The World Heritage Site of Polonnaruwa,which is situated in the North central Province of Sri lanka,became the island's second great capital,in the medieval era(11th-13th centuries A.D).Located midway between the modern Habarana-Batticaloa highway,Polonnaruwa lies in Sri Lanka's dry zone.The history of Polonnaruwa,however,goes back to pre Christian times.A Brahmi inscription of the 2nd century B.C.on a cave-shelter in the rocky outcrop Gopala pabbata records that this cave was donated buy a person named Madala,to Buddhist monks.
Polonnaruwa map
During the Anuradhapura period of the island's history,Polonnaruwa was critically strategic to the security of the Anuradhapura kingdom,where the capital city was located.During this period,Polonnaruwa functioned as a provincial capital.In around the mid-11th century A.D.,Plonnaruwa became the capital of Sri Lanka,and the center of a prosperous economy based on agriculture.
Although a comparatively short-lived capital for only two and a half centuries, Polonnaruwa acquired greatness due to the feats of its rulers such as Vijayabahu I (A.D.1055-1110),Parakramabahu the Great(A.D.1153-1186)and Nisanka Malla(A.D.1187-1196).These rulers devoted themselves to fostering agriculture,religion and social development and the Sinhala kingdom rose to great heights during the Polonnaruwa era.
The polonnaruwa period is regarded as the golden age of agriculture in Sri Lanka.To King Vijayabahu goes the credit of restoring irrigation works damaged during invasions at the end of the Anuradhapura era.To crown these splendid feats of engineering and technological excellence,King Parakramabahu the Great constructed a massive irrigation reservoir,aptl named Prakrama Samudra,the 'Sea of Parakrama'.This was the golden age of the polonnaruwa kingdom and the agricultural development reached its zenith,with Sri Lanka being able to export rice to many lands.
The city of Polonnaruwa comprised a citadel(or inner city)and an outer city.The citadel had two types of buildings-the king's palace and other buildings of the royal court and household on the one hand and various other buildings for administration such as the Council Chamber,on the other.The outer city spread far and wide and contained many religious shrines,the chief of which was the Sacred Quadrangle,where the Sacred Tooth Relic of The Lord Buddha was enshrined.The great brick ramparts and water moats that surrounded the city,served a dual purpose of civic ornamentation and security.There were gate-houses facing all four main directions and radiating from these,there appears to have been a well laid-out street system.
Within the city limits as well as outside,there is an abundance of Buddhist and Hindu religious establishments.It is apparent that most of the Buddhist monasteries in Polonnaruwa date from a period of an earlier date than the Polonnaruwa era(mainly from the 8th century A.D.).Pabalu Vehera and Manik Vehera are two such monasteries,displaying design and planning aspects pre-dating the Polonnaruwa period.Among the Buddhist monasteries and shrines established during the Polonnaruwa period,the Gal Viharaya,Sacred Quadrangle and the monastic university called Alahana Pirivena are noteworthy.In addition,a number of ponds were constructed to provide water and adorn the surrounding royal and monastic parks.The Kumara Pokuna and Lotus Pond are some examples.However,from the mid 13th century A.D.,the city with all these monasteries and edifices succumbed to ravages caused by foreign invasion,political turmoil and natural factors.Due to modern antiquarian interest during the mid 19th century and the establishment of the Archaeological Department in 1890,archaeological activities were initiated to recover the monuments and the site. Since 1980,the Central Cultural Fund is engaged in the conservation,maintenance and archaeological research activities of this heritage site.
Architecture
During the Anuradhapura era,stone was widely used for building.In the Polonnaruwa period however,brick was used instead.The construction of a large number of building in a comparatively short time thus became possible during the Polonnaruwa period.The gedige(vaulted)building style using bricks which originated in Anuradhapura became quite popular and reached a climax in the Polonnaruwa period.Massive brick-built structures like the Lankathilaka,Tivanka and Thuparama Image Houses are clear indications of this.The construction of stupas of colossal scale,which is a characteristic feature in the city of Anuradhapura,was also continued at Polonnaruwa.Rankoth Vehera and Kiri Vehera are such stupas at Polonnaruwa displaying the architectural and engineering skills of the period.Among Polonnaruwa's stately medieval buildings,the graceful beauty of the Vatadage(circular stupa-shrine)takes pride of place.The stone carvings on the vertical face of its elevated plinth and the slender stone pillars that supported its conical roof add great elegance to the entire edifice.The smaller but exquisitely beautiful Nissankalata Mandapa has rows of graceful pillars shaped like lotus stems.
Significantly,the only royal palace found in Anuradhapura was constructed in the Polonnaruwa period by King Vijayabahu I.Though the celebrated Sigiriya which flourished during the Anuradhapura era had a royal palace,onl the foundations remain today.Thus to visualize what an ancient royal adobe in Sri Lanka looked like,one is entirel indebted to the Palace of King Parakramabahu the Great,in Polonnaruwa.The massive brick walls of this palace had been reinforced with huge timber members.This seven-storied palace has been preserved up to a height of two storys and according to the historical chronicles,it had a thousand adjuncts.Those walls are still preserved up to a height of two storeys.the immense multi-storied chapter House called the Baddhasima Prasada located at the monastic university of Alahana Pirivena had twelve storeys.
