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Polonnaruwa
As early as the 7th Century, when Anuradhapura
was still the capital, Sri Lankan kings had made Polonnaruwa their
country retreat. With the Cholas’ conquest of Anuradhapura in
the 11th Century, Polonnaruwa succeeded it as the capital and remained
so for the next 200 years - even when Vijayabahu I eventually defeated
the South Indian invaders.
The relatively short history of this capital makes it easy for you
to explore all the ruins and if you are inclined towards a hard day
of walking under a sweltering sun, you could even discover the city
on foot. If not, there is always ready transport, with a guide at
your ear.
Traveling north from Deer Park Hotel with the eastern bank of the
Parakrama Samudra
on your left, you'll first arrive at the Potgul Vehera, a library
with splendid acoustics (for performances perhaps) and "The Sage",
possibly the statue of King Parakramabahu I, though the subject of
its identity has been a matter of some dispute.
Further
up is the Royal Citadel of Parakramabahu, of which the audience
hall is particularly interesting, with the stone carvings on
the base of the pavilion depicting elephants, each in a different
position.
Just north of the Royal Palace, you will come to the Quadrangle,
where you might want to spend some more time and take a tour
around the twelve great structures.
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noteworthy ones include the: |
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Vatadage,
probably Polonnaruwa's oldest monument |
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Hatadage,
a Temple of the Tooth Relic, which once housed the famous
relic that now resides in Kandy |
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Atadage,
which means "House of Eight Relics" and was the original
Temple of the Tooth Relic |
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Thuparama,
a magnificent showcase of a ruined Buddha image older
than the Thuparama itself |
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Gal
Pota or "Stone Book", a 26-by-14 feet slab recording Nissanka
Malla's invasion of India |
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More
magnificent structures are on your way as you move even further
north, such as the Rankot Vehera ("Golden Pinnacle"), the largest
dagoba in Polonnaruwa built by King Nissanka Malla.
Not to be missed is the Gal Vihara, with four larger-than-life
statues of the Buddha in various positions - including a rare
cross-armed standing pose - all carved from a single wall, with
intricate attention to detail.
If you still have energy left to go the distance, you will be
rewarded with more wonderful sights including the late 12th
Century Lotus Bath, with steps descending in concentric rings
of eight-petal lotus flowers.
If you travel by car, you’d probably be able to complete
all that in four hours. That’s a whole millennium of Polonnaruwa
history in half a day.
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