Polonnaruwa is one of the historic capitals of ancient Sri Lanka. It consists of many attractions which were built during the Polonnaruwa era of Sri Lanka from 11th century until 1310 CE. The Gal Vihara, Polonnaruwa Vatadage, Nissanka Latha Mandapaya, Thivanka Pilimage, Thuparama Gedige and Nelum Pokuna are just a pinch of the attractions to see in Polonnaruwa. Polonnaruwa, the ancient capital of Sri Lanka, is a historic city which has many attractions to see which makes it a must visit location. Polonnaruwa is the second most ancient kingdom of Sri Lanka which comes after Anuradhapura.There are many ancient ruins to visit in Polonnaruwa. These include the Gal Vihara, Nissanka Latha Mandapaya, Thivanka Pilimage, Dalada Maluva, Nelum Pokuna, Sath Mahal Prasada, Parakrama Samudraya, Polonnaruwa Vatadage, Thuparama Gedige, Alahana Pirivena, Kiri Vehera and many more.
Apart from these historically significant ancient ruins, there are few other attractions to visit in Polonnaruwa. These include the Manampitiya Bridge which is the second longest bridge in Sri Lanka, Flood Plains National Park, Maduru Oya National Park, Wildlife Museum Giritale and Maduru Oya Dam.With so many attractions to see, Polonnaruwa should be a part of the agenda when travelling to Sri Lanka. Its rustic beauty is something which is worth a visit no matter the travel time required.
Dalada Maluva
Distance from Polonnaruwa – 3.2 km (6 minutes)
Dalada Maluva is an elevated area in the sacred city of Polonnaruwa in which many Buddhist buildings are situated. Dalada Maluva is situated along the Maradankadawala-Habarana-Thirukkondaiadimadu Highway in Polonnaruwa. The buildings situated in this area include;
- Vatadage
- Hetadage of King Nissanka Malla
- Atadage of King Vijayabahu I
- Thuparama
- Image of Bodhisathwa
- Nissanka Latha Mandapaya
- Galpotha (Stone Book)
- Sath Mahal Pasada
- Oth Pilimaya
The entrance to the Dalada Maluva is through stone steps. The left side of these stone steps consists of a stone slab with three carved figures: A man pointing towards the Dalada Maluva, a crow and dog. This is believed to warn all those who come to visit the place, that anybody who acts disrespectfully in the sacred area will be reborn as crows and dogs.
Parakrama Samudraya
This vast water reservoir was built by King Parakramabahu the great (1153-1186) and today what you see as the Parakrama Samudraya is only a portion of his original creation.
Parakrama Samudraya originally consisted of five large reservoirs separated by smaller dams to reduce the pressure on the main dam. Many smaller tanks has been built around the main tank to feed these primary tanks and to take in excess water.The main five reservoirs which consist of the Parakrama Samudraya are
- Thopa Vawa
- Eramudu Vewa (Katu Vewa)
- Dumbuthulu Vewa
- Kalahagala Vewa
- Bhu Vewa
During reconstruction of the Parakrama Samudraya in the latter half of 19th centuary, the water which was supposed to flow to the Thopa Vawa has started flowing to the Bhu Vewa. To control this the engineers constructed a temporary dam to block the water flowing to the Bhu Vewa. This temporary dam became a permanent road and this road isolated Kalahagala Vewa and Bhu Vewa from the Parakrama Samudraya.
The new reconstruction process has ignored most of the ancient technology which this tank was built in reducing the capacity of the tank further. As at today, the dam of Parakrama Samudraya is 8 ½ miles (14 kilometres) in length and 40 feet (12.2 meters) in height. The body of water covers 5350 acres with an average depth of 25 feet. Over 18000 acres of paddy land is supported by this reservoir.On one edge of the reservoir is the Polonnaruwa Rest House managed by Hotels Corporation. Along the dam there are few star class hotels closer to the Pothgul Vehera (Pothgul Temple).After traveling to the very end of the dam (all 8 ½ miles) and further along the canal which feed the Parakrama Samudraya you come to place called “Angammedilla”. This is the place where the Amban ganga (river) is diverted towards the Parakrama Samudraya. After walking about 500 meters in to the jungle you can come to a still unspoiled camping/bathing site. Due to the distance from the main city this location is still untouched and is great place to spend the day. This area is elephant country and you can see the dung of wild elephants as you walk along the path to the river. A little scary if you try it when it is dark.
