The UNESCO lists 8 World Heritage sites in Sri Lanka. Besides Sigiriya and Kandy about we have written the blogposts Sigiriya Rock Fortress and Pidurangala Rock and the Sacred City of Kandy, we have visited two other sites in Sri Lankas cultural triangle, the Cave temple in Dambulla and the Ancient City of Polonnaruwa. Read on if you are interested to learn about a long lost Buddhist kingdom with dagobas and temples.
Anuradhapura or Polonnaruwa?
We were struggling to choose between Polonnaruwa or Anuradhapura. We knew we did not want to visit both. It can be tiring for children to visit ancient excavation sites. You need a lot of phantasy and interest for history to actually enjoy it. Eventually we have picked Polonnaruwa over Anuradhapura. Even though it is smaller in scale, the ruins and temples are within a much more compact area, and they are in better condition.
How to get to Polonnaruwa from Sigiriya
After an entertaining 90 minutes bus ride from Sigiriya we have reached the visitor center at the park entrance. Ticket fee for foreigners is 20 US$ for adults. Children at age 5-12 yrs pay half the prize. Only cash is accepted, so please don’t forget to bring paper money.
Be aware!
When you arrive by bus in Polonnaruwa the bus will stop at the main bus stop. Tuktuk drivers will recommend you to buy tickets in a shop that looks like an official tourist office. Valid tickets are ONLY available at the main ticket office at the Polonnaruwa museum. The museum is 250 m walking distance from the bus stop.
Getting around in the Ancient City
Polonnaruwa spreads over a territory of 122 hectars. It is 5 km from north to south and 3 km from east to west. To get around there are basically 2 options, you can either rent bicycles or hire tuktuks. Due to the rather hot weather conditions and because we are traveling with small children we have opted to get around by tuktuk. We paid 1500 SLR each to 2 drivers who also acted to some degree as tour guides.
The History of Polonnaruwa
Polonnaruwa once was the capital of Sri Lanka. The site was named an UNESCO World Heritage site in 1982. The ancient city today is an archaeological park which displays the remains of Bhramanic constructions from the Cholas civilization as well as the garden city that was constructed in the 12th century. At that time the tooth relic of Buddha was kept here. Today it is enshrined in Kandy’s famous Tooth Temple.
Our 6 must-sees in the Ancient City of Polonnaruwa
Visiting temples usually is not the most exciting thing to do for children and young adults. But this ain´t necessarily so. To get our teenage daughter involved in the culture we have tasked her to guide us through the ruins as part of a „history class“. Lily prepared the facts quite well using her tablet. She explained the must-sees to us like the 33 m tall rising impressive Rankot Vihara, the second largest dagaba in Sri Lanka, the famous Buddhas carved in bare rock in Gal Vihāra and the lofty Lankatilaka palace.
These are the places we have visited in Polonnaruwa:
- The Vatadage
- Rankot Vihara
- Shiva Devale No. 2
- Gal Vihara
- Dagoba Kiri Vihara
- Lankatilaka Vihara
- Museum at the visitor center
We think it´s not feasible to visit all sites in the ancient city in one day with children. So we had to focus. These are places we missed:
- The Royal Palace
- Audience Hall
1. The Vatadage
The Sacred Quadrangle (or Vatadage) must have been one of the most astonishing temples in Polonnaruwa. When the construction was still intact it enshrined the tooth relic of the Buddha. Still today the beautiful and compact ruins cast a spell on visitors who enter the raised platform through one of the four entries which are flanked by large guard stones.
On the floor at each entry are moonstones with beautiful engravings depicting elephants and horses. As one enters the inner part of the Sacred Quadrangle one meets 4 large Buddha figures. Each of this figures is located on a terrace 18 m in diameter. 3 of the statutes are well preserved, however the central stupa has largely succumbed. In the museum we have seen a model of the Vatadage temple at the time it was used. The columns carried a gigantic roof. On the floor inside the Vatadage mathematical signs are displayed.
