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Polonnaruwa
Polonnurawa-located at a distance of
216 km from Colombo-was the capital of Sri Lanka in medieval times.
Used by the Sri Lankan kings as a 'country residence' from the 7th
century, Polonnurawa became Sri Lanka's capital in the 11th century
AD.
During its time the city was fortified with three concentric walls,
beautified with parks and gardens and sanctified by many a shrine
and sacred place. The city and the surrounding area were watered by
a unique irrigational complex known as the Sea of Parakrama
(Parakrama Samudra).
BEST Attractions in
Polonnaruwa
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Parakarma
Samudra: Parakarma Samudra is a man made irrigation
tank spread over an area of 5940 acres, built by the King
Parakramabahu. It is one of the most striking features of
Polonnurawa.
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Royal
Citadel: The Citadel housed the palace and the
administrative buildings of King Prakramabahu who ruled in12th
century AD and is enclosed by a huge rampart more than a metre
thick. It is an impressive building with fine stone carvings.
The Royal Bath is outside the rampart with a flight of steps
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Gal
Vihara: It is a rock cut Buddhist shrine dating back
to 12th century AD. It contains magnificent images of Buddha
carved out of stone. |
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Vata-Da-Ge: A circular relic chamber built enclosing
a dagoba that had been a popular architectural style in ancient
Sri Lanka.
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Hatadage:
A relic chamber built by King Parakramabahu I to house the
sacred Tooth Relic.
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Lotus
Pond: A stone pond built in the shape of a lotus
flower in eight parallel tiers probably to provide seating to
the monks while bathing.
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Anuradhapura:
Anuradhapura,is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, world
famous for its well preserved ruins of the Great Sri Lankan
Civilization. The city now a UNESCO heritage site, lies
205 km north of the current capital Colombo in the North Central
Province of Sri Lanka.
Polonnaruwa:
The
second most ancient of Sri Lanka's kingdoms, Polonnaruwa was
first declared the capital city by King Vijayabahu I, who
defeated the Chola invaders in 1070 CE to reunite the country
once more under a local leader.
Kandy:
Kandy is the English name for
the city of Maha Nuvara (Senkadagalapura) in the centre of Sri
Lanka. It is the capital of the Central Province and Mahanuvara
District. It lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy Valley
which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea.
Nuwara Eliya:
The town was founded by Samuel Baker as a hill retreat for the
British during the colonial era, where typical English pastimes
including fox hunting, polo and cricket were played.
Many of the buildings retain features from the colonial period,
and even new hotels are often built and furnished in the
colonial style.
Galle:
Galle is a town situated on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka,
119 km from Colombo. Galle was known as Gimhathiththa (although
Ibn Batuta in the 14th century refers to it as Qali) before the
arrival of the Portuguese in the 16th century, when it was the
main port on the island.
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