Polonnaruwa in Sri Lanka

Tourist information about Polonnaruwa

Polonnaruwa (Polonaruwa, Polonnaruwa, Polonnaruva) is a town in the north-central province of Sri Lanka, 212 km from Colombo (see Polonnaruwa on the map of Sri Lanka). Most of all, it is known as the second capital of the state and an ancient city, and the ruins in the Archaeological Park of Polonnaruwa are one of the most popular attractions in Sri Lanka, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1982. The park is part of the Cultural triangle of Sri Lanka, and if you come to the country to get acquainted with its history and culture, and not just for lying on the beaches, then Polonnaruwa is a must-visit.

The first capital of the Sinhalese Kingdom was the city of Anuradhapura, which is also a very popular sightseeing destination in Sri Lanka. But after the ancient city was badly destroyed by invaders in the 9th century, the capital was moved to Polonnaruwa. The capital of the city did not stay long, only until the 13th century, when now this capital fell under the onslaught of invaders from South India and was moved to the city of Dambadenia. However, despite the short period, unique temples, palaces, statues were created here.

It is to look at the ancient ruins that many tourists who are interested in the history of the island, both independently and as part of excursion groups, seek to get here. It is safe to say that Polonnaruwa is not inferior to the much more famous and popular Sigiriya and Anuradhapura. And, in a sense, it is even more interesting than them. So, the local archaeological park is much larger than Sigiriya in scale. If you spend a few hours on visiting Sigiriya, then it takes several days to see everything here. As for the comparison with Anuradhapura, our opinion is that Polonnaruva is much more diverse. In Anuradhapura, almost certainly within a few hours of seeing the monotonous pagodas (dagobas) you will get tired of everything, and here you will climb further and further into the Archaeological Park to see the ruins of temples, palaces, swimming pools and, of course, pagodas.

Polonnaruwa is a large city by local standards. There is all the necessary but minimal tourist infrastructure and it is concentrated within the New Town (New Town). There are plenty of hotels here, where you can also eat. And that's all, there is no entertainment here. Even travel agencies are not easy to find. Therefore, usually tourists in the city stay no more than 2 days, and we advise you to do the same.

And, perhaps, it is impossible not to mention one more local attraction in addition to the Archaeological Park – living wildlife. Near the city there are several picturesque places where eco-tours are organized. You can buy them in hotels or travel agencies on the street.

How to get to Polonnaruwa

You can get there by bus or train from Colombo, or by rented transport or taxi.

Train

This is an inexpensive and comfortable way to get to the city. There are only two trains to Polonnaruwa daily, both from Colombo.

It is a day train leaving Colombo at 06:50 (arriving at 12:08) and a night train leaving at 19:15 (arriving at 01:34). Return trains depart at 22:28 (arrival at 04:49) and 09:25 (arrival at 15:25). The cost is from 185 to 620 rupees depending on the ticket class.

The railway station in Polonaruwa is quite far from the city center and you have to get from there by tuk-tuk.

Bus

Bus service connects the city with almost all major major cities and resorts in Sri Lanka. As in most other cases, when traveling by bus in Sri Lanka for long distances, it is best to start the route in the morning, because you can not have time to get there before dark. Tickets are not purchased in advance, bought at the station before departure.

From Colombo, buses depart from the intercity bus station in Pettah district (see how to get to Colombo). The cost starts from 160 rupees, the journey is more than 6 hours. From Kandy buses cost from 80 rupees, 4 hours on the way. From Anuradapura three hours, from 60 rupees.

And here is the schedule of trains and other transport in Polonnaruwa, available for online booking:

Polonnaruwa attractions, sightseeing tips

Polonnaruwa was the second capital of the state from the XI to XIII centuries. The main monuments that can be seen here were built during the heyday of the state-XII century in the reign of King Parakramabahu I (1153-1186).

This is a must-visit place in Sri Lanka. It is more diverse than Anuradhapura, and has preserved monuments in better condition thanMihintale. Ancient buildings are more majestic and beautiful.

The ancient city or archaeological park occupies a large area, and some ruins are located outside its territory (Museum, Royal Complex of King Nissankamalla, Potgul Vihara, Parakrama Samudra, Naipena Vihara), so it is best to move around it by car, motorcycle or bicycle. By the way, bicycles can be rented at the hotel/guesthouse and at the entrance to the Archaeological Park, and if you wish, you can also arrange and use the services of guides here.

Entrance to the Archaeological Park is paid: 25$ (3900 rupees), children's (6-12 L.) – 12.5$ (1900 rupees). Moreover, entrance tickets are sold only in the museum building, so you should buy them in advance, and then go to the entrance to the Archaeological Park. The entrance ticket includes a visit to the Museum, the Archaeological Park and the Gal Vihara temple (located inside the Archaeological Park), and consists of three tear-off tickets. Tickets are checked at the main entrance to the park, and it assumes a single entry for one day. But if you are tired and want to leave the park for lunch, you can go to the control and they will put a mark on the ticket so that you can return, but only on the same day. Ticket control is tight and tickets are checked even at the exit.

The territory of the park is large and all surrounded by a barbed wire fence, but for those who really want to save money, there is an opportunity to get behind the barbed wire and for free. There are quite a few places through which you can get over the fence not only on foot, but even by car or motorcycle. All these gaps are known to locals and, oddly enough, they are usually happy to help tourists who are looking for a way to get inside. No one checks the tickets inside, but the Exit Control will not let you out, so you will also have to leave in a roundabout way.

In addition to the paid archaeological park, there are several other groups of ruins and temples that are worth visiting. They are marked on the map, as well as the museum and the entrance to the Archaeological Park. Inside the Archaeological Park it is easy to navigate by signs and without a map.