Pothgul Vehera
Pothgul Vehera of the ancient Polonnaruwa Kingdom is located some distance from the statue and thought to be a Buddhist library complex and a place where the Buddhist writings were studied and resided. The original name of this Aramaic complex is not known.
Deepa Uyana (Island Garden) of Polonnaruwa Kingdom
Have you ever wondered at what lies outside and to west of Parakramabahu’s walled palace enclosure extending to the shores of the Parakrama samudraya. What mysteries may lie buried underneath the forests of stone stumps of varying heights and grass mounds?
This area which is today called the Promontory, was amongst the many parks built by Parakramabahu (1153-1186) and Nissankamalla (1187-1196). Anciently it was referred to as the Dipuyyana in Pali meaning an Island Garden. The Chulavamsa mentions some of the constructions that graced this beautiful Island garden The Dhavalaghara was a white house made entirely of stucco, the Vidyamandapa was a pavilion built to illustrate the various branches of science, the Dolamandapa was a swing pavilion , the Kridamandapa was a sports pavilion, the Mayuramandapa was the peacock Pavilion, the Sanimandapa was the Pavilion of Saturn, and it was made out of Ivory, Adasamandapa was a Mirror Pavilion, . Srngaravimana of four storeys adorned with pictures . Anantapushkarani was pond of stone whose layers esembled the coils of the serpent king Ananta and Citrapuskarani or the picture pond adorned with pictures.
Unidentified Mausoleum at the Nissanka Malla’s court
This building and the next two structures of King Nissanka Malla (1187-1196) has to be reached passing the Pollonnaruwa rest house at the end of the dam or passing the new museum by foot. You also find the Nissanga Malla’s Palace and the Court in this area.
This is a lonely multi layered building made out of bricks. The staircase is still intact. An important feature of this building is that it has no windows. Due to this feature it is also thought to be a tomb of King Nissanka Malla. The original plaster is still intact giving a glimpse of what the plastering of buildings looked like over 800 years ago.
Nissanka Malla Audience Hall
Also in the same area as the unidentified structure of the Nissanka Malla, this is made of solid rock and probably held a wooden roof. The building has been held by 48 stone pillars laid in 4 rows. The throne is a massive lion carved in stone. “Throne of the King” is carved at the bottom of the lion figure.This building has a high importance to the historians as all the pillars are carved with the person’s designation who would sit there.
Palace of King Nissanka Malla
Remains of palace of Nissanka Malla lies behind the current Polonnaruwa Rest House along with the Audience Hall of of King Nissanka Malla. This place has been probably built mainly with bricks during the reign of King Nissanka Malla (1187-1196) thus there is only very little of this palace complex remains.Historians believe that the palace would have been a two storied building with top floor made of out of wood.This palace would have been a dwarf compared the palace of King Maha Parakramabahu (1153-1186) which had seven stories and 1000 rooms which lies about 1 km from this location.
Palace of King Parakramabahu the Great
This is a majestic palace build by king Parakramabahu I (1153-1186) with seven stories and said to have 1000 chambers. Although the main building possibly couldn’t hold such a number of chambers, when you consider the whole palace complex it is thought that this number is a possibility.
Today you can see the massive walls over a meter thick going up to about 30 feet (9 meters) and the bottom half of the main stairway which led to upper floors. Inside the building you can see parts of melted brick walls caused by intense heat when this was set fire by Tamil invaders at the end of Polonnaruwa era. Around the main palace there are remains of more buildings where the ministers, solders and servants lived.Large holes in the wall probably held massive wooden structures that formed the floor of the upper levels. Even after facing such destruction by human hand and then by Mother Nature for 800 years, the plastering on these walls still remains in some places.An architect’s impression of what it would have looked can be seen at the Polonnaruwa museum in a form of miniature model.
