Polonnaruwa

INTRODUCTION

Polonnaruwa is a city in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka. The second most ancient of Sri Lanka's kingdoms, Polonnaruwa was first declared the capital city by King Vijayabahu I in the 11th century AD and maintained its status until the 13th century. In 1982 the ancient city of Polonnaruwa was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The history of Polonnaruwa is available at this linkwww.info.lk/srilanka/srilankahistory/polonnaruwa.htm

What's nice about Polonnaruwa is that the ruins are in one compact area so you can visit them quite easily. Just one three wheeler ride from where you're staying to the entrance and you can walk about them all day long.

HISTORY

While Vijayabahu victory and shifting of Kingdoms to the more strategic Polonnaruwa is considered significant, the real Polonnaruwa Hero of the history books is actually his grandson, Parakramabahu I. It was his reign that is considered the Golden Age of Polonnaruwa, when trade and agriculture flourished under the patronage of the King, who was adamant that no drop of water falling from the heavens was to be wasted, and each be used toward the development of the land; hence, irrigation systems far superior to those of the Anuradhapura Age were constructed during Parakramabahu's reign, systems which to this day supply the water necessary for paddy cultivation during the scorching dry season in the east of the country. The greatest of these systems, of course is the Parakrama Samudraya or the Sea of Parakrama, a tank so vast that it is often mistaken for the ocean. It is of such a width that it is impossible to stand upon one shore and view the other side, and it encircles the main city like a ribbon, being both a defensive border against intruders and the lifeline of the people in times of peace. The Kingdom of Polonnaruwa was completely self-sufficient during King Parakramabahu's reign.

However, with the exception of his immediate successor, Nissankamalla I, all other monarchs of Polonnaruwa, were slightly weak-willed and rather prone to picking fights within their own court. They also went on to form more intimiate matrimonial alliances with stronger South Indian Kingdoms, until these matrimonial links superseded the local royal lineage and gave rise to the Kalinga invasion by King Kalinga Magha in 1214 and the eventual passing of power into the hands of a Pandyan King following the Arya Chakrawarthi invasion of Sri Lanka in 1284. The capital was then shifted to Dambadeniya.

The city Polonnaruwa was also called as Jananathamangalam during the short Chola reign.

PLACES CAN OBSERVE

Atadage

This is the house of the tooth relic of Lord Buddha built by King Vijayabahu I (1070-1110). This building is built on 54 stone pillars. The tooth relic has been kept on the second floor probably mage out of wood. The access to the second floor is through a granite stair case. Few steps still remain of this staircase which led to the upper chamber of the building. There has been three Buddha statues at the bottom and only the center one remain today. Also this is thought to be the only surviving building of the king Vijayabahu I.

"Ata” in Atadage means eight. In this case this building would have been called by this name probably because of it housed eight relics including the main tooth relic or because it was completed in eight days. It is possible that this was built in eight days as there are indications that this building has used parts of other buildings in Anuradhapura era. The moonstone is a good example. This has been brought from Anuradhapura to be placed here.

The "Velikkara" inscription stone on the left to this building is of significance. This is written in Tamil language and explains that the protection of the tooth relic was done by a hired Tamil army and not by the Sinhalese.

Today what remains here is the foundation and the stone pillars.

Galpota

This is one of the famous works of King Nissanka Malla (1187-1196) which describes himself, his rule and the eligibility for being a king of Sri Lanka. This massive slab which is 26’10” feet (8.2 meters) long and 4’7” feet (1.4 meters) in breath has been brought form Mahiyangana area by the worriers of King Nissanka Malla (1187-1196). The text is written in 3 columns and contain over 4300 characters in 72 lines.
There are sighs that liquidified metal has been pored on to the carved characters to bring out the letters much clearer. 

Hetadage

According to the writings on a stone slab next to this building, this building has been built by King Nissanka Malla (1187-1196) to house the tooth relic of Buddha. But it is unclear whether this was built by king Parakramabahu (1153-1186) and was renovated by Nissanka Malla (1187-1196) or whether Nissanka Malla (1187-1196) himself built it. Reason for this doubt is the description of a large relic house built by Parakramabahu (1153-1186) in the chronicles and inability to find this in the Polonnaruwa area. Also King Nissanka Malla (1187-1196) is well known for taking the credit for things others have done by just doing renovation work.

