Colombo Trip Overview
The Ancient city of Polonnaruwa is one of the eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Sri Lanka.The great ruined capital of Polonnaruwa is one of the undisputed highlights in the Cultural Triangle and indeed the whole island. The heyday of the city, in the twelfth century, represented one of the high watermarks of early Sri Lankan civilization. Chola invaders from South India had been repulsed by King Vijayabahu and the Sinhalese kingdom he established at Polonnaruwa enjoyed a brief century of magnificence under his successors Parakramabahu and Nissankamalla, who planned the city as a grand statement of imperial pomp. Discover this archelogical kingdom on this private day tour with an experienced English speaking driver to guide you along the way!
Additional Info
Duration: 11 to 13 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
The Ancient city of Polonnaruwa is one of the eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Sri Lanka.The great ruined capital of Polonnaruwa is one of the undisputed highlights in the Cultural Triangle and indeed the whole island. The heyday of the city, in the twelfth century, represented one of the high watermarks of early Sri Lankan civilization. Chola invaders from South India had been repulsed by King Vijayabahu and the Sinhalese kingdom he established at Polonnaruwa enjoyed a brief century of magnificence under his successors Parakramabahu and Nissankamalla, who planned the city as a grand statement of imperial pomp. Discover this archelogical kingdom on this private day tour with an experienced English speaking driver to guide you along the way!
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Polonnaruwa Vatadage, Sacred City, Polonnaruwa Sri Lanka
The Polonnaruwa Vatadge is an ancient structure located in a quadrangular area, Dalada Maluva in the ancient city of Polonnaruwa. The Polonnaruwa Vatadage has been built around a small stupa with a base diameter of 27 ft. 8 inches. The Vatadage has two platform- the lower and the raised upper platform. The lower platform is 120 ft. in diameter and has a height of 4 ft. 3 inches from the ground level while the upper platform is 80 ft. in diameter and has a height of 5 ft. 3 inches from the lower platform. The lower platform is entered through a single entrance on the northern side while the doorway in four cardinal direction leads to the upper platform. The upper platform is surrounded by a brick wall on its edge. The center of this platform has the stupa which is accompanied by four Buddha statues depicted in Dhyana Mudra in seating posture. The statues face towards one of the four cardinal directions. These statues are 5 ft. In height and are seated on the stone seats with a height of 2 ft. 10 inches.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Gal Vihara, 440/225 Palm Grove State Minuwangoda road, Polonnaruwa 51000 Sri Lanka
Polonnaruwa Gal viharaya known as “The northern monastery in the beginning of it’s history (Uttararamaya). The sculpture of gal viharaya in the art of the stone sculpture in Sri Lanka. There are magnificent group of statue built by king Parakramabah (1153-1186). The first statue is a seated Buddha in meditation, which depicts the dhyana mudra.The statue is 15 feet 2.5inches tall and sits on a carved throne. This statue show signs of Mahayana influence. The next smaller statue of Buddha is located inside the artificial cave named the Vidyhadhara Guha. This smaller statue only 4 feet 7 inches in height. The standing Buddha statue differ from other Buddha statues due to folded arms & closed eyes. The image is 22 feet 9 inches tall, which depicts the para dukkha dukkitha muddra. The last is a massive statue of Buddha pariniravana pose. The statue 46 feet 4 inches in length .The image is the largest statute in gal vihara. It depicts parinirvana of Buddha.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Nissanka Latha Mandapaya, Polonnaruwa Sri Lanka
The Nissanka Latha Mandapaya is often considered as Nissanka Malla’s magnum opus. In terms of the artwork, it is one of the most impressive historical places in Sri Lanka. He was a foreign king, from east India’s Kalinga Dynasty and he needed a firm foothold on the Sri Lankan throne. His reign covered just nine years during the early 12th Century and his achievements were hardly remarkable, although he is one of the three “greats” of the Polonnaruwa Kingdom. There was a certain amount of dynastic quarreling in the country when he came to power and it only became worse after his death. This building once had a wood and tiled roof but only the granite is preserved to this day. The pillars inside the structure look like curved lotus stalks, and must have been painted in bright shades of color. Their capitals look like half-bloomed lotus blossoms. There are eight such pillars in the inner sanctum and they all surround a small stupa. It is the only instance in Sri Lanka history that such pillar construction is seen. A low stone fence of horizontal granite posts encircles the structure. All in all, Nissanka Latha Mandapaya is tiny. Each of the inner columns is just eight feet tall, but the complexity of the stonework makes it obvious that the king and his workers had to keep it on a small scale to ease the strain of construction.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Rankoth Vehera, Ancient Bhikku Hospital, Polonnaruwa 51000 Sri Lanka
Rankoth Vehera is a stupa located in the ancient city of Polonnaruwa in Sri Lanka. The stupa was built by Nissanka Malla of Polonnaruwa, who ruled the country from 1187 to 1196. The Rankoth Vehera has been built according to the tradition of the stupas of the Anuradhapura Maha Viharaya and bears a close resemblance to Ruwanwelisaya. In fact, a stone inscription situated close to the stupa even identifies it by the name “Ruwanweli”. However, it has later come to be known by the currently used name, Rankoth Vehera. In Sinhalese, ran means gold, kotha is the name given to the pinnacle of a stupa, and vehera means stupa or temple. Thus, the name Rankoth Vehera can be roughly translated to English as “Gold Pinnacled Stupa”.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Pabalu Vehera, Gal Vihara Road, Polonnaruwa 51000 Sri Lanka
The origin of this unusually shaped Pabalu Vehera stupa is unknown but it is believed to been built by one of the king Parakramabahu’s ( 1153-1186 AD) consorts, queen Rupawathi. The original name of this stupa is not known. The current name “Pabalu” (meaning beads) was derived from the fact that a large number of small glass beads being found during the excavation of the area around the stupa. Top part of the stupa has been destroyed by invaders and centre of the stupa also has been destroyed probably by treasure hunters in the recent times. There are nine image houses around the stupa. These contain sitting images in some and standing images in others. One houses a “Sri Pathla” (the impression of the foot) of Buddha. Another one contains a Buddha statue in the reclining position. It is thought these image houses have been built at different time periods by different people. In addition there is a stairway to reach the first level of the stupa.
Duration: 20 minutes