Royal Court of king Parakramabahu
Built by king Parakramabahu this structure is situated in front of the palace. Built on 3 layers of solid rock, the border of the first layer is decorated with carved elephants each in a different posture. Second layer border is carved with figures of lions and the last layer with images of “Wamana”.The entrance to the building is through two beautifully carved lions. The roof has been supported by 48 beautifully carved stone pillars laid in 4 rows. To the south-east of the court there can see the remains of an ancient toilet.
Kumara Pokuna in Ancient city of Polonnaruwa
Lying inside the inner city with the Palace Complex, passing the Royal Court of King Parakramabahu you can reach this pond made out of stone slabs. This tank has been used during the period of King Parakramabahu ( 1153-1186). On the side this tank there are remains of the changing rooms.
Polonnaruwa Vatadage
This beautiful Stupa House (Vatadage) has been built before the time of Nissanga Malla (1187-1196) but he has carried out major renovations on this building. So what you see today is probably his work.The uniqueness of such buildings is that the Stupa is protected by a roof. Therefore Stupa’s in such buildings are small. Another beautiful “Vatadage” is situated in Madirigiriya few kilometers away from Polonnaruwa.
A detail description of the overall “Stupaghara” or “Chethiyaghara” architecture including vatadages of Sri Lanka can be found here.On the center is a small stupa and on the four sides, there are beautifully carved Buddha statues. These statues are different to what is normally found. The curly hair is not visible on the head. And the robe is also flat which is unusual. The roof has been supported by two rows of stone pillars around the Stupa. None of the pillars are visible today. But the pillars outside the walls are still intact.Four sets of beautifully carved stone stairs lead the upper level from four sides. On the side of stair case some of most beautiful guard stones and moonstones in this area can be seen. The guard stones on the eastern side of the temple is said to be the best guard stone in t he Polonnaruwa era.
The moonstones in the Polonnaruwa era had undergone a major change compared to the Anuradhapura moonstones. The most visible is the disappearance of the bull in the carvings. (See Pancavasa with the moonstones for a brief description of moonstones in Anuradhapura era.) Where the moonstones originally had four animals – the elephant, the horse, the lion, the bull, now only three remain. Bull is the vehicle of God Shiva (according to Hindu beliefs) and is considered a holy animal by Hindu’s. Probably for this reason, it has been taken off the moonstone where everybody who enters the temple tramples. Instead the bull has been placed on the side of the stairways at a higher elevation in some places.
Statue of Bodhisattva at Dalada Maluwa of Polonnaruwa
This statue lies in the center of the Dalada Maluwa at a slightly elevated ground. The arms of the statue are missing. It is unclear whether this is a statue of King Nissanga Malla (1187-1196) or a bodhisattva.
Thuparama Image House
The Thuparama Image House at the ancient capital of Polonnaruwa is one of the few buildings where you can see a roof completely made out of bricks. These types of buildings are called “Gedige” (vaulted roof) type and almost the whole building including the roof has survived over 900 years miraculously. According to Paranavithana, this is the best preserved example of Gedi-ge buildings country. The roof is a semi-cylindrical in shape.
Nissanka Latha Mandapaya of the Polonnaruwa Ancient Kingdom
Nissanka Latha Mandapaya is a square buiding with fine rock cut railing g going all around lying the Dalada Maluwa area of the ancient kingdom of Polonnaruwa. This building has been built by king Nissanka Malla (1187-1196).
The most important feature of this building is the shape and the carvings of the stone pillars. These pillars are carved in the shape of a lotus stem and are curved in three places. The top of the pillars take form of a lotus flower. On the center is a small Stupa. The whole building is surrounded by a fence made out of stone.
Oth Pilimaya at Dalada Maluwa in Polonnaruwa
Oth Pilimaya at the ancient city of Polonnaruwa is a ancient statue house lying in the Dalada Maluwa. The Buddha Statue is in a resting position on a pedestal and is made completely of bricks.Surrounding the statue is remains of a building where only the rock pillars remains.
