Polonnaruwa,
which is located in the North Central province, was
the capital of Sri Lanka from the 11th to 13th century
A.D. Along with Anuradhapura and Kandy, this ancient
city forms one of the points of the “cultural
triangle” of Sri Lanka, and contains a wealth
of remarkable sites and monuments.
Once the favourite country retreat of the royalty
of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa was a key settlement
even before the medieval period, largely due to
its strategic location near the river crossings
of the Mahaweli river.It was King Vijayabahu I who
first established Polonnaruwa as the capital of
his kingdom in 1055. The peaceful reign of this
farsighted king was followed by four bloody decades
of strife between his heirs. Yet the accession of
the great ruler Parakramabahu I (1153-1186) heralded
a glorious new era in which the architectural traditions
of the country reached a dazzling zenith. Among
the public works commissioned by him are the Alahana
Pirivena, the Jetavana Vihara, the Lankathilaka
and the Galvihare.
The visitor who traverses the city from the south
to the north will find the following monuments of
particular interest :
Potgul
Vehera monastery
Located outside the Royal Garden, this monastery
is also known as the ‘Library Monastery’
because it is believed that the circular building
in the center of the site was used to house sacred
books. Also of interest is the sculptured figure
carved into the face of the rock at the northern
end of the site. This figure has been popularly
interpreted as King Parakramabahu I.
The citadel
and palace complex
The palace complex of King Parakramabahu is a fascinatingly
rich site, with its assembly hall, stone bathing
pool and royal gardens. The chronicles describe
a palace consisting of seven storeys and richly
decorated windows, but unfortunately the wooden
superstructure of the upper floors have long since
decayed. Only the fragments of a stone staircase
remain to indicate the grandeur of the abode of
one of Sri Lanka’s greatest monarchs. The
audience hall of the king, flanked by two stone
lion figures and decorated with beautiful relief
sculptures, is situated a little to the west.
The Vatadage
This circular shrine is famed for its exceptional
sculptures and relief decorations. A porch gives
way to a raised circular terrace, from which ascend
four flights of steps flanked by moonstones, leading
to four entrance doors (now in ruins). Inside, four
tranquil Buddha statues guard the shrine
room and dagaba
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