Anuradhapura sacred city how to tour the vast ancient capital and the Bodhi tree etiquette

Anuradhapura guide so the sensible tour of the overwhelming The scale truth the sacred city sprawls over a huge area with sites kilometers apart you cannot walk it sensibly in a day so the choice is bicycle or vehicle The essential stops in a coherent order the Sri Maha Bodhi the sacred fig grown from a cutting of the tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment brought here over two thousand years ago and the oldest documented planted tree in the world tended continuously by monks Ruwanwelisaya the great white dagoba luminous and active with worshippers one of the most revered stupas Thuparamaya the oldest dagoba here Jetavanaramaya the colossal brick stupa once among the tallest structures of the ancient world the Abhayagiri complex with its monastery ruins and the beautiful Samadhi Buddha statue the twin ponds Kuttam Pokuna and the Isurumuniya rock temple with its famous lovers carving The Bodhi tree etiquette this matters most dress in white or modest light colours shoulders and knees covered shoes and hats OFF well before you approach lower your voice this is living worship not a ruin do not turn your back to the tree for photos do not point feet toward it walk clockwise as the devotees do and never touch the tree or take leaves the fallen leaves are sacred Guide or bicycle ideally both the bicycle is the magic way to move between the spread out sites at dawn cool and atmospheric rent one near the entrance a guide for the first orientation hours adds the history that turns rubble into narrative then cycle the rest at your pace Timing arrive at opening the heat and the coaches both build start at the Bodhi tree and Ruwanwelisaya early for the morning worship atmosphere allow most of a day