The fine features of the Buddha Statue is also mostly destroyed by exposure to elements of nature for over 900 years.
Atadage at Polonnaruwa
Atadage Dalada Maligaya is the house of the tooth relic of Buddha built by King Vijayabahu I (1070-1110). This building is built on 54 stone pillars. The tooth relic has been kept on the second floor probably made out of wood. The access to the second floor is through a staircase. Few stone steps still remains of this staircase which led to the upper chamber of the building. There has been three Buddha statues at the bottom and only the center one remain today.
Hetadage at Polonnaruwa
This is an ancient shrine which housed the tooth relic during the Polonnaruwa Kingdom. According to the inscriptions on a stone slab next to this building, this building has been built by King Nissanka Malla (1187-1196) to house the tooth relic of Buddha. But it is unclear whether this was built by king Parakramabahu (1153-1186) and was renovated by Nissanka Malla (1187-1196) or whether Nissanka Malla (1187-1196) himself built it. Reason for this doubt is the description of a large relic house built by Parakramabahu (1153-1186) in the chronicles and inability to find this in the Polonnaruwa area. Also King Nissanka Malla (1187-1196) is well-known for taking the credit for things others have done by just doing renovation work.
This building is much larger than the Atadage and is surrounded by solid stone walls. In design it is similar to Atadage with two floors. Stone steps to the upper floor are still in place. The upper floor has been probably made out of wood and the tooth relic would have been housed here. On the ground floor remains of three standing Buddha statues can be seen.
Gal Potha (Stone Book)
al Potha (Stone Book) is one of the famous works of King Nissanka Malla (1187-1196) which describes himself, his rule and the eligibility for being a king of Sri Lanka. This massive slab which is 26’10” feet (8.2 meters) long and 4’7” feet (1.4 meters) in breath has been brought form Mahiyangana area by the worriers of King Nissanka Malla (1187-1196). The text is written in 3 columns and contain over 4300 characters in 72 lines.There are signs that liquidized metal has been pored on to the carved characters to bring out the letters much clearer. Beautiful carvings of two rows of geese (Hamsa) form the border of the side of the rock. Between this design at the center is a carved seated figure of Goddess Lakshmi holding two flowers and two elephants poring water on her from a container.
Sathmahal Prasadaya (Seven Storied Palace)
This pyramid-shaped, seven storied building called Sathmahal Prasadaya is thought to be an unusually shaped stupa built during the Polonnaruwa Period (11th -13th century).There are 4 known square shaped stupa’s in Sri Lanka. The most popular is the Sathmahal Prasadaya. The rest of the 3 stupas can be found in the ancient Anuradhapura kingdom which are rarely visited by the pilgrims. One of these stupa’s is Nakha Vehera. The other 2 belongs to the Abhayagiriya Monastic Complex. One of them is known as Indikatu Seya (aka Prasada Stupa). The other lies west of Eth Pokuna on the western border of the Abhayagiri Monastery.
It is said that similar Stupa’s to Sathmahal Prasadaya can be seen in Cambodia and in Siam. It is thought this has been built for the Cambodian soldiers who were working under the king as place of worship. The building has four entrances from four sides. Also there is stair case to reach the upper levels. The person who built it, the original name of it or the purpose is still a mystery.
Pabalu Vehera
The origin of this unusually shaped Pabalu Vehera stupa is unknown but it is believed to been built by one of the king Parakramabahu’s ( 1153-1186 AD) consorts, queen Rupawathi. The original name of this stupa is not known. The current name “Pabalu” (meaning beads) was derived from the fact that a large number of small glass beads being found during the excavation of the area around the stupa. Top part of the stupa has been destroyed by invaders and centre of the stupa also has been destroyed probably by treasure hunters in the recent times.
Generally Stupa’s have only 4 image houses around it. But there are nine image houses around the stupa. These contain sitting images in some and standing images in others. One houses a “Sri Pathla” (the impression of the foot) of Buddha. Another one contains a Buddha statue in the reclining position. It is thought these image houses have been built at different time periods by different people. In addition there is a stairway to reach the first level of the stupa.