Inspection of the museum is recommended first of all, because here you can clearly see and learn interesting and important information about a particular monument of Polonnaruwa and not lose sight of important details. In addition, only in the museum entrance tickets to the Archaeological Park are purchased. The museum is small, consists of several small halls connected by corridors, it is easy to walk along it literally in a straight line. The exit from it is on the reverse side of the entrance. The exposition of the museum is devoted to archaeological finds collected from the territory of the archaeological zone of the ancient city. It contains many photographs from the sites, stone statues and other objects. Information plates are also presented in English. Photography in the museum is prohibited.

You can see everything in the Archaeological Park in half a day, but the rest of the monuments outside it will take the same amount of time. There are no maps at the entrance, so do not forget to print out and take a map-scheme with you, you can also our map of Polonnaruwa. There is an information board next to the museum building, and each significant object has signs with information about it in English.

Let's list the places worth visiting, by location from North to South (keep in mind that if you get to the park officially through the main entrance, then you will see everything just the opposite from south to North):

• Thivanka Image House-a beautiful carved temple with an 8-meter statue of Buddha inside and the remains of frescoes on the walls
• Lotus Pond-a pond resembling a lotus flower in structure
• Demala Maha Seya is a large overgrown Hill on which there is an unfinished stupa and some ruins. A rather steep dirt path leads to the hill, along which you can climb, relying only on the branches and roots of trees
• Gal Vihara or Stone Temple-4 Buddha statues carved in a single piece of granite rock, which are an example of Sinhalese carving
• the most saturated monastic complex is Alahana Pirivena, built by King Parakramabahu I with a large number of structures (houses, baths, dining rooms, pools, parks), and including the main monastic House Baddhasima Prasada, Lankatilaka Vihara – a tall brick building with amazing carvings and a 12-meter statue of the Buddha inside, next to a Snow - White Stupa – Kiri Vehera or Rupavathi Stupa-the second largest in Polonnaruwa, preserved almost in its original form, to the North and east of it there are two smaller stupas (it is believed that they became funerary for King Parakramabahu I and his wife)
• the monastery complex with Rankoth Vehera stupa is the largest stupa in Polonnaruwa, and the 4th largest in the country. From it to the north on the left side stretch the ruins of an ancient monastic hospital-Monastic Hospital and a ridge of rock caves Gopala Pabbata-on the right.
• Manik Vihara (Menik Vihara) - Stupa on a high pedestal, the oldest of The located in Polonnaruwa
• two temples, next to each other Shiva Devala No. 3 and Vishnu Devala No. 2
• Hindu temple Shiva Devala No. 2, preserved better than the first Shiva Devalaya No. 1
• unusually shaped Stupa Pabalu Vehera with remains of ruins around
• the sacred Quadrangle or Dalada Maluva, which includes the unusual structure of Nissanka Lata Mandapaya; the stupa-the House of Thuparamaya; the temples where the sacred relic was kept – the Tooth of the Buddha, built by different rulers: Atadage - King Vijayabahu I (Vijayabahu I, PR. 1070-1110), Vatadage – King Parakramabahu (Parakramabahu I, PR. 1153-1186), Hatadage – by King Nissankamalla (1187-1196); Satmahal Prasada - a rare type of Stupa; Gal – Potha (stone book) or stone book-a slab with carved inscriptions of King Nissankamalla (Nissankamalla)
• Shiva Devalaya Hindu temple No. 1
• the Royal Complex of King Parakramabahu I (the Palace Complex of King Parakramabahu I), consisting of the Royal Palace, royal court (Royal Court), Kumara Pokuna pond, etc.

Outside the main Archaeological Park are:

• Naipena Vihara-Hindu complex
• Polonnaruva Museum
• located to the north of the museum is the Royal Complex of King Nissankamalla (Royal Palace of Nissankamalla)
• 2.5 km south of the southern boundary of the main archaeological zone is another interesting ruins of the monastic library Potgul Vihara, near the statue of King Parakramabahu I
• opposite Potgul Vihara is the Parakrama Samudra, a large lake built by King Parakramabahu I.

As is customary everywhere in Sri Lanka, all the ruins visited are religious objects, and therefore there are certain requirements for appearance (bare shoulders and knees are prohibited), you need to take off your shoes before the shrine. At the same time, also do not forget about sun protection, as well as socks, because walking on hot stones will not be very pleasant.

Hotels in Polonnaruwa where to stay

There are enough hotels in Polonnaruwa, however, it is not easy to find them. There is no clear area of concentration of hotels, and to find something, you will have to walk or travel a lot. At least some concentration of hotels and hostels is located in the heart of the Old Town (see on the map), and if you have not booked a hotel in advance, then you should look here. True, it is far from the fact that you can easily find accommodation on the spot: usually everything is busy. In any case, it is best to choose accommodation closer to the center of the Old Town and the entrance to the Archaeological Park. New Town (New Town) does not represent any tourist interest, it is better not to settle there.

A good option is to use the help of one of the tuk-tuk drivers. For a small commission, they will take you to several hotels or hostels, where, however, you will be called inflated prices, taking into account the commission of the rock. Sometimes it's the only option to find accommodation here if you haven't booked over the Internet.

As for prices, they are here, as usual in Sri Lanka, unreasonably high by Asian standards. For a more or less clean room with air conditioning will have to pay from $ 30, and even then when booking in advance.

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You can find and book accommodation in Polonnaruwa on these sites or through the search form. All sites have a Russian interface and Russian-language customer support, a lot of reviews from real guests.

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Photo By Polonnaruwa