The 'Alms hall' of the 'Mahavihara', Anuradhapura, Sei Lanka - 3rd Century BC.

Ruins of the 'Alms hall'.

The stone-paved floor of the hall.

Stone foot-print and parasol - objects of worship in the early years of Buddhism.

The 'Alms Hall' of the Mahavihara sect, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka.

Guard-stone at the entrance to the 'Alms Hall'.

A 'seven-headed cobra' as depicted in the above 'guard-stone'. The 'Nagas' extended their patronage to Buddhism from its early years. The iconic representation of this race in Sri Lanka surpasses religious divides.

A stone 'rice bowl' which was filled with boiled rice and was used to feed around 3000 Buddhist monks in the 2nd Century BC.

'Over much of the early history of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, three subdivisions of Theravāda existed in Sri Lanka, consisting of the monks of the Mahāvihāra, Abhayagiri Vihāra, and the Jetavana Vihāra.^[2]Mahāvihāra is the first tradition to be established, while Abhayagiri Vihāra and Jetavana Vihāra is established by monks who separated from Mahāvihāra tradition.^[2] According to A.K. Warder, the Indian Mahīśāsaka sect also established itself in Sri Lanka alongside the Theravāda, into which they were later absorbed.^[2] Northern regions of Sri Lanka also seem to have been ceded to sects from India at certain times.^[2]

According to the Mahavamsa, the Mahavihara was destroyed during sectarian conflicts with the Theravada monks of the Abhayagiri Vihara during the 4th century.^[3] These Mahayana monks incited King Mahasena to destruct the Mahavihara. As a result of this, a later king expelled the Mahayana monks from Sri Lanka^{[citation needed]}.

The traditional Theravadin account provided by the Mahavamsa stands in contrast to the writings of the Chinese Buddhist monk Faxian (Ch. 法顯), who journeyed to India and Sri Lanka in the early 5th century (between 399 and 414 CE). He first entered Sri Lanka around 406 CE and began writing about his experiences in detail. He recorded that the Mahavihara was not only intact, but housed 3000 monks. He also provides an account of a cremation at Mahavihara that he personally attended, of a highly respected śramaṇa who attained the arhatship.^[4] Faxian also recorded the concurrent existence of the Abhayagiri Vihara, and that this monastery housed 5000 monks.^[5] In the 7th century CE, Xuanzang also describes the concurrent existence of both monasteries in Sri Lanka. Xuanzang wrote of two major divisions of Theravāda in Sri Lanka, referring to the Abhayagiri tradition as the "Mahāyāna Sthaviras," and the Mahāvihāra tradition as the "Hīnayāna Sthaviras."^[6] Xuanzang further writes:^[7]

The Mahāvihāravāsins reject the Mahāyāna and practice the Hīnayāna, while the Abhayagirivihāravāsins study both Hīnayāna and Mahāyāna teachings and propagate the Tripiṭaka.'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahavihara

'Sri Maha Bodhi', Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka.

The road from the 'Sri Maha Bodhi' to 'Ruwanweli Saeya'.

A view of the top of the 'Ruwanweli Saeya' from the Sri Maha Bodhi'.

'Maha Vihara' Alms hall.

Ruins of the 'Alms hall'.

'Sri Maha Bodhi', Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka.

The 'Makara' emblem used to line a stairway of an old building at the site.

 The 'Makara' is described in the Rupavaliya as follows:-
'The makara has the trunk of an elephant, the feet of a lion, the ears of a pig, the body of a fish living in water, the teeth turned outwards, eyes like Hanuman's, and a splendid tail'. -'Mediaeval Sinhalese art' by Ananda K Coomaraswamy (1908)

Water lily flowers awaiting sale to the devotees.

Buds of water lilies.

Flowers on a tree in the premises.

'Sri Maha Bodhi', Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka.

The entrance to the site.

An ancient 'Guard-stone' chiselled out of granite..

Devotees offering fresh flowers.

The sacred 'Bo tree' with a fence of gold railings.

After bringing Buddhism to Sri Lanka by Mahinda Thero in 250 BC Emperor Asoka in India sent his daughter Theri Sanghamitta to the island with a branch of the Sacred Bodhi obtained from the main stem of the bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya under which Buddha attained enlightenment. The king Tissa received the sapling and planted it at the present site in 249 BC. Taking this information to account today (in 2013) the Sri Maha Bodhitree is exactly 2263 years old. Thus this tree is the oldest tree in world in the recorded history. Even after the Anuradhapura was deserted as the capital of the country and encroached by the jungle, pious people nevertheless tendered to the tree effortlessly. The villagers lit bonfires to frighten off wild elephants. As the time went on the villagers made it a habit to collect firewood for the whole year on one single day. This possession was called “Daramiti Perahara” (Firewood Possession) which continues up to this day.

http://amazinglanka.com/wp/sri-maha-bodhi-the-sacred-bo-tree/

Mirisawetiya (ctd), Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka.

An inscription in stone.

Inscription on a granite block forming the perimeter wall.

Another drawing on a stone block.

The stair-way entrance in stone.

Mirisawetiya, stone artifacts, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka.

Animals in procession.

Part of a 'Guard-stone'.

Lions.

A sacred foot-print used in worship.

The foot-print was one of the earliest items used by followers of Lord Buddha to remember him. This must have been a centre-piece and object of veneration for thousands at that time.