Siva Kovil
This Siva Kovil (devalaya) is considered to be one of the oldest buildings of the Polonnaruwa Kingdom to survive the ravages of time. This Siva kovil is thought to be built by Cola invaders (10th century) who initially establish their capital in Polonnaruwa.The Cola occupation of the country during the period 1017-1070 CE saw the establishment of many shrines dedicated to the worship of godheads of the Hindu Pantheon. Polonnaruwa having been their centre of administration for several decades, most of these shrines were founded within the capital itself.At least fourteen ruined monuments of this category were discovered by Bell during the first decade of the twentieth century. Recent excavations have exposed one more brick built devales including a one in the Alahana Parivena complex. It is possible that some of these monuments were founded in the thirteenth century, when yet another wave of invasion took place under Magha of Kaliga which ultimately saw the fall of the Polonnaruwa kingdom.This building is completely built out of dressed granite finely laid with perfect precision. This pleasing little stone ruined kovil is characteristic of Dravidian architecture, is less elaborate and impressive than the better known Siva Devale No. I but is in far better status of preservation. It still retains its dome intact. Due to this reason, this is one of the well preserved artifacts of the ancient kingdom.
The building conforms to the general plan of the South Indian style, consisting of the garbhagraha, antarala and ardhamandapa. As in Siva Devale No. 1, it possesses an additional mandapa in front though very small. The dome is octagonal and its upapitha is heavily moulded and the walls are niched, each capped by a pronounced cornice ornamented with caitya-window (kudu) motif.On to wall of this kovil, an inscription has been found and reads “Vanavan – Ma Devi – Eshwaram – Udeyiyar” meaning that this kovil is built in the memory of the queen of Mahamaharaja, the king of Soli kingdom (Senevirathne, 1998).The whole monument rises in stepped pyramidal form in three tiers topped by the octagonal dome. The dome possibly was capped by the ‘kalasa‘ which no longer exists. The full height of the vimana from the ground stands at 31ft 9in. The first roof was ornamented with domed cells (panjaras).The interior of the garbhagraha is 9ft 4 in square and rises to a height of 11ft 8in n hollow pyramidal form, having 23 courses of stone, which overlap one another at the four sides and finally united by a single capstone at a height of 17 ft4 in The inner chamber as usual, once contained the linga as the symbol of worship.
Vishnu Devale No. 2 of Polonnaruwa Kingdom
On the inner side of the Northern Gateway to east of the ancient Polonnaruwa kingdom lies 3 small kovils. On your left are 2 kovils dedicated to God Siva and God Ganesh. On the left is the kovil for god Vishnu currently named as Vishnu Kovil No. 2.The Cola occupation of the country during the period 1017-1070 CE saw the establishment of many shrines dedicated to the worship of godheads of the Hindu Pantheon. Polonnaruwa having been their centre of administration for several decades, most of these shrines were founded within the capital itself.At least fourteen ruined monuments of this category were discovered by Bell during the first decade of the twentieth century. Recent excavations have exposed one more brick built devales including a one in the Alahana Parivena complex. It is possible that some of these monuments were founded in the thirteenth century, when yet another wave of invasion took place under Magha of Kaliga which ultimately saw the fall of the Polonnaruwa kingdom.This kovil has been completely built with granite blocks but only the bottom portion of the building survives today. Out of the 3 devalaya’s in this cluster, only the Vishnu Kovil has survived the forces of nature better than the other two. This devalaya was discovered and recorded by Bell in 1908 and reports that this was the only Vishnu Kovil within the walls of the inner city.It has 2 rooms, the vestibule and the inner sanctum which are of the same size, 6 feet 9 inches square with a mandapam in front. The roof and much of the walls had been collapsed when discovered. However the 4 armed Vishnu statue carved out of rock still survives and stand at the center of the inner sanctum even today.
