Polonnaruwa, one of the gem of Sri Lanka

The cultural triangle of Sri Lanka is full of UNESCO World Heritage sites and Polonnaruwa is one of them. Archeaologues have done an impressive work to bring out from the ground the vestiges of a former kingdom. 

The visit can starts with the museum as the entrance is included in the ticket. The visit can be quite interesting to understand better how the kingdom was organized, how the buildings looked like in the past and the work made by the archeologues. 

The site is huge and cannot be done by foot. Your driver can follow you during the visit and bring you to the different points of interest. However, there is a much more funny experience to do, you can rent bikes few meters away from the entrance and enjoy the ride. Bike rental is around 300 rupies per person. In addition, the heat is impressive in Polonnaruwa, at the limit of feeling bad or in a oven, and a little ride on a bike will give you bit of fresh air. 

Another tip, 3 majors things to bring with you : 

- water, the heat is impressive

- socks : the ground is so hot that it will burn your foot and the visit could become impossible

- clothes to cover shoulders and knees. There are some guardians that will stop you to enter the site in case you are uncovered but they do not rent skirts or scarves. 

Polonnaruwa, built between XIth and XIIth century, is a surprising site with so well preserved statues, stupas and buildings, certainly because the former city is less old compared to others. 

The visit of the ruins starts with the ancient Audience Hall with carved lions and colonns.

Next to the Audience Hall are the former royal pond. Have a look to the fountains which represent crocodiles mouths. 

     

Have a look then to the Royal Palace. There are still two floors standing up but can you imagine the building was seven floors high ?!

Jump on your bike and ride to the north to reach the show highlight. The main area is full of temples. One of them used to shelter Buddha tooth relic, which is now in Kandy and used to be in Anuradhapura.

This is a real show, with amazing statues dedicated to Buddha, frescoes and moonstones. 

One temple looks like to the kind of temples you can find in Angkor, the explaination is quite easy, the king of this epoch used to have an army of khmer soldiers !

Few meters away stands another aera with amazing stupas, one of them is called Rankot Vehera. 

     

In the same area, you will discover an amazing temple, Lankatilaka Vihara, which facades feature incrusted and so well preserved details. This temple shelters at the end of a long corridor a giant standing Buddha, it is quite unsual to see such a massive one. 

What also makes the reknown of Polonnawura is Gal Vihara, where three statues of Buddha in different positions are exposed. Seeing standing or seating Buddha in Sri Lanka has nothing extraordinary, the number of statues is incredible. However, the beauty and the sense of detail of these sculptures is breathtaking. 

The visit requires 3 hours minimum. If you still have a little time, you can try to reach one of the last point of interest, the lotus baths. We were a bit disapointed by the size of the baths but the shape is quite interesting and you can imagine the sceneries that took place there a long long time ago...