Palace of King Parakramabahu the Great

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View of the remains of the palace from front

Upon entering the ancient city of Polonnaruwa through the main entrance and turning to the right, one encounters the ruins of the Palace Complex of King Parakramabahu the Great (1153–1186 CE). This complex comprises the remains of the vast royal palace known as the Vejayanta Pasada, the king’s Audience Hall, and the bathing pond now referred to as Kumara Pokuna.

The Vejayanta Pasada

The Vejayanta Pasada (also known as Vaijayanta) was the grand royal palace constructed by King Parakramabahu I (1153–1186 CE) within the inner citadel of Polonnaruwa. Named after the celestial palace of the god Indra, the building was intended to embody the king’s superlatively royal glory (Obeyesekere, 1911).

Architectural Scale and Layout

The chronicles describe the palace as a seven-story structure containing 1,000 chambers. Although the Cūlavamsa may have employed these figures as literary exaggerations, archaeological evidence indicates a central block measuring approximately 30 to 46 meters (100 to 150 feet) square (Paranavitana, 1967).

The main entrance faced east and opened through an imposing porch into a vast pillared hall measuring about 31 meters by 13 meters