Eastern Entrance to the Inner City of Polonnaruwa Kingdom
Passing the Vishnu Kovil 2, on the main root you come to the entrance to the inner city of the Polonnaruwa Kingdom. The inner city has been protected by a massive wall where the soldiers patrolled on the top, and a moat. According to chronicles there have been 14 entrances to the inner city including 4 main entrances form south, east, west and north.
From this entrance you will exit the inner city and enter the outer areas where there were shops and residencies. Along the road on both sides, you will be able to see the foundations of shops and houses.
Menik Vehera
Menik Vehera Aramaic complex of the Polonnaruwa Kingdom is believed to be built on the 8th century. There are indications that some additions to this complex have been made at later stages. The original name of the stupa has been lost in time but this is considered the oldest Stupa in this area.This rather small Stupa is built on an unusually high platform with stone steps leading to the top of it. The platform is surrounded by a brick wall. The massive Door Frame carved from stone is finely carved with multiple layers of groves.
The complex has two image houses, one closest to the stupa has three standing buddha images and one in seating position. The other image house smaller in size has only one rock carved buddha statue.Recent excavations on this complex have discovered a hospital and a large number of buildings where bikkus (priests) resided.The guard stones at the menik vehera is also unique. Generally on the side of the guard stone you can find a carving of a bull. But on the guard stones at the entrance of the Menik vehera this bull has been replaced by an elephant. Some authors has identified the parts of circular wall around the platform as a Stupaghara
Rankoth ( Rankot) Vehera
Rankoth ( Rankot) Vehera (Goldern Pinnacle) Stupa, is the 4th largest stupa in the country after Ruwanveli Seya, Jetawanarama and Abhayagiriya in Anuradhapura. Built by King Nissanka Malla (1187-1196), it is 55 meters in height 185 meters in circumference. This is the largest Stupa in Polonnaruwa.
Gopala Pabbatha of Ancient Capital of Polonnaruwa
Gopala Pabbatha in Polonnaruwa is a small cave monastery and also marks the southern boundary of Alahana Pirivena and lies on the north of Rankoth Vehera. You can reach the Gopala Pabbatha from the Rankoth Vehera which is a collection of natural rock caves located in a serene atmosphere.This rocky outcrop is known for its two Brahmin inscriptions on the caves which goes back as far as 2nd century BC. These are the earliest antiquities found in this area and has been home to forest dwelling monks from this time.
Alahana Pirivena
Alahana Pirivena is the great monastic complex founded by Parakramabahu 1 (1153-1186), said tobe built on a cremation ground, hence the name Alahana Pirivena.The monastery laid out in terraces in idyllic surroundings with small and large rocky outcrops like the Gopala pabbata, meandering stream, ponds and parks is said to have extended over an area of more than eighty hectares.Archaeologists have found that the monastery consisted of many separate units demarcated by smaller boundary walls with small entrance doorways. Each unit had its own living cells, and several of them seem to have shared a common bath house, refectory and other such facilities for monks.
Kuda Gal Viharaya at Polonnaruwa Ancient City
On the east to the Badda Sema Malakaya you can see a cave with a carved statues of Buddha. This known as the Kuda Gal Viharaya or the Lesser Rock Temple. On the steel identification board at the site it will be identified as Cave Shrine (Guha Viharaya).The reason for identifying this cave as the Lesser Gal Viharaya due to the 4 Buddha statues caved in the rock on the larger cave inside this miniature shrine. Unfortunately heads of the all but statues have been destroyed probably by treasure hunters. Only the last statue is complete.The second cave even smaller than the first lies just 2-3 meters away. Whatever the statues which had been at this cave has long disappeared.Locating this caves are not easy. Although close the main tourist route, no path or directions exists. To reach the temple travel along the main pilgrim path until the Badda Seema Malakaya lies right on your left. From here walk across the ruins path towards the Malakaya and you will come across this cave shrine just before reaching the Malakaya.
Lankathilaka Image House
Polonnaruwa Lankathilaka Image House is a monolithic Buddha image house built by king Parakramabahu (1153-1186) lying on the South of Kiri Vehera. The building is complete made out of bricks and the outer walls are covered with elaborate designs and carvings. The Buddha statue is also completely made out of clay bricks and it has been 41 feet in height. Specially made flat bricks have been used to build this statue and today the portion above the shoulder is destroyed.