A completely new trend appears in the religious as well as architectural in the religious as well as architectural aspects in the Polonnaruwa period.This is the construction of several Hindu shrines(devale)in Polonnaruwa,builr according to South Indian architectural traditions.The stone built Siva Devale Nos.1 and 2 and the brick built Siva and Vishnu Devales within the "Nai-pena Vihara" are worthy of mention.Another feature is the influence if Hinduism in the embellishment of Budhist image houses in the period.The exterior facade of the image houses are intricately ornamented with figures of lions,demi-gods(vamana) andadobes(vimana)with residing deities.Such embellishments also reflect the lavishly ornate style typical of Hindu shrines.Humor and a lively animation enliven these carvings of lions and demi-gods and display a high level of artistic skills and creativity.
The colossal rock-cut Buddha images at Gal-Vihara,the most celebrated site in Polonnaruwa,seem to portray the great veneration and awe that the sculptor showed towards his subject,the Buddha.These masterpieces are so superbly executed that they arouse in the beholder the edifying Buddhist virtue of loving kindness.No one who looks upon these statue can come away without being deeply moved.The gigantic brick deeply moved.The gigantic brick built Buddha images of Lankatilaka and Tivanka Image Houses,though weathered to some extent,are of the same class as those of Gal-Vihara. The colossal statue at Potgul Vehera,which has been interpreted as the likeness of a king or a sage,is a unique example of secular sculpture of the period.
During the Polonnaruwa period,Hindu influence is especially evident in sculpture as well.Local artists and sculptors created an abundance of statues of Hindu deities depicting significant postures or attitudes.These artists followed South Indian aesthetic traditions of at and sculpture.Among these works of art,the eaquistic statuettes of Siva-Parvati and Siva-Nataraja merit special mention.The unusually large figures of Siva-Nataraja and Ganesha are also important.There is a noteworthy difference between the moonstones(carved entrance stones)of the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa moonstones the bull is omitted,clearly a result of the presence of Hindu religious traditions.
Pantings
Image-houses at Polonnaruwa had an abudance of wall paintings don during the Polonnaruwa period.They have mostly been preserved in the Tivanka Image House.The paintings of the invocation of deities(Devaradhana)have followed the grand tradition and have thus become renowned the grand tradition and have thus become renowned,as they depict a rhythmic flow of line and figure.Those on the front wall of the shrine are executed in the leser tradition.Paintings in the same stle are found in the Gal-Vihara.The line drawings in these paintings are more intricate than the more famous Sigiriya paintings.Rhythmic body movements are also a feature in these paintings.There is strong evidence of paintings on the walls of the Potgul Vehera (monastery)as well as other similar buildings,but unfortunately much of these have been lost.
Earthenware Pottery
The minting of coins
In the Anuradhapura era,there is evidence of local as well as foreign coins.The abundance of coins minted by the rulers in the Polonnaruwa period which have been discovered,suggests that there was economic prosperity at the time.Copper was widely used for the coinage and though they show much similarity,the coins were inscribed with the name of the ruler at the time.
Medicine and Medical Science
The monastic hospital in the precincts of Polonnaruwas Alahana Piriven's complex reveals a mass of fascinating information about medieval indigenous medical science and practices.The hospital had facilities to treat resident as well as 'out'(external)patients.surgical tools recovered during excavations show that operations were performed here by medical surgeons.A 'medicine boat'(a large stone trough)was found in one ward,where patients were immersed in herbal solutions and assumed that specialists clinical service was provided in a range of wards.It is highly probable that many monks would have served and helping the sick was compatible with the all-embracing compassion of Buddhism.
International Relations
Even during the Anuradhapura period and long before Plonnaruwa became Sri Lanka's capital city,rulers showed a keen interest in the present site of Polonnaruwa,due to its proximity to the great harbor of Trincomalee(refered to at the time as Gokanna tiththe),
on the north-eastern coast.This closeness to the best natural harbour in the Indian Ocean was the key factor in the steady growth of relations with foreign nations.Polonnaruwa was also strategically placed in the interior,to ward off and resist invasions especially from the east coast.
The great Mahaweli River which flows not far from Polonnaruwa and enters the sea at Trincomalee,also afforded easy transport for traders and theitr merchandise,to the interior of the country.Coins dating back to the Sung dynasty of China(12th centur A.D.),as well as Chinaware have been found in Polonnaruwa.Another interesting find is part of a tea-pot called timokku,used exclusively by Chinese royalty in their tea ceremonies.this rare object seems to suuggest a visit by a Chinese emissary to Sri Lanka from the royal court of the Sung dynasty.The priceless Chineware discovered here is in a shade of black,with an intricate line design and is extremely delicate.It is quite significant that even in China,complete vessels of this variety have not been found.
polonnaruwa rulers also had religious and diplomatic relatons with countries of South-east asia such as Thailand.The architectural stle of the Satmahal Prasada (tiered stupa)at the Sacred Quadrangle resembles the stupa style of countries of this religion;evidentl therefore ot could be assumed that Sri Lanka had cultural links with these countries during the Polonnaruwa era.
For Visitors,
It is recommended that the best time to view the monuments and worship at shrines is in day-time,when visibility is at its best.
The Museum is open daily from 9.00 am to 6.00 pm. On special occasions it is kept open for longer periods.
