Panduwasnuwara Ruins

The Ancient Cities


The archaeological site is spread over a wide area. Near the entrance is a moat, a massive citadel wall and the remains of a royal palace. Further on are image houses, brick dagobas and monastic living quarters.

Follow the road as it branches left, and you'll eventually come to a restored tooth temple (Dalada Maligawa) with a bodhi tree, a colourfully painted sleeping Buddha temple and, behind that, the remains of a fascinating round palace (apparently once multistoreyed) enclosed in a circular moat.

There are many stories about who lived in this palace and why it was built. Legend has it that it kept Parakramabahu I’s daughter away from men who would desire her, for it had been prophesied that if she bore a son, he’d eventually claim the throne. Another story is that it was built to house the king’s wives and, intriguingly, that there was once a secret tunnel that led from the king’s palace and under the moat to the queens’ palace. However attractive these stories are, historians have not been able to conclude why the palace was built.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby The Ancient Cities attractions

1. Archaeological Museum

0.7 MILES

This tiny museum on the main road next to the turn-off to the ruins has a modest collection of objects recovered from the Panduwasnuwara site, including…

2. Padeniya Raja Mahavihara

8.69 MILES

About 85km south of Anuradhapura and 25km northwest of Kurunegala, where the Puttalam and Anuradhapura roads meet, is this Kandyan-style temple, which is…

3. Athagala

19.6 MILES

An atmospheric rock-cut staircase winds up Athagala, a large black rock outcrop on the eastern side of the city, to offer fine city views from a 22m-tall…

5. Yapahuwa Rock Fortress

20.49 MILES

The steep ornamental staircase of this dramatic rock fortress is perhaps its finest feature, and once led to the Temple of the Tooth. One of the lions…

6. Ridi Vihara

26.68 MILES

The primary attraction at this Buddhist temple is the golden standing Buddha statue in the main cave called the Pahala Vihara (Lower Temple), which also…

7. Monaragala Viharaya Buddha

27.68 MILES

This 20m-tall sitting Buddha, 4km southeast of Ridigama, was unveiled in 2015 as the largest (but not the loveliest) granite statue in the world. Set on a…

8. Pinnewala Elephant Orphanage

28.03 MILES

Initially created to protect abandoned or orphaned elephants, this is one of Sri Lanka’s most popular attractions. It's a highly commercialised experience…

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