Kiri Vehera
This large stupa known as the Kiri Vehera of Polonnaruwa, lying north of Lankathilaka Pilima Ge is said to be built by a queen of king Parakramabahu (1153-1186) called “Subadra”. The original name of this has been “Rupavathi Stupa” and this too is a part of Alahana Privena and stands 80 feet in height today.This stupa is also the second biggest stupa in Polonnaruwa today, the largest been the Rankoth Vehera also a part of the ancient Alahana Pirivena. Also it is the only stupa to survive the 900 years of forces of nature and still is in the original condition.
Gal Viharaya
Gal Viharaya or the Rock Hewn Shrine at Polonnaruwa is one of the most impressive antiquity seen in the island of Sri Lanka and possibly not rivalled throughout the Continent of India.This magnificent group of gigantic figures carved from the gray rock which forms their backround was built by king Parakramabahu (1153-1186) which was part of the Uthararama Complex.
Nelum Pokuna (Lotus Pond)
The Pokuna or the baths found at Polonnaruwa are comparatively of modest dimensions. The architecturally perfect Kumara pokuna found close to King Parakramabahu’s palace, the pokuna found near the rest house and believed to be that of King Nissanka malla, the austere baths of the Alahana pirivena are some examples.
Yet a jewel of the pokuna architecture lies hidden along the lonely road to the northern city, well away from the bus loads of pilgrims and tourists that crowd Polonnaruwa’s more famous quadrangle packed with ruins from different dynasties differing in architecture and style.
Thivanka Pilimage
Thivanka Pilimage had been built by King Parakramabahu (1153-1186) as part of the Jethavanarama Complex. Since the large image of Buddha has been curved in 3 places, this has been given the name “Thivanka” which literally means three curves. As most other structures of this era, this is too built with bricks including the statue.The Buddha statue at the Thivanka Pilimage is about 8 meters in height but today the part of the statue above the head has been destroyed. The statue as at today is 6.6 metres tall. The building is 133 feet long and 67.6” feet wide. The walls are 7-12 feet thick making the internal size of the building much smaller.
Ancient Technology Museum
Ancient Technology Museum is a museum mostly displaying artifacts related to the technology used in Sri Lanka from the pre – historic era to the 18th century of Polonnaruwa. It is situated in New Town, Polonnaruwa. The Ancient Technology Museum has a vast collection of ancient statues, modern art and books about ancient technology etc. The opening hours of the museum is from 9 am to 5 pm daily, except on government public holidays.
The Archaeological Museum
The Archaeological Museum is one of the most prominent museums situated on the Maradankadawala-Habarana-Thirukkondaiadimadu Highway in Polonnaruwa. The museum gives an insight into the ancient culture, art and history of the Polonnaruwa Kingdom. It consists of rooms dedicated to the citadel, the outer city, the monastery area and Hindu monuments such a bronze statues mainly of God Shiva. It is a great place to visit after touring the actual ruins of the ancient city of Polonnaruwa.
Wildlife Museum
Wildlife Museum is a museum dedicated to wildlife which is located in Giritale in the Polonnaruwa district. It is the first wildlife museum in Sri Lanka and is managed by the Wildlife Conservation Department of Sri Lanka. Replicas of indigenous animals and foreign animals are displayed at the museum. The goal of opening this museum is to provide knowledge on wildlife to the general public.
Angammedilla National Park
Angammedilla National Park is a national park situated in the Polonnaruwa district. Established in year 2006, it is one of the new national parks in Sri Lanka and is governed by the Department of Wildlife Conservation. The main objective of the park is to protect the drainage basin of the Parakrama Samudraya. Apart from this, Angammedilla National Park also protects the drainage basins of Girithale and Minneriya irrigation tanks. A wide variety of flora and fauna are found at Angammedilla National Park.
