Polonnaruwa Travel Guide

 
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  •   Polonnaruwa
    by mavl
  • Gal Vihara, Polommaruwa
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    by earthflyer
  • Burmese monks at Polonnaruwa
      Burmese monks at Polonnaruwa
    by chizz
  • Polonnaruwa
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  •   Polonnaruwa
    by euzkadi
 

Explore Polonnaruwa

Things to Do  

Gal Vihara.

Gal Vihara., Polonnaruwa

 euzkadi Says:  Since I was a child I remember the famous video of Duran Duran and its wonderful Buddhas, well here my dream came through as i saw them live and in color. The Gal Vihara is a majestic group of Buddhas all cut from one long slab of granite, Four images of different sizes are... 

Rangkot Vihara.

Rangkot Vihara., Polonnaruwa

 euzkadi Says:  Outside the quadrangle, north of the city wall, stands the Rangkot Vihara a huge Dagoba (the largest in Polonnaruwa) constructed as other Dagobas in the country of a earth fill building, covered by a dome made of brick mantle and plaster. 

Atadage.

Atadage., Polonnaruwa

 euzkadi Says:  The Atadage is the first Tooth Relic Temple of Polonnaruwa. It was built by Vijayabahu in the 11th century. The name Atadage means "House of Eight Relics". What remains of Atadage today are 54 stone pillars which once supported a timber upper floor where the relic was kept.... 

Gal Pota.

Gal Pota., Polonnaruwa

 euzkadi Says:  Located on the north side of the quadrangle, the Gal Pota is an old stone book that sings praises to king Nissanka Malla, also includes the foot note that the slab (Weighin 25 tonnes) was brought from Mihintale (100 kms away). 

Satmahal Prasada.

Satmahal Prasada., Polonnaruwa

 euzkadi Says:  This ziggurat-style temple wich consists of six diminishing storeys is an example of south-east asia influence on Sinhalese architecture, and it really reminds me of other pyramid style temples i´ve seen in Angkor Wat and Tikal. 

Vatadage.

Vatadage., Polonnaruwa

 euzkadi Says:  The centerpiece of the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, the Dalada Maluwa (the hall of the Tooth Relic), was a sacred precinct containing 12 magnificent buildings. Although there are numerous vatadage across Sri Lanka, the Vatadage at Polonnaruwa is the most famous. As with many... 

Thuparama Gedige.

Thuparama Gedige., Polonnaruwa

 euzkadi Says:  Located in the quadrangle, a compound within its own rectangle of walls, guarding the richest collection of ancient buildings in any of Sri Lanka's ruined capitals. The Thuparama Gedige (hollow Buddihist temple with tick walls) is a fine example of the gedige style of temple... 

Council Chamber.

Council Chamber., Polonnaruwa

 euzkadi Says:  A mond wich was once the site of King´s throne (the throne is now housed in the Colombo archaelogical museum) adnd was used also as a audience hall. At the bast of the council chamber are bas-relief elephants. At the entrance are two flights of steps with moonstones,... 

Royal Palace.

Royal Palace., Polonnaruwa

 euzkadi Says:  King Vijayabahu reunite the country after defeating the Chola invaders from India, and moved the capital from Anaradhapura, declaring Polonnaruwa as the new capital. A massive tank was constructed encircling the city and creating a stable defensive barrier against attacks.... 

Parakramabahu's Council Chamber

Parakramabahu's Council Chamber, Polonnaruwa

 tim07 Says:  This is where the king would have met advisors and petitioners. The hall consists of a raised terrace studded with columns, the roof has long gone. It's set on a huge base supported by bas-relief elephants. The entrance has two flights of steps with moonstones and dragons. 

Gal Vihara

Gal Vihara, Polonnaruwa

 tim07 Says:  This is a group of four Buddha statues carved out of a granite cliff-face. My favourite was the 14 metre reclining Buddha. There is also a 7 metre tall standing Buddha and two others showing the Buddha in a seated position.I found the statues to be fascinating and the area... 