This building is much larger than the Atadage and is surrounded by solid stone walls. In design it is similar to Atadage with two floors. Stone steps to the upper floor are still in place. The upper floor has been probably made out of wood and the tooth relic would have been housed here. On the ground floor remains of three standing Buddha statues can be seen.

“Heta” means sixty and because of this, it can be thought this building was called by this name because it was completed in sixty days or it housed sixty relics with tooth relic of Buddha.

Another important factor of this building is the Sandakada pahana (the moon stone) at the entrance. This is a rare instance of a lion appearing on the moon stone. Generally the lion and the bull is not seen in the moonstones in the Polonnaruwa Era.

King Parakramabahu’s Council Chamber

An inscription found on the stone slab at the upper level of the flight of steps of the building identifies the building as raja vaishyabhujanga mandapa, the council chamber of king parakramabahu the great (1153-1186). it has tree consecutive tiers faced with decorated stone tablets.The roof supported on stone pillars of the upper most tier probably had wooden members and covered with clay titles. the investigations have revealed that the present form of the building may have been a resullt of a renovation, probably during the Damabadeniya period (13th centuary).

King Parakramabahu’s council chamber is like the assembly hall of gods, called Sudamma which belongs to god Sakra. This must have been used as the formal centre of legislation and government, discussion centre of business community and as the pavilion of play performances. This is a three tarraced building with the length of 75 feet and the breadth of 33 ½ feet. At the entrance and in the middle of the steps, moonstones are to be seen. The retied servants of this site say that the moonstones in the middle was fixed here after it had been removed from the council chamber of king Nissankamalla by Bell during his period of restoration. This could be true because the lion figure are not to be seen on king Parakramabahu’s moonstones. A doormat like rectangular stone on which the name of the existed building was mentioned, has been placed at the entrance to the pavilion.

The friezes of lions and elephants running round the base of the pavilion is much more interesting. The form of no two of these majestic beasts is the same. They are of various moods and movements. The building is supported by the powerful bas-relief warfare around the base. Each one is completely different from the other. The wooden roof is supported by beautifully carved, four rows of stone pillars. There would have a water moat right around this creation.

King Parakramabahu’s Palace

This is a 12th century majestic palace build by king Parakramabahu with seven stories and said to have 1000 chambers. Although the main building possibly couldn’t hold such a number of chambers, when you consider the whole palace complex it is thought that this number is a possibility. 

Parakrama samudraya

The vast water reservoir was built by King Parakramabahu (1153-1186) and today what you see as the Parakrama Samudraya is only a portion of his original creation.

Parakrama Samudraya originally consisted of five large reservoirs separated by smaller dams to reduce the pressure on the main dam. Many smaller tanks has been built around the main tank to feed these primary tanks and to take excess water.

The main five reservoirs which consist of the Parakrama Samudraya are

1.      Thopa Vawa
2.     Eramudu Vewa (Katu Vewa)
3.    Dumbuthulu Vewa
4.     Kalahagala Vewa
5.      Bhu Vewa

During reconstruction of the Parakrama Samudraya, the water which was supposed to come to the Thopa Vawa has started flowing to the Bhu Vewa. Then the engineers constructed a temporary dam to block the water flowing to the Bhu Vewa. This temporary wall then became a permanent road and this road isolated Kalahagala Vewa and Bhu Vewa from the Parakrama Samudraya. The new reconstruction process has ignored most of the ancient technology which this tank was built in reducing the capacity of the tank further.

As at today, the dam of Parakrama Samudraya is 8 ½ miles (14 kilometres) in length and 40 feet (12.2 metres) in height. The body of water covers 5350 acres with an average depth of 25 feet. Over 18000 acres of paddy land is supported by this reservoir.

On one edge of the reservoir is the Polonnaruwa rest house managed by Hotels Corporation. Along the dam there are few star class hotels closer to the Pothgul Vehera (Pothgul Temple).

