous Hindu temple built on a cliff with panoramic ocean views.
Jaffna Fort
A Dutch-built fortress with a blend of colonial and Tamil cultural influences.
Nagadeepa & Nallur Kovil (Jaffna)
Important religious sites for Buddhists and Hindus in northern Sri Lanka.
Yapahuwa Rock Fortress
A historical rock fortress with impressive stone carvings and ruins.
Kataragama Temple
A multi-religious temple dedicated to Lord Kataragama, attracting pilgrims from all faiths.
Sri Maha Bodhi
The oldest recorded tree in the world, considered sacred by Buddhists.
Ruwanweliseya Stupa
A massive white stupa in Anuradhapura, an important Buddhist monument.
Galle Fort
A UNESCO World Heritage Site with Dutch colonial architecture, charming streets, and a scenic coastal view.