Even before UNESCO declared Polonnaruwa a World Heritage Site in 1982, the Ancient City of Polonnaruwa was a popular tourist destination, and for good reason. Locals attest that it is one of the most popular ancient cities in Sri Lanka due to the beauty and culture so well preserved there.
The ancient city is full of mystical ruins that tell the story of a diverse cultural and religious past. In large part, the city is attributed to King Parākramabāhu I, or Parākramabāhu the Great, who built many of the buildings and images. Most images portray Buddha and important tenets of Buddhism.
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History of Polonnaruwa
Polonnaruwa was originally built by King Parakramabahu I and was the capital of Sri Lanka after Anuradhapura was destroyed in 993 AD.
King Parākramabāhu is known for his governance and oversight, as he appointed governors out of the princes, generals, and merchants in his kingdom to govern twelve provinces.
The Great King also reformed Buddhism in Sri Lanka, dismissing monks who didn’t take their religion seriously and building many new temples and images. He is unique, however, because he allowed the Hindus to continue worshipping freely. They later had an influence on Buddhism.
In 1186, the Singhalese ruler Parakramabahu I died, leaving the throne to his queen’s brother, Nissankamalla. After Nissankamalla died ten years later, non-Sinhalese people from India gained power and conflicts arose.
After Parakramabahu, many different groups inhabited the area, leaving their mark. The kingdom passed between the hands of the Cholas, a South Indian Hindu people group, and the Buddhist Sinhalese for several centuries.
In 1214, a ruler from one of these people groups, Magha of the Kalingas, took over Sri Lanka and reigned with terror, disregarding established religion. The city fell into disrepair.
Today, the area is still full of temples, shrines and images left by these groups.
What to see in Polonnaruwa
The ancient city is filled with tall, decorated structures, statues, and shrines. With so many amazing sites, we’ve compiled a list of some of the ones you should check out!
1. The Royal Palace of King Parakramabahu
King Parakramabahu the Great built this seven-story building with over one thousand rooms. He called the palace Vijayantha Prasada, but it is also known as “Sath Bumupaya”, which is Singhalese for seven stories.
The palace walls are about four feet thick and thirty feet tall. At the end of the Polonnaruwa era, Chola invaders set fire to the palace, causing some of the brick walls to melt.
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2. Polonnaruwa Vatadage
King Parakramabahu the Great also built many other structures in the ruins, including the Polonnaruwa Vatadage, which is a Relic House for the Temple of the Tooth (the Dalada Maligawa).
Nissanka Malla later used this building as a house for Buddha’s alms bowl.
The building is circular and has a granite terrace in the centre where four Buddha images sit facing the four entrances. In it, you will find the famous Vatadage Guardian Stone.
3. Gal Vihara Buddha Statues
King Parakramabahu also built Gal Vihara, which are “living rock carvings” of four Buddhas: two seated, one standing, and one reclined. They are a marvel because they are about one hundred sixty-eight feet long and about fifteen feet deep.
4. Parakramabahu Statue
This towering, twelve-foot-tall statue was built by King Parakramabahu I. It faces the Parakrama Samudra Reservoir and is near Potgul Vihara. It has a serious and wise expression as it reads from something in its hands. Most likely, he is reading a religious text.
5. Lankathilaka Viharaya
Lankathilaka Viharaya, or the Image House, was built by King Parakramabahu from clay bricks. It is known for its forty-two-foot image of Buddha.
The walls still standing are fifty-five feet tall, though the original building is believed to have been one hundred feet tall! The walls are decorated with reliefs on the outside.
In front of the building is the Nissanka Latha Mandapaya, which is a stone patio with forty image-engraved stone pillars.
6. Nissanka Latha Mandapaya
This unique structure was built around 1100 AD by King Nissankamalla and was most likely a place where Buddhists chanted (Pirith). It has many pillars with carved images in an enclosed area.
7. Tivanka Image House
The Tivanka Image House has three images of Buddha in a bent posture on a pilgrimage. It also has dwarf figures (Ganas) and lions from Buddhist religious texts.
There is one twenty-one-foot image of Buddha made from brick and stucco. When it was on its pedestal, it was formerly twenty-nine feet tall. The entire house is enormous: one hundred and thirty-three feet tall!
Inside the house, you’ll find beautiful red, yellow, and green paintings of scenes from religious texts about the births of Buddha (the Jatakas).
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8. Nissankamalla Council Chamber
This council chamber was built by King Nissankamalla during the Polonnaruwa Era. There are assigned seats for every member of the King’s court, from his princes to businessmen and leaders of his army.
The King’s throne stands out with a large granite lion prominently displayed.
9. Golden Pinnacle (Rankoth Vehera)
The golden pinnacle, or Rankoth Vehera, is a stupa in the ancient city. A stupa is a type of sepulchral monument that predates Buddhism but was used by the Buddhists because it was an excellent place to store religious objects.
This stupa is mound-shaped and is the fourth largest in Sri Lanka. It was built by King Nissanka Malla, who reigned from 1187 to 1196.
10. Kiri Vehera
Kiri Vehera is another stupa. At over eighty feet tall, this stupa is the second largest in Sri Lanka. This building was built by Queen Subhadra, wife to King Parakramabahu.
11. Sandakada Pahana
Sandakada Pahana is a moonstone, or a gigantic semi-circular stone at the bottom of a staircase. It is a unique architectural feature in Sri Lanka and especially in Polonnaruwa. It has eight lines of animal and floral depictions and symbolizes the Buddhist belief in the cycle of Saṃsāra.
Are you curious to learn more about this ancient city and many others? Then look at what locals are saying on CrowdsourcedExplorer.com!