The Ancien
T
(^) c
iT
ies
The Ancien
T
(^) c
iT
ies
G
E
t
t
I
NG
(^) tHE
r
E
(^) & Aw
AY
The Ancien
T
(^) c
iT
ies
Polo
N
NA
r
U
w
A
out the cake cabinet (try a piece of rulang,
made from coconut and toffee).8 Getting There & Away
BUS
Buses stop at the crossroads outside the Heritage
Habarana hotel. Frequent services:
Anuradhapura rs 88, 2½ hours, every 30
minutes
Dambulla regular/air-con rs 25/40, 30 minutes,
every 30 minutes
Polonnaruwa rs 40, one hour, every 30 minutesTRAIN
t he train station is 1km north of town on the
t rincomalee road. the infrequent train services
include the following:
Batticaloa 1st/2nd/3rd class rs 380/210/115,
3½ hours, 1 daily
Colombo 1st/2nd/3rd class rs 620/380/240,
six hours, 2 daily
Polonnaruwa 1st/2nd/3rd class rs 160/90/50,
one to two hours, 2 daily
t he station at Palugaswewa, 6km west, is served
by more and faster trains.Polonnaruwa
%027 / POP 15,800
Kings ruled the central plains of Sri Lanka
from Polonnaruwa 800 years ago, when it was
a thriving commercial and religious centre.
From here, free-marketeers haggled for rare
goods and the pious prayed at any one of its
numerous temples. The glories of that age can
be found in archaeological treasures which
give a pretty good idea of how the city looked
in its heyday. You’ll find the archaeologicalpark a delight to explore, with hundreds
of ancient structures – tombs and temples,
statues and stupas – in a compact core. The
Quadrangle alone is worth the trip.
The fact that Polonnaruwa is close to
elephant-packed national parks only adds to
its popularity. And the town itself makes a
pleasant base for a day or two, fringed by a
huge, beautiful tank with a relaxed ambience.History
For three centuries Polonnaruwa was a
royal capital of both the Chola and Sinhalese
kingdoms. Although nearly 1000 years old,
it’s much younger than Anuradhapura and
generally in better repair (though smaller in
scale).
The South Indian Chola dynasty made
its capital at Polonnaruwa after conquering
Anuradhapura in the late 10th century: Pol-
onnaruwa was a strategically better place to
guard against any rebellion from the Ruhunu
Sinhalese kingdom in the southeast. It also,
apparently, had fewer mosquitoes! When the
Sinhalese King Vijayabahu I drove the Cholas
off the island in 1070, he kept Polonnaruwa
as his capital.
Under King Parakramabahu I (r 1153–86),
Polonnaruwa reached its zenith. The king
erected huge buildings, planned beautiful
parks and, as a crowning achievement, creat-
ed a 25-sq-km tank, which was so large that
it was named the Parakrama Samudra (Sea
of Parakrama). The present lake incorporates
three older tanks, so it may not be the actual
tank he created.
Parakramabahu I was followed by Nissan-
ka Malla (r 1187–96), who virtually bankrupted
the kingdom through his attempts to match
his predecessors’ achievements. By the early
13th century Polonnaruwa was beginning
to prove as susceptible to Indian invasion as
Anuradhapura was, and eventually it, too, was
abandoned and the centre of Sinhalese power
shifted to the western side of the island.
In 1982, Unesco added the ancient city of
Polonnaruwa to its World Heritage list.1 ightsS
Most visitors will find a day is enough time to
explore the ruins, which can be convenient-
ly divided into five groups: the Royal Palace
group; the Quadrangle; the Northern Group
(spread over a wide area); a small group near
the Polonnaruwa Heritage Hotel on the banks
of the tank; and the small Southern group,
towards the New Town. There are also a fewNAVIGATING POLONNARUWA
Polonnaruwa has three distinct areas:
Old Town has a small commercial centre,
hotels, the main museum and is close
to the archaeological site. It borders the
waters of Topa Wewa (Topa Tank) and has
a relaxed, tropical vibe.
New Town is south of Old Town and
also has hotels but is otherwise not
very densely developed and has little of
interest.
Kaduruwela is 4km east of Old Town
and is the main commercial strip for the
region. It has the main bus and train
stations, banks and services, a lot of
traffic and little beauty.