Sandakada pahana, also known as Moonstones, is a unique feature of the ancient architecture of Sri Lanka. Found near the entrance of doorways, or at the foot of steps leading up to Buddhist religious sites—both ancient and contemporary—a moonstone is not just a prominent architectural feature. It is also a good example of the artistic capabilities of stone workers in the many ancient kingdoms of Sri Lanka.
A moonstone is an elaborately carved semi-circular stone slab. First seen in the latter stage of the Anuradhapura period, the design of moonstones was subject to various changes as time passed. During the Anuradhapura era moonstones contained carvings of four different animals—the elephant, horse, lion, and bull. In some cases, the four animals can be found in one ring of the moonstone, in others, each of these beasts are found in four individual rings. The most significant change is, that during the Polonnaruwa era the motif of the bull and the lion were no longer present.
If you want to read more about this fascinating feature of Sri Lankan architecture, check out the article The Moonstones Of Ancient Sri Lanka: Religion, Art, And Architecture.
2. Rankot Vihara
Rankoth Vihera is the largest dagoba (thats´s how stupas are locally named) in Polonnaruwa. The structure is made entirely of brick, and has a base diameter of 170 m and a height of 33 m. Stupas designed and constructed in Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa are the largest brick structures known to the pre-modern world. Back in time they were covered with plaster and their main purpose was to enshrine relics of Buddha.
3. Shiva Devale No. 2
This Hindu temple which is dedicated to lord Shiva is the oldest building in Polonnaruwa. It is ca. 950 years old. The shrine of Shiva nowadays is an important pilgrimage destination for women from all over the country who wish to become pregnant. They come here at least three times and pray to Shiva to help them conceive a baby.
4. Gal Vihara
Gal Vihara is a group of four beautiful Buddhas in perfect condition, cut from one long slab of rock. These figures are considered to be some of the best examples of ancient Sinhalese sculpting and carving arts. No wonder the Gal Vihara is the most visited monument at Polonnaruwa.
Right across the Gal Vihara one can sit on the bare granite rocks and ponder how much work and planning was involved to create the impressive Buddha figures.
A story about Gal Vihara goes that during the British Colonial period, a British big game hunter, shoot at one of the Buddhist statues, because he mistaken the statue for a wild elephant. He was killed by an elephant, that emerged suddenly from the forest behind him, before he could release the trigger. Locals believe the wild elephants have been a source of extraordinary protection to the Buddhist places of worship whether they were in ruins or not, since the 13th century.
5. Dagoba Kiri Vihara
Originally known as the Rupavati Chetiya, the present name means ‘milk white’. This is because when the overgrown jungle was cleared away after 700 years of neglect, the original lime plaster was found to be in perfect condition. The Kiri Vihara dagoba was built in honor of the king´s queen and looks quite simple. It´s not the tallest stupa constructed in Pollonaruwa but I think its very aesthetic. One can imagine how beautiful once the city must have looked like.
6. Lankatilaka Vihara
Right next to the dagoba Kiri Vihara the visitors eyes glances an impressive shrine which is a definite deviation in Buddhist architecture. Instead of the abstract symbolism of the stupa the attention is focused on the giant figure of the Buddha. This figure fills up the entire space within the shrine area. Although the roof is gone, the structure has a cathedral-like feeling with 17 m high walls, each being 4 m thick.
The meltdown of Pollonnaruwa
In 1214 when Kalinga Magha invaded Sri Lanka with the help of thousands of soldiers he took control of the whole island. Magha’s rule was a veritable reign of terror which lasted until 1255. When Polonnaruwa was conquered it is said that the city has burnt for more than 3 months. And the heat that was generated by the blast was so furious it even has melted the brick stones of buildings.
https://www.britannica.com/place/Sri-Lanka/The-fall-of-Polonnaruwa
The Zamani Project spatially documented the Ancient City of Polonnaruwa in 2019 and created 3D models and Panoramic tours of the Ancient City of Polonnaruwa.
Would you like to visit the ancient city of Polonnaruwa? Do you think bicycling is the best way to see it, or do you prefer tuk-tuk or a taxi? Please share your thoughts in the comment area below!
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