After travelling to the very end of the dam (all 8 ½ miles) and further along the canal which feed the Parakrama Samudraya you come to place called “Angammadilla”. This is the place where the Amban ganga (river) is diverted towards the Parakrama Samudraya. After walking about 500 metres in to the jungle you can come to a still unspoilt camping/bathing site. Due to the distance from the main city this location is still untouched and is great place to spend the day. This area is elephant country and you can see the dung of wild elephants as you walk along the path to the river. A little scary if you try it when it is dark.

Shiva Devale

The South Indian invasion of Polonnaruwa during the 10th century resulted in some Hindu ruins. There are a total of 14 Hindu shrines in ancient Polonnaruwa today, of which the Shiva Devale is one of the best restored. The Shiva Devale was built by the Chola rulers of Polonnaruwa, and contains the male lingam and female yoni, Hindu icons representative of the male and female reproductive organs.
The temple bears sign that it has been restored by anastylosis, a method of restoration which was also employed in Angkor and Borobudur, in which the stones are carefully dismantled, and then reassembled. Missing pieces are replaced with similar stones only for the purpose of maintaining the structure from falling apart.

Thuparama Image House

This image house is one of the few buildings where you can see a roof completely made out of bricks. Almost the whole building as survived over 900 years miraculously. The roof is a semi-cylindrical in shape. The original name of this image house is not known; therefore the builder of this is also unknown. It is thought that this was built by a minister of King Parakramabahu (1153-1186) called Mahinda to house the tooth relic. Another belief is that this was built by king Vijayabahu I (1070-1110).

The walls of this building are about 7 feet (2 meters) thick and inside a large seating Buddha statue has been kept. Nothings remain of this statue today. It is said that the eyes of this Buddha statue was embedded with precious stones and the windows were designed in such a manner the sunlight would reflect on these stones and light the image house.

Vatadage Circular Relic House

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 other vatadage, it had a stupa in the centre with four Buddha images facing the cardinal directions.
The Vatadage, one of the oldest & most beautiful monuments in Polonnaruwa, is to our left as we enter the Dalada Maluwa. In spite of its modest proportions, the circular building with concentric terraces is a superbly planned & executed 12th century masterpiece. It was certainly intended to house the Sacred Tooth Relic of Buddha, which is now deposited at The Sacred Temple of Tooth in Kandy. Built by King Parakramabahu the great (1164-1196AD), it was later embellished by King Nissankamalla (1198-1206).
Outer structure, the first terrace
The entire outer structure with a diameter of 18m is a gorgeous riot of artistry, with almost every surface carved in a melee of decoration. The outer wall is decorated with friezes of lions & dwarfs, & topped by an abstract lotus design.
Upper structure, the second terrace
Four entrances to the upper terrace are adorned with magnificent stone carvings: moonstones flanked by nagaraja (Cobra king) figures with seven hooded cobra head guard stones.
While the Nagaraja figures were believed to prevent evil spirits entering the premises, the moonstones- elaborate semi-circular welcome step stones carved in polished granite- represent the spiritual journey from samsara, the endless cycle of death & rebirth, to Nirvana, the ultimate escape from suffering. These were unique decorative features of Sinhalese architecture. The moonstone at the northern entrance is the finest in Polonnaruwa.
Central dagoba (stupa)
From the upper terrace, steps lead through four entrances, aligned in the cardinal directions & each presided over by a seated Buddha. In the center are the ruins of the small central brick stupa in which the Tooth Relic was enshrined during the glorious days of ancient capital, Polonnaruwa. In sharp contrast to the building, this innermost sanctum, the reason for the very existence of Vatadage itself, is virtually unadorned.
Lost to the Dravidian invaders
The building has lost the conical roof of three concentric circles, most of the dagoba (stupa) and one of its guard stones at the base of the steps among many other features & surrounding buildings to the marauding Dravidian invaders from South India.

Nissanka Latha Mandapaya

Nissanka Latha Mandapaya (Sinhala: නිස්සංකලතා මණ්ඩපය) is a unique structure in the ancient city of Polonnaruwa in Sri Lanka. Built by King Nissanka Malla (1187 &nbsp 1196) and named after him, it is located near the western entrance of the Dalada Maluva, the area that contains the oldest and most sacred monuments in the city. A nearby stone inscription identifies this as the building used by Nissanka Malla to listen to pirith (chanting of Buddhist scriptures).

