Tantirimale Rajamaha Viharaya - තන්තිරිමලේ රජමහා විහාරය — Attraction in North Central Province

😊 How to get there? First you have to come to Old Bus Stand - Anuradhapura. Catch Thanthirimale Bus 🚌 from there. You can get off by bus in front of the Temple. The time duration between two buses in this route is around one hour. Last bus is at 04.30 pm 🕟 from Thanthirimale. If you travel by your own vehicle, 🛵 🚗 Take your turn to Bandaranayaka Mawatha from Police Roundabout - Anuradhapura. Then you will pass Thissa Wewa 💦 & arrive to Lolugaswewa Junction. Take your turn to Thanthirimale road. You will pass Elayapaththuwa & Oyamaduwa Junction. Then turn to Thanthirimale road 🛣 from there. You will pass Nawakkulama Wewa, 💦  Thambiyawa junction, Nelumwila. Then you will reach to the temple. ☸ It's about 40km from Police Roundabout to the Temple. The road is already on google maps. It continues and join with Medawachchiya - Thalaimannar Highway. 🛣

😊 Historical contex of Thanthirimale "Thivakka Bamunugama" has been identified as one of the ceremonial resting places of the possession of the sapling of the Sacred Bo-tree of India from the port Dambakolapatuna to Anuradhapura during the regime of Devanampiyatissa in 3rd Century BC. There after Thivakka Bamunugama was selected to plant one of the first eight sprouts of the Sri Maha Bo-tree of Anuradhapura. This especially historically important strategic point of Thivakka Bamunugama is today known as Thanthirimale. Among the present archaeological sites and historically important remains, the Bo-tree shrine used to plant the drupe sacred Bo-tree, Padahanghara, Pothgula or Library and Residential Buildings, ponds, caves with painting belongs to indigenous people could be identified as important monuments. It is belived that this site has been used as a Buddhist worshipping place from the commencement era of Buddhism in Sri Lanka up to the end of Anuradhapura period. The artistic features of statues, carvings and sculptures of this site have been influenced by the Mahayanist Buddhism. The evidence for this could be identified from the partially completed two stats by the side of the seated statue. The recumbent statue similar to the recumbent statue of Polonnaruwa Gal Vihara is influenced by the Pallava Sculpture of 5 - 7 centuries. As such Thanthirimale scared site could be identified as a place nourished with different architectural features and traditional artistic sculptures. Inscriptions (1st to 9th Century AD) provide evidence of the Social, Economical amd Religious background of the area. British scholar John Steel in 1909 - 1910 and Archeological Commissioner Horcart in 1923 has carried out archeological explorations focusing this area. Apart from this Department of Archaeology has gazetted this area as an archaeological reserve and maintain it from 1973.

😊 Places to visit in Thanthirimale 01) Archaeological Museum 02) Samadhi Buddha Statue 03) Stupa 04) Reclining Buddha Statue 05) Ancient Potgula (Library) 06) Padhanagara 07) Archaeological Ruins of Old Monastic Residential Buildings 08) Sacred Bo-tree 09) Lotus Pond 10) Primary Cave Paintings 11) 250 acres Rocky Plain 12) New Buddha Mansion

In the forest, there are elephants. 🐘🐘🐘 So don't go too much inside to the forest. 🕸🍂🐾🌳🍃 Elephants will come out early in the morning and in the evening. You can watch them at that time but be careful. Wilpattu National Park - Thanthirimale entrance is there near the temple. It's about 2km from there. Great experience for your day today busy life. Come here, enjoy the environment. Visit archaeological ruins and sites.  Don't ruin it. Don't throw garbage. Don't disturb to the balance of the...

Thanthirimale Rajamaha Viharaya Thanthirimale Rajamaha Viharaya is an ancient historical temple situated in Thanthirimale in Anuradhapura District in Sri Lanka.It is surrounded by Malwathu Oya in the North and the East, Vilpattu national Park in the West and the main road leading to Mahavilachchiya in the South. There are two ways to get to this sacred place of worship. One is via Oyamaduwa and the other is via Medavachchiya. The place where this temple was built has been identified as one of the resting place of the procession carrying the sapling of the sacred Bo-tree in India from fort Dambakolapatuna to Anuradhapura during the reign of the king Devanampiyatissa in the 3rd centuary.To mark this resting place, one of the eight spouts of the sacred Bo-tree in Anuradhapura was planted here thereafter. At that time, Thanthirimale was known as “Thivanka Bamunugama”. The Bo-tree is at the top of a far-stretched huge rock surrounded by the thick forest covers. The most impressive sight is in this sacred place is the seated Buddha stature carved out of the rock surface which is just below the Bo-tree. It shows the characteristics of late Anuradhapura period and the small unfinished Buddha statues by the sides of the main stature can be seen. It is said that they were left uncompleted because of the invasion of Kalinga Maga. By the other side of the Bo-tree, a recumbent Buddha stature carved out of a huge rock can be seen, but it has been damaged by the treasure hunters. The ruins of the structures and the library used by the monks and a huge cave with painting and writing done by the indigenous people can be seen in this premises. The early hours in the morning and the late hours in the evening is the best time to visit this place because the rock surface gets hotter and hotter as the sun rises. You should be cautious when you walk along the foot path through the forest to see the cave as the wild elephants frequently roam there. Sometimes you can see the wild animals such as the spotted deer and the jungle fowls. It will take about three or four hours to see all the things in the premises. This is a very valuable historical place, so it is our duty to protect it for the benefit of our...

⭐️ One of the best places I visited in Sri Lanka! No tourists and not many locals either, I visited midday (from about 1-5pm) and it was of course hot, I would recommend visiting in the morning to avoid the heat.

😄 Visit the museum to learn a little about the history here and then step foot onto a remarkable rock temple complex. Absolutely spectacular place. The statues of Lord Buddha are truly remarkable, I sat in awe looking at the perefction and intricate beauty of them. They come from 8-9 AD. The stupa is also beautiful aswell as the Bodhi tree. I felt a deep sense of peace here and felt connected. You can also walk around and see remains of the Buddhist monastery, such as a library and residential buildings. There is also a lake next to the ancient library, maybe the most peaceful place I have been blessed to visit, beautiful ripples in the water, the songs of the birds, bugs and the breeze of wind, I like this place very much if you couldn't tell 😊 I also visited most of these places alone with no one else around :)

🪨 Be sure to check out the primary cave paintings at the back of the complex too :)

❤️ This Bodhi tree also has lots of history. Potentially it is from the cutting of the oldest living tree every planted by humans (Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura). To spread Buddhism, King Ashok of India sent his children- son Mahendra and daughter Sanghamitra to Sri Lanka. It is said that his daughter brought a cutting from the original Bodhi tree in which Lord Buddha achieved enlightenment under, before arriving at Anuradhapura and planting the tree, she stopped at Tantirimale and the tree we see today is potentially a cutting/branch from the original tree.

Thank you and much...