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Published: February 28th 2019
Royal Palace
Originally 7 storiesToday we were privileged to experience a very special place, the ruin of the ancient city of Polonnaruwa being the second oldest of Sri Lanka’s kingdoms. Wandering through the main ruins it had an almost living feel & it was easy to visualize how huge & spectacular the kingdom must have been at its zenith. The key ruins included the Quadrangle, Royal Palace, Council Chambers, Vihara temple, Parakrama statue and the Siva temple.
The city had all the facilities of a modern city, waste recycling, hospital etc. water was essential & the king had the foresight to build a huge dam that runs for 16 kms in length. Even by current standards it’s an engineering marvel as the surrounding land is a flat valley requiring high walls to hold back the water yet it is still perfectly functional today.
After leaving the ruins we cycled another 40 km initially on the dam wall & then through scenic rural country, past sanctuaries, manmade channels and lush farming land.
After lunch we swapped the bikes for a 40 km coach ride to Dambulla visiting the vibrant wholesale vegetable market before arriving at our overnight stay at the Gimanhala Hotel.
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