Flood Plains National Park
Flood Plains National Park is a national park situated in Polonnaruwa. It is one of the four national parks which fall under the Mahaweli River Development Project in Sri Lanka. Established on 7th August 1984, the Flood Plains National Park is situated along the Mahaweli flood plain and is hence considered to be an ideal feeding ground for elephants. The park also acts as an elephant corridor for the elephant migration between Wasgamuwa and Somawathiya national parks. Flood Plains National Park is operated and maintained by the Department of Wildlife Conservation in Sri Lanka and is rich in a wide variety of flora and fauna.
Kaudulla National Park
Kaudulla National Park is a national park situated on the Galoya Road in Galoya, Sri Lanka. The best time to visit the Kaudulla National Park is between the months of August and December when the population of elephants go above 200. In August and September each year during the dry season, wild elephants migrate from Wasgamuwa National Park to Minneriya National Park, then to Kaudulla National Park for search of food and shelter
Kaudulla National Park includes 24 species of mammals, 160 species of birds, 9 species of amphibians, 25 species of reptiles, 26 species of fish, and 75 species of butterflies. It is one of the largest known meeting places of Asian Elephants in the world.
Somawathiya National Park
Somawathiya National Park is a national park situated in Gangapahalavila. It is one of the four parks designated under the Mahaweli River Development Project. A unique feature of this park is the Somawathiya Chaitya which is a stupa said to be containing a tooth relic of the Buddha. The park was created in 2 September 1986 but designated as a wildlife sanctuary in 9 August 1966. Governed by the Department of Wildlife Conservation of Sri Lanka, the Somawathiya National Park has a wide variety of flora and fauna.
Maduru Oya National Park
Maduru Oya National Park is a national park situated in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka. It is a national park which falls under the Mahaweli River Development Project. Designated as a park on 9th November 1983, Maduru Oya National Park provides a sanctuary for wildlife, especially for elephants. The park also consists of a wide variety of flora and fauna. It is operated and maintained by the Department of Wildlife Conservation of Sri Lanka.
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Danigala Circular Rock
Danigala Circular Rock is a unique shaped rock situated near Aralaganwila in the Polonnaruwa district. Ariel views of the rock show a unique semi-circular shape of it. There have been news of UFO sightings and alien activities in this area which gives it the name “Alien Mountain”.
Features of Danigala Circular Rock
There is a peculiar form of vegetation surrounding the Danigala Circular Rock which makes it suspicious for alien activity. The rock also has a temple and many caves in the surrounding area. One such cave consists of a large reclining Buddha statue which is similar to the one found at Pidurangala. This Buddha image made of brick and stucco is said to be 38.9 feet in length but has been vandalized by treasure hunters.
Peculiarity of Danigala Circular Rock
The rounded track on top of Danigala does not seem to be man-made. Locals believe of alien activity in this area due to the peculiar features of Danigala. Danigala is known in the names “Alien Mountain”, “Kandegama Rock” and “Star Gate of King Ravana”. It is believed to be one of the places where King Ravana landed his special aircraft, “Dandu Monara”.
Caves in the area
A total of 70 caves have been found in this area. These caves date as early as the 2nd century. The place is often accessed by wild elephants from the surrounding areas. Many inscriptions have been carved on the rock here and one such inscription mentions King Saddatissa and his son. The inscriptions also mention the many donors of the caves.
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Pimburaththewa Lake
Pimburaththewa Lake is situated in Aralaganwila in the Polonnaruwa district. It is a beautiful lake surrounded by amazing views of the lush greenery found in the Polonnaruwa district. It is situated approximately 10 km away from the Maduru Oya dam. Caution should be taken when bathing in this lake as it is very common for elephants to appear especially in the evening.
Maduru Oya Dam
Maduru Oya Dam is an irrigation dam which is built across the Maduru Oya situated in Kadirapura, Bandanagala in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka. It creates the Maduru Oya Reservoir which has a catchment area of 453 square km. The Maduru Oya Solar Power Station is planned to be built over the surface of the Maduru Oya Reservoir. It belongs to the Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka. The Maduru Oya National Park is also located near the Maduru Oya Dam.
