Colombo Trip Overview
Go on an amazing day trip to Polonnaruwa, the most ancient and historical city of Sri Lanka and a declared UNESCO site. Witness the magnitude of Parakrama Samudraya, an engineering marvel of King Parakramabahu I supplying water to the city. See all the ancient ruins of Royal Palaces and other buildings that are of historical significance of medieval kingdoms. From its outlook, Polonnaruwa has a cosmopolitan mix of cultures – Indian Hindu and Sinhalese Buddhist. In 1073, King Vijayabahu drove the Cholas away but kept Polonnaruwa as his capital city. Today, the city is one of the best planned archaeological relic sites across the country, standing as evidence of the greatness and discipline of the first rulers of Polonnaruwa.
Additional Info
Duration: 11 to 12 hours
Starts: Colombo, Sri Lanka
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours
Explore Colombo Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Colombo, Western Province, Sri Lanka
Go on an amazing day trip to Polonnaruwa, the most ancient and historical city of Sri Lanka and a declared UNESCO site. Witness the magnitude of Parakrama Samudraya, an engineering marvel of King Parakramabahu I supplying water to the city. See all the ancient ruins of Royal Palaces and other buildings that are of historical significance of medieval kingdoms. From its outlook, Polonnaruwa has a cosmopolitan mix of cultures – Indian Hindu and Sinhalese Buddhist. In 1073, King Vijayabahu drove the Cholas away but kept Polonnaruwa as his capital city. Today, the city is one of the best planned archaeological relic sites across the country, standing as evidence of the greatness and discipline of the first rulers of Polonnaruwa.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Polonnaruwa Vatadage, Sacred City, Polonnaruwa Sri Lanka
The Vatadage, one of the oldest & most beautiful monuments in Polonnaruwa. This beautiful Stupa House (Vatadage) has been built before the time of Nissanga Malla (1187-1196) but he has carried out major renovations on this building. So what you see today is probably his work. The uniqueness of such buildings is that the Stupa is protected by a roof. Therefore Stupa’s in such buildings are small. Another beautiful “Vatadage” is situated in Madirigiriya few kilometers away from Polonnaruwa.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Hatadage, Polonnaruwa Sri Lanka
Hatadage is an ancient relic shrine in the city of Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka. It was built by Nissanka Malla, and had been used to keep the Relic of the tooth of the Buddha. The Hatadage had been built using stone, brick and wood, although only parts of the brick and stone walls now remain. It appears to have been a two-storey structure, but the upper storey has now been destroyed. Three Buddha statues carved out of granite rock are located within a chamber of the shrine.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Gal Vihara, 440/225 Palm Grove State Minuwangoda road, Polonnaruwa 51000 Sri Lanka
“Gal Vihara”, also spelt “Gal Viharaya”, means “Rock Monastery”. It’s the name of Sri Lanka’s most celebrated rock-cut Buddha statues. They once belonged to the Uttara Rama, meaning “Northern temple”, founded by Polonnaruwa’s great King Parakramabahu I (1153-86). The Gal Vihara group consists of four fascinating statues, three colossal rock-cut images and a smaller one in a partly artificial cave. The Gal Vihara sculptures, each different in design, are undoubtedly the most perfect specimen of Buddha statues hewn out of solid granite in Sri Lanka.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Nissanka Latha Mandapaya, Polonnaruwa Sri Lanka
Nissanka Latha Mandapaya is a unique and ancient structure situated in Polonnaruwa. By definition a mandapaya is a pillared structure which is open on all four sides and has a roof which protects the person inside from the sun. Nissanka Latha Mandapaya was built by King Nissanka Malla who ruled the kingdom of Polonnaruwa from 1187 to 1196. It is located near the western entrance of the Dalada Maluva which is the area that contains the most sacred and oldest monuments of the city of Polonnaruwa.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Samudra Parakrama, Polonnaruwa Sri Lanka
This vast water reservoir was built by King Parakramabahu the great (1153-1186) and today what you see as the Parakrama Samudraya is only a portion of his original creation. Parakrama Samudraya originally consisted of five large reservoirs separated by smaller dams to reduce the pressure on the main dam. Many smaller tanks has been built around the main tank to feed these primary tanks and to take in excess water. During reconstruction of the Parakrama Samudraya in the latter half of 19th centuary, the water which was supposed to flow to the Thopa Vawa has started flowing to the Bhu Vewa. To control this the engineers constructed a temporary dam to block the water flowing to the Bhu Vewa. This temporary dam became a permanent road and this road isolated Kalahagala Vewa and Bhu Vewa from the Parakrama Samudraya.
Duration: 20 minutes
