Things to do in Polonnaruwa

We visited Minneriya hoping to see the famous elephant gatherings, but there were surprisingly few. The park’s terrain is mostly forested, with limited open plains for wildlife viewing. In contrast, Yala National Park offered a much richer experience with more wildlife sightings, including elephants.

The ancient city of Polonnaruwa has a history of more than 1,500 years. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is well worth a visit. The ancient city is very large and its basic outline can still be seen.

Sigiriya Rock is a beautiful and impressive place with amazing views and rich history. Climbing the rock and experiencing its natural beauty is worth it. I highly recommend visiting Sigiriya to anyone traveling to Sri Lanka. It’s a wonderful place with so much history and beauty to explore!

This place is very unique, with exquisite Buddha statues and niches carved on huge granite stones, which are very representative of Sri Lankan Buddhist art. It has high historical research value and artistic value, and is recommended for visiting! !

Polonnaruwa is full of world historical and cultural heritage, especially the royal palace. The Vatadage is really amazing. It is actually a group of ancient buildings. The guard stones and moon stones of the Vatadage (circular stone house, also called square courtyard or circular Buddha house) are very beautifully carved. The moon stones here are different from those in Anuradhapura. There are different animals crossing in the same circle, while here there is one animal in each circle. Laymen like us can only see these superficial differences. The guard stones are separated on both sides of the steps to protect the Buddha statue.

Located in the north of the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, the Rankot Stupa is the largest stupa in the ancient city and the fourth largest stupa in Sri Lanka. It is dark red in color, made of clay, shaped like a bell, with a spire on top. The tower is 56.4 meters high and 55 meters in diameter. It was built in the 12th century during the reign of King Nisankama. There are incomplete Buddha statues and worship buildings similar to shrines around the stupa.