During my first days in Sri Lanka, I decided to hire car and head to the Northern part of the country to discover the ancient ruins – religious, symbolizing landmarks of the country.

Whenever I travel somewhere new, the best way to get a good idea of how the locals live is to visit the small villages throughout the country. On the road to the sacred city of Anuradhapura, villages dot the landscape, many of which are in very poor living conditions. Some more vibrant and others consisting of a few living areas and rickshaws here and there.

 

Anuradhapura is well-known for its architecture and preserved ancient ruins of the Sri Lankan development and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site – one of eight in the country. 

Kandy is of great significance to the Buddhist population and features many monasteries within a short distance. A drive south of the city to Kandy takes travelers to see another important artifact in the Buddhist religion – the Sri Maligawa or Temple of the Sacred Tooth. The temple is a significant landmark because it holds the tooth of Buddha and the belief is whoever holds the relic is thought to be the governing force over the land.

Written by Alongholiday