Sights in Polonnaruwa
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Quadrangle
Only a short stroll north of the royal palace ruins, the area known as the quadrangle is literally that - a compact group of fascinating ruins in a raised-up area bounded by a wall. It's the most concentrated collection of buildings you'll find in the ancient cities. As well as the following ruins, there's a recumbent image house, chapter house, Bodhisattva shrine and bodhi tree shrine.
In the southeast of the quadrangle, the vatadage is typical of its kind. Its outermost terrace is 18m in diameter and the second terrace has four entrances flanked by particularly fine guardstones. The moonstone at the northern entrance is reckoned to be the finest in Polonnaruwa, although…
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Gal Vihara
Gal Vihara is a group of beautiful Buddha images that probably marks the high point of Sinhalese rock carving. They are part of Parakramabahu's northern monastery. The Gal Vihara consists of four separate images, all cut from one long slab of granite. At one time each was enshrined within a separate enclosure. You can clearly see the sockets cut into the rock behind the standing image, into which wooden beams would have been inserted.
The standing Buddha is 7m tall and is said to be the finest of the series. The unusual position of the arms and sorrowful facial expression led to the theory that it was an image of the Buddha's disciple Ananda, grieving for his master's dep…
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Southern Ruins
The small southern group of ruins is close to the compound of top-end hotels. By bicycle it's a pleasant ride along the bund of the Topa Wewa (Topa Tank).
Also known as the library dagoba, the Potgul Vihara is an unusual structure. A thick-walled, hollow, dagoba-like building, it is thought to have been used to store sacred books. It's effectively a circular gedige, and four smaller solid dagobas arranged around this central dome form the popular Sinhalese quincunx arrangement of five objects in the shape of a rectangle - one at each corner and one in the middle.
Another interesting structure in the southern group is the statue at the northern end. Standing nearly 4m high,…
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Royal Palace Group
This group of buildings dates from the reign of Parakramabahu I. Parakramabahu's Royal Palace was a magnificent structure measuring 31m by 13m, and is said to have had seven storeys. The 3m-thick walls have holes to receive the floor beams for two higher floors, but if there were another four levels, these must have been made of wood. The roof in this main hall, which had 50 rooms in all, was supported by 30 columns.
Parakramabahu's Audience Hall is notable for the frieze of elephants, each of which is in a different position. There are fine lions at the top of the steps.
In the southeast corner of the palace grounds, the Bathing Pool (Kumara Pokuna) still has two of its c…
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Archaeological Museum
The Archaeological Museum is first class. It’s designed so that you walk from one end to the other, passing through a series of rooms, each dedicated to a particular theme: the citadel, the outer city, the monastery area and the periphery, and Hindu monuments. The latter room contains a wonderful selection of bronzes. Of particular interest are the scale models of buildings, including the vatadage (circular relic house), which show how they might have looked in their heyday – if you follow the theory that they once had wooden roofs. To enter, you’ll need a current round ticket or a one-day ticket. It’s worth visiting.
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Northern Ruins
You will need a bicycle or other transport to comfortably explore these very spread-out ruins, which are all north of the city wall. They include the Gal Vihara, probably the most famous and beautiful group of Buddha images in Sri Lanka, and the Alahana Pirivena monastic group, which is the subject of a Cultural Triangle restoration project. The Alahana Pirivena group consists of the Rankot Vihara, Lankatilaka, Kiri Vihara, Buddha Seema Prasada and the other structures around them.
The name of the group means 'crematory college', since it stood in the royal cremation grounds established by Parakramabahu.
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Tivanka Image House
Polonnaruwa's northern road ends at Tivanka Image House. This spectacular image house is, like the Lotus Pond, one of the few surviving structures of the Jetavanarama monastery. Its name means 'thrice bent', and refers to the fact that the Buddha image within is in a three-curve position normally reserved for female statues.
The building is notable for the carvings of energetic dwarfs cavorting around the outside, and for the fine frescoes within - the only Polonnaruwa murals to have survived. Some of these date from a later attempt by Parakramabahu III to restore Polonnaruwa, but others are much older.
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Rankot Vihara
The 54m Rankot Vihara dagoba, the largest in Polonnaruwa and the fourth largest on the island, has been ascribed to the reign of King Nissanka Mall. Like the other major dagobas in Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa, the dome consists of earth fill covered by a brick mantle and plaster. The construction clearly imitates the Anuradhapura style. Surgical instruments found in a nearby ruined 12th-century hospital are said to be similar to those used today.
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Shiva Devale No 1
Just south of the quadrangle, the 13th-century Hindu temple Shiva Devale No 1 displays the Indian influence that returned after Polonnaruwa's Sinhalese florescence. It is notable for the superb quality of its stonework, which fits together with unusual precision. The domed brick roof has collapsed, but when this building was being excavated a number of excellent bronzes, now in the Archaeological Museum, were found.
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Kiri Vihara
The building of the dagoba Kiri Vihara is credited to Subhadra, Parakramabahu's queen. Originally known as the Rupavati Chetiya, the present name translates as 'Milk White' because, when the overgrown jungle was cleared away after 700 years of neglect, the original lime plaster was found to be in perfect condition. It is still the best preserved unrestored dagoba at Polonnaruwa.
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Lankatilaka
Built by Parakramabahu, and later restored by Vijayabahu IV, the huge gedige Lankatilaka has 17m-high walls, although the roof has collapsed. The cathedral-like aisle leads to a huge standing headless Buddha. The outer walls of the gedige, decorated with bas-reliefs, show typical Polonnaruwa structures in their original state.
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King's Council Chamber
The king's throne, in the shape of a stone lion, once stood here. It is now in the Colombo's National Museum. Inscribed into each column in the chamber is the name of the minister whose seat was once beside it. The mound nearby becomes an island when the waters of the tank are high; on it are the ruins of a small summer house used by the king.
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Shiva Devale No 2
Shiva Devale No 2 is the oldest structure in Polonnaruwa and dates from the brief Chola period when the Indian invaders established the city. Unlike so many buildings in the ancient cities, it was built entirely of stone, so the structure today is much as it was when built.
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Nissanka Malla's palace
Concentrated a few steps to the north of the Polonnaruwa Rest House are the ruins of the Nissanka Malla's palace, which aren't in anywhere near the same state of preservation as the royal palace group. The Royal Baths are nearby.
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Lotus Pond
A track to the left from Polonnaruwa's northern stretch of road leads to the unusual Lotus Pond, nearly 8m in diameter, which has five concentric, descending rings of eight petals each. The pool was probably used by monks.
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Buddha Seema Prasada
Buddha Seema Prasada is the highest building in the Alahana Pirivena group, and it was the monastery abbot's convocation hall. This building features a fine mandapaya (raised platform with decorative pillars).
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Pabula Vihara
Pabula Vihara, also known as the Parakramabahu Vihara, is a typical dagoba from the period of Parakramabahu I. It is the third-largest dagoba in Polonnaruwa.
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