Day Tour to Visit to Royal Palace and Ruins Polonnaruwa from Colombo(12th Century)

Day Tour to Visit to Royal Palace and Ruins Polonnaruwa from Colombo(12th Century)

Three Kings dominate the chronicles of the city and the period. The city reached a dazzling but pitifully brief zenith in the 12th century and though ravaged by invasion in the centuries that followed, much evidence remains of the old grandeur and glory.The ruins of the ancient city stand on the east shore of a large artificial lake, the Topa Wewa Lake, or Parakrama Samudraya (the Sea of Parakrama), built by King Parakramabahu I (1153-86), whose reign was Polonnaruwa‘s golden age. Within a rectangle of city walls stand palace buildings and clusters of dozens of dagobas, temples and various other religious buildings.

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Polonnaruwa Sri Lanka

1.The first monument we stopped by was the palace of King Parakramabahu. Did you try to pronounce his name? I sure know I did. Scientists have calculated that the palace used to be seven stories high

2.From there we drove a little further into Polonnaruwa city to an area with several ancient ruins. The first one that got my attention was the Vatadage, a circular relic house built to protect a small stupa that’s placed in the middle of it.

The Buddhas at the top of each staircase, sitting at the four entrances to the building, are quite impressive.

3.Another beautiful building is the Sathmahal Prasada. Some scientists believe it’s a stupa, but that hasn’t been widely accepted yet.

4.To the left of the Sathmahal Prasada you can find the Gal Potha or Stone Book. It’s a 26.1 feet or 8.2 meters long stone slab on which details of the life and rule of King Nissankamalla have been engraved

Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Statue of Parakramabahu I, Eastern Bank of the Parakrama Samudra Reservoir, Polonnaruwa 51000 Sri Lanka

The statue was built presumably in the 12th century, during the reign of Parakramabahu I. The statue of Parakramabahu I is one of the best stone sculptures belonging to the Polonnaruwa period.[3][4] The 11-foot-2-inch-high (3.40 m) statue is carved in high relief on a large boulder, with full use being made of its height.[5] Its upper body is bare except for a single thread worn over the left shoulder.[6] A long object is held in the hands.[4] The statue's face carries a grave expression, with half-closed eyes, a high forehead, a long beard and a mustache. The shoulders of the statue are rounded, suggesting "extraordinary strength". The right leg is relaxed with the right knee bent forward slightly. The left leg carries the weight of the body, while the hip is also slightly inclined to the left.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Samudra Parakrama, Polonnaruwa Sri Lanka

Parakrama Samudra is a shallow reservoir, consisting of five separate reservoirs connected by narrow channels in Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka. The northernmost reservoir is the oldest and referred to as Topa wewa built around 386 AD

Duration: 1 hour