The structure is an elevated stone platform with a number of stone columns and surrounded by a low stone wall. These stone columns are the unique feature about the Nissanka Latha Manadapaya, since they are carved in a manner that is found nowhere else in the country. The eight granite columns are arranged in two rows, with four in each row. Presumably used to support a roof, each of them is approximately 8 feet 4 inches (2.54 m) in height. In each of these columns, the crown is carved in the shape of a blossoming lotus bud. The rest of the column is elaborately carved to resemble the stem of the flower. Unlike stone columns commonly seen in the architecture of this period, these are not straight, but are curved in three places. According to archaeologist Senarath Paranavithana, the stone columns at the Nissanka Latha Mandapaya are the best examples of this feature of ancient Sri Lankan architecture.

At the center of the platform, flanked by the stone columns, is a small stupa. This is also made from stone, but the top part of it has been destroyed. Its base is decorated with a carved design. The platform is surrounded by a stone railing, and the structure is entered through a single stone doorway. In contrast to the elaborately carved stone pillars, these have an undecorated and plain finish.

Sathmahal Prasadaya

This is a seven storeyed  edifice. A flight of steps leading to the upper terrace could be seem. This is an unusual building. Prof. Paranavithana  says that the Sathmahal Prasada has its counterpart in a stupa in northern Siam at San Maha Phon in Vat Kukut. In this building Cambodian Architectural features also can be seen. Prof. H.T. Basnayake is uncertain and undecided whether  Sathmahal Prasada had been built for the purpose of religious activities of Combodian soldier’s who were in the army of the Polonnaruwa period.

Rankoth Viharaya

Rankoth Vehera is a stupa located in the ancient city of Polonnaruwa in Sri Lanka. The stupa was built by Nissanka Malla, who ruled the country from 1187 to 1196. The Rankoth Vehera has been built according to the tradition of the stupas of Mahavihara of the Anuradhapura period, and bears a close resemblance to the Ruwanweli Seya stupa. 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". Along with the Kiri Vehera, it is one of the most revered stupas in Polonnaruwa.

Rankoth Vehera is structure made entirely of brick, and has a base diameter of 550 feet (170 m) and a height of 108 feet (33 m). However, the original shape of the stupa, particularly its upper portion, has been changed during renovation work carried out by later rulers and it is estimated that the original height of Rankoth Vehera may have been almost 200 feet (61 m). Despite this, it remains the largest stupa in the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, and the fourth largest stupa in the country. The stupa has four large Vahalkadas, a structure used for offering flowers and also to support the weight of a stupa. These are also made of brick. The stupa is located in the center of a large square terrace, which is also surrounded by a brick wall. The terrace has four entrances oriented to the four cardinal points, with sand paths leading to them. A stone inscription near one of the entrances mention that King Nissanka Malla observed and supervised the construction of the stupa from there. It is also mentioned that he worshiped the stupa from a small platform, which is located in a corner of the terrace.

Gal Viharaya

This magnificent group of staues was built by king Parakramabahu (1153-1186) and was a part of the Uthararama.

The first statue you will come across is a seated Buddha in meditation. He is seated on a lotus. The rock behind the statue is decorated with carvings of "vimana". Four smaller Buddha statues can be seen on these decorations.

Next is a smaller statue of Buddha (about 15 feet high) carved in to the rock. On the sides of the statue are two deities. It is believed this carving represent the Buddhas visit to heaven called “Thusitha” to preach to his mother.

It is said that this statue was painted with pure gold and treasure hunters have burnt logs on the statue and melted the gold.

Third is a standing statue of Buddha. This has been disputed by some and think this is the statue of Ananda thero at the site of lord Buddha’s passing away. This 23 feet tall statue is thought to be done by a later king as the chronicles talk about only two statues in the seating position and one statue on the lying position which was done by King Parakramabahu (1153-1186).

Next and the last is a massive statue of Buddha passing way. This is 80 feet long. The ear lid falling along the body, One foot slightly behind the other (The toes are not positioned equally on the feet) are sighs that this is not Lord Buddha resting but at his death.