Sri Maha Bodhi
The sacred fig tree grown from a cutting of the tree the Buddha sat under, planted here in the 3rd century BC and the oldest historically recorded tree on earth still tended today.
Within the sacred city of Anuradhapura, a tree surrounded by golden railings and constant streams of devotees holds a claim genuinely unmatched anywhere on earth, it is the oldest documented tree in the world with a confirmed planting date, alive and growing continuously since 288 BCE. Sri Maha Bodhi grew from a sapling of the original Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, India, the very tree under which Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment, brought to Sri Lanka by Theri Sanghamitta, daughter of Emperor Ashoka, and planted here by King Devanampiya Tissa in one of the most consequential moments in the island's religious history, the arrival of Buddhism itself.
Across more than 2,300 years, the tree has survived invasions, colonial rule, drought and the slow attrition of time through a combination of dedicated caretaking and sheer botanical resilience, tended continuously by generations of guardians whose duty has been passed down much like a religious office in its own right. Terraces and platforms surround the tree today, allowing pilgrims to approach and make offerings, flowers, oil lamps and quiet prayer forming a constant, unbroken rhythm around its base, the atmosphere here markedly different from the more monumental, architecturally grand stupas elsewhere in Anuradhapura, quieter, more intimate, focused entirely on a single living thing rather than stone and brick.
For Buddhists across Sri Lanka and well beyond, a visit to Sri Maha Bodhi carries weight that few other sites can match, not a building commemorating an event but the literal, unbroken continuation of the very tree beneath which Buddhism began, still rooted, still growing, in the same soil it was planted in over two millennia ago.
At a glance
- Entry fee: Free to worship
- Opening hours: 5:00am to 8:00pm
- Time needed: 45 minutes to 1 hour
- Best time: Early morning or during evening puja
Getting there
In the heart of the Anuradhapura sacred city, near Ruwanwelisaya.
Before you go
- Dress modestly with shoulders and knees covered, and remove shoes and hats near the tree, this is an active place of worship.
- Go at dawn or for the evening offerings, when it's cooler and the atmosphere is at its most powerful.
- The paved ground gets scorching by late morning. Bring socks for the barefoot areas.
- It sits inside the ticketed sacred city, so pair it with Ruwanwelisaya and the other stupas, a bicycle is the easiest way to cover the ground.
Frequently asked questions
- Why is the Sri Maha Bodhi so important?
- It's grown from a cutting of the tree the Buddha attained enlightenment under, planted in 288 BC, which makes it the oldest human-planted tree with a recorded planting date. For Buddhists it's one of the most sacred places in the country, and it has been continuously tended for over two thousand years.
- Can anyone visit?
- Yes, visitors of any faith are welcome. Just dress modestly, keep your voice down and follow the lead of the pilgrims around you. It's a working shrine, not a tourist attraction.
- How much does it cost?
- The tree itself is a place of worship you can approach freely, though foreign visitors are generally expected to hold the Anuradhapura sacred city ticket, which covers the wider ruins around it.
- What else is nearby?
- It's in the middle of the sacred city, steps from the huge Ruwanwelisaya stupa and within easy cycling distance of Thuparamaya, Abhayagiri and the other ancient monuments.