Polonnaruwa

Snapshot

Sri Lanka’s royal medieval capital in 1073, for nearly a century Polonnaruwa had been a military base for invading Southern Indian Chola tribes, until the Sinhalese king, Vijayabahu I in 1070, overthrew them. The next king, Parakramabahu I, was the main driving force behind the development of Polonnuruwa. It remained Sri Lanka’s capital until the late 13th century, but became increasingly susceptible to Chola invasions and it became lost to the jungle once more as the capital drifted south-west. Today, the ancient city’s ruins remain in remarkably good nick, and are a fascinating site to visit. The most impressive are the ancient sculptures of Lord Buddha at the Gal Viahara cut into granite stone dating back to the middle of the 12th century. The entire sculpture consists of four colossal statues of Buddha - a samadhi image in meditation posture, a seated Buddha image inside a cave, a standing Buddha image which is 23 ft in height, and recumbent Buddha image measuring 46 ft, depicting the passing away.