The whole Wednesday morning was spent visiting Polonnaruwa, the seat of government from the middle of the 11th century through to the 13th century. It was first declared capital city during the reign of King Vijayabahu I in 1070 AD, but its golden age is considered to be the one of King Parakramabahu, under whose patronage agriculture flourished mostly due to the irrigation systems constructed, which to this day supply the water necessary for paddy cultivation.
The greatest of these is the Parakrama Samudraya which is such a vast tank that it is commonly mistaken for an ocean, covering 5,940 acres and being able to irrigate 18,500 acres of rice paddies
The city remains, which have been declared World Heritage by UNESCO are considered one of the country's best planned archeological sites.
Ruins of the Parakramabahu's seven-storey Palace.
The three-tiered structure used as Parakramabahu's Council Chamber was rather impressive with its exceptionally sculpted lions, elephants and gnomes moving along them (so as to indicate the enjoyment sculptors had while doing them), as well as the elaborate traditional moonstone and guard stones at the entrance
Equally impressive were the Royal Baths known as the Kumara Pokuna with an intricate geometrical design and fed by means of a network of stone pipes connected to the Parakrama Samudra.
(To be continued)
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