Best Sacred Tree

The bodhi in the center of the northern Sri Lankan town of Anuradhapura is not just any old tree. It's the old treeĀ—the oldest historically authenticated tree in the world. Grown from a cutting of the bodhi in northern India under which Buddha gained enlightenment (that tree burned down long ago), its giant branches have cast cool shade for more than 2,000 years. But its significance is not limited to its great age. Standing at the heart of the ancient royal capital, a place that remains Sri Lanka's spiritual center today, Sri Maha Bodhi ("the Sacred Bo Tree") is regarded as...

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