The Small Miracle : Sri Lanka - Polonnaruwa

So after lunch we continued our Sri Lankan exploration to another excellent site.

This site is located about 64km from Sigiriya so yeah… another long ride in the van. *yawnnnn*

Sri Lankan attractions are spreaded out and for those who loves history and culture, they certainly wouldn’t wanna miss the Cultural Triangle. Within this triangle, there are a number of sites that plays significant roles in Sri Lankan history.

the Cultural Triangle 

 One of them is Polonnaruwa, an ancient capital which marked the early Sri Lankan civilization. In the late 10th century, Chola dynasty of southern India invaded the country and made its capital here. Polonnaruwa reached its height under the reign of King Parakramabahu I. The king developed the city with architects and technicians brought down from India and built huge buildings, planned beautiful parks and created a spectacular artificial lake which was the main source of irrigation of that area.

The city was enlarged and improved with each successive generation during 11th to 13th century. However, by the 13th century AD, new waves of attacks from southern India forced the Sinhalese kings to abandon the north of the island, and the centre of Sinhalese power shifted to the western side of the island, near modern Colombo.

 Now, Polonnaruwa’s extensive and well-preserved remains offer a fascinating snapshots of medieval Sri Lanka. The remains and monuments are scattered but compact enough to be thoroughly explored within a day. 

As we hired Rammuni, our transportation was settled but I guess if you come here by public transportation, the best idea is to rent a bicycle cos the area is rather too large to cover by foot. Plus the ticket can’t be bought at the entrance itself. We had to go to the museum in the village.

The first attraction that we saw was a large lake while on our way to the museum. Parakrama Samudra is actually a man-made rainwater reservoir, a lifeline to the agricultural district of Polonnaruwa and surroundings.

Then we moved to the nearby attraction, the man who built the lake. The striking rock carved statue is believed to be that of King Parakramabahu. Standing at 3.5 metres tall, the statue holds an unknown object, maybe a book? 

At the heart of the ancient city, the Royal Citadel has many interesting monuments. Enclosed by a circuit of walls, the Royal Palace lies at the center of the complex. The palace is said to be originally seven storeys high and richly decorated but what remains now is only a three storeys brick. A little further on is the royal bath, the Kumara Pokuna. Across the way is the beautiful Council Chamber, embellished with lion, graceful pillars and a moonstone. This was where the king granted audiences to his ministers and officials.