SLITHM

  Atamasthana  or   Eight sacred places   are a series of locations in   Sri Lanka   where the   Buddha   had visited during his three visits to the country. The sacred places are known as   Jaya Sri Maha Bodhiya ,   Ruwanwelisaya ,   Thuparamaya ,   Lovamahapaya ,   Abhayagiri Dagaba ,   Jetavanarama ,   Mirisaveti Stupa   and   Lankarama . They are situated in   Anuradhapura , the capital of the ancient   Anuradhapura Kingdom . The sacred city of Anuradhapura exerted a considerable influence on the development of architecture in the country for several centuries. The city was nominated as a  UNESCO World Heritage Site  in 1982, it lies 205 km north of the current capital  Colombo  in the island's  North Central Province , on the banks of the historic  Malvathu Oya .

  The   Anuradhapura kingdom   , named for   its capital city , was the second established   kingdom   of ancient   Sri Lanka . According to the   Mahāvaṃsa , it was founded by King   Pandukabhaya   in 437 BC, whose authority extended throughout the country. [ 6 ] Buddhism  played a major role in the Anuradhapura period, influencing its culture, laws, and methods of governance. [ N 2 ]  The society and the culture were revolutionized when the faith was introduced during the reign of King  Devanampiya Tissa ; this cultural change was further strengthened by the arrival of the  tooth relic of the Buddha  in Sri Lanka and the patronage extended by her rulers. [ 7 ] During the Anuradhapura era, the country was invaded by South Indians several times. Rulers such as  Dutthagamani ,  Valagamba , and  Dhatusena  are noted for defeating South Indian invaders and unifying the country. Other rulers such ...