Anuradhapura’s Sacred City is set for a major development project estimated at Rs. 7.7 billion, with work focused on roads, visitor facilities and better management of the historic area.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake inspected the proposed Sacred Area Development Project on October 23. The project aims to improve facilities for people who live in and visit Anuradhapura while protecting its historic and religious character.
Funding for the project has been agreed by the Government of India.
Here are three key areas covered by the development plan.
1. Road development around historic ponds
Road development is already taking place around three historic ponds in the Sacred City. During the inspection, the President reviewed the work and stressed that new development must respect the historic value of the area.
Better access is expected to make movement around important sites easier for residents, devotees, and visitors.
At the same time, officials must ensure that road work does not harm archaeological and religious sites.
2. New facilities for devotees and visitors
Improved facilities for devotees and both local and foreign tourists form another part of the Rs. 7.7 billion project. A proposed car park near the Ruwanwelisaya in the Atamasthana area was also inspected.
Better visitor facilities could help manage the growing number of people who travel through the Sacred City while reducing pressure on important religious and archaeological locations.
Plans also include development guidelines prepared under the Anuradhapura Sacred Area Planning Scheme.
3. Better waste management and heritage protection
Waste management is another key part of the project.
The plan aims to improve waste handling across the Sacred City while keeping the area clean and suitable for visitors and devotees.
Heritage protection remains a central part of the work. Officials have been told that development must preserve the antiquity and religious importance of Anuradhapura.
Archaeological excavations at the Western Monastery complex were also inspected during the visit.
Work to move ahead
The National Physical Planning Department prepared the structural plan for the Sacred City, which was later gazetted as the Anuradhapura Sacred Area Planning Scheme.
An updated development plan and related guidelines were published in the Gazette on February 27, 2026.
President Dissanayake instructed officials to speed up the project and resolve issues through discussions with the relevant stakeholders.
For people in Anuradhapura, the Rs. 7.7 billion project is expected to bring changes to roads, visitor facilities and waste management while keeping the Sacred City’s historic and religious character at the centre of development.
Official who were in the event:
Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Dr. Hiniduma Sunil Senevi; North Central Province Governor Wasantha Jinadasa; Anuradhapura District MP Sena Nanayakkara; and senior officials representing the relevant government institutions.
Other officials present included Chief of Staff to the President Prabath Chandrakeerthi, Defence Ministry Secretary (Retd.) Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha, Anuradhapura Mayor N. Karunaratne, District Secretary K. G. R. Wimalasuriya, and senior representatives of the National Physical Planning Department, Department of Archaeology, Urban Development Authority, and Central Cultural Fund.
Last modified: October 23, 2026