Vatadage

Vatadage, Polonnaruwa

 tim07 Says:  Dominating the Quadrangle is the Vadatage. This decorated circular shrine was built by Parakramabahu and later embellished by Nissanka Malla.Its outer walls are covered with carvings of lions, dwarfs and lotuses. Each of the four entrances have moonstones & guardstones,... 

Gol Potha (Book of Stone)

Gol Potha (Book of Stone), Polonnaruwa

 tim07 Says:  The stone is 9m long and 1.5m wide, and up to 66cm thick. It's a representation of an ola book and is covered in inscriptions praising King Nissanka Malla. Inscriptions also show that the stone was dragged here all the way from Mihintale, a distance of 100 km. 

Galvehera

Galvehera, Polonnaruwa

 Sambawalk Says:  Galvehera is one of the most famous sites in Sri Lanka. It consists of three figures of Lord Buddha carved out of a cliff of granite. The first figure is a sitting Buddha with an artificial cavern cut out of the rock. The other two are an upright Buddha and a reclining... 

Hotels  

Hotel Sudu Araliya

 1 Review and 43 Opinions  If there's a hotel I have loved to bits in Sri Lanka, this hotel is the one! Not only because it had... 

The Royal Lotus

 52 Opinions

Restaurants  

Hotel Sudu Araliya Restaurant: another Sri Lankan buffet

Hotel Sudu Araliya Restaurant: another Sri Lankan buffet, Polonnaruwa

 call_me_rhia Says:  Let's face it - I'm not a fan of buffets.. usually the food is very indifferent and of no quality at all. Sadly this restaurant was not the exception. I guess I'll never understand why Sri Lankans are so fond if buffets The usual buffet-style Sri Lankan dishes - hot, spicy... 

Rest House Polonnaruwa: Eating near Polonnaruwa

Rest House Polonnaruwa: Eating near Polonnaruwa, Polonnaruwa

 chizz Says:  Right next to one of the entrances to Polonnaruwa, you will find the Rest House Polonnaruwa which has a small restaurant overlooking the lake.The restaurant is quite old and a photo of Queen Elizabeth II's visit here in 1954 is proudly displayed in the corridor nearby. In... 

Nightlife  

Ayurvedic massage: let yourself be pampered
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2.5 out of 5 starsHelpfulness

call_me_rhia 4203 reviews
the entrance to the ayurvedic centre

What's better than finishing the day with an ayurvedic massage, especially if you are on a honeymoon? Nothing that we could think of - so there we went - ended up having a 2 hours long full-treatment. it included a full body massage, a foot massage, a face massage, a head massage, a steam bath and a herbal bath. The masseurs and masseuses were really nice and friendly, and their treatment top quality. Worth the money even if clearly overpriced. The centre is located inside the Hotel Sudu Araliya, in a little cottage in the garden.

Dress Code: naked, please

Updated Apr 4, 2011

Address: polonnaruwa

Phone: 94-27-24849

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Transportation  

Bus???

Bus???, Polonnaruwa

 hydronetta Says:  In our case we used a bus from Anuradhapura to reach Polonnaruwa. it was a slow trip in an old fashioned bus and as usual crowded. We even had a break down....!!!Beware though to tell the driver to let you get off at Polonnaruwa "Old Town" close to Seylan Bank. The bus and... 

Favorites  

Polonnaruwa or Anuradhapura?

Polonnaruwa or Anuradhapura?, Polonnaruwa

 hydronetta Says:  If you have limited time to spend sightseeing around Sri Lanka, a question rises: Should someone visit Polonnaruwa and/or Anuradhapura. The answer is simple: if you are a fan of ancient history then both sites are a must to visit in order to have a complete idea of Sri... 

Cultural Triangle Ticket

Cultural Triangle Ticket, Polonnaruwa

 hydronetta Says:  Polonnaruwa is included in the Cultural triangle Ticket which represents a good value to get rather than paying for each site separately.This cost around 40$ (!!) and covers six sights (Anuradhapura, Sigirirya, Polonnaruwa, Nalanda, Medirigiriya, Ritigala BUT NOT Dambulla... 

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Map of Polonnaruwa