Polonnaruwa
About
Polonnaruwa was the capital city of the Polonnaruwa Kingdom,the second kingdom of Sri Lanka. The "Ancient City Of Polonnaruwa" is considered to be a world heritage site by the UNESCO. The ruins of the kingdom provides a glimpse in to the marvelous architecture created by the ancient people who lived here. Parakramabahu I also known as Parakramabahu the Great was monumental in the development of the city.
Gal Viharaya
The Gal Viharaya which translates to Rock Temple was built by King Parakramabahu I. The temple is famous for its four Buddha Statues. They are the Seated statue, Standing statue, Reclining statue and the seated statue in the "Vidyadhara" cave. Smooth and clean finish of the images display the skill of the ancient craftmen in Polonnaruwa.
Royal Palace
The ruins you see today was once royal palace of King Parakramabahu. This was a seven storied building that had a thousand rooms. Today you can still see some of the massive brick columns that supported the structure. This is considered as a world heritage site by the UNESCO.
Parakrama Samudraya
This is a large wewa (reservoir) built by King Parakramabahu I. It is very important to farmers in Polonnaruwa as the reservoir captures and stores the monsoon rainfall for later use. King Parakramabahu the Great constructed this large reservoir. He believed that not even a single water drop from the sky should flow into the sea without use.
Vatadage
A Vatadage also known as a stupa house is a structure that is built around a stupa for its protection. The Polonnaruwa Vatadageya is believed to be built by King Parakramabahu the Great. The ruins of it reveal the foundation, entrance, four Buddha statues and parts of the brick structure which held the roof.