Abhayagiri Museum

Welcome to the Abhayagiri Museum. While walking among the massive stupas and brick foundations gives you a sense of scale, it is here, inside this museum, that you will understand the intricate details of daily life, art, and…

We begin in the stone carving gallery. Here you will find some of the finest examples of Anuradhapura period sculpture, removed from the elements for protection. …

Move to the vitrines containing the metalwork. The Abhayagiri monks were renowned for their metallurgical skills, particularly in bronze casting. …

Perhaps the most surprising exhibit is the collection of imported artifacts. Look at the fragments of delicate glass and ceramics. …

Step toward the highly secure display cases holding the reliquaries. These are the small caskets designed to hold the sacred ashes or bone fragments of holy men. …

Finally, examine the tools of everyday monastic life. You will see ancient medical and surgical instruments, proving the monastery functioned as a major hospital. …

Before leaving, take a moment in the museum's open courtyard. Here, larger, heavier stone artifacts that cannot be housed indoors are displayed under the shade of the trees. …

Our tour of the Abhayagiri Museum concludes. We have seen the extracted soul of the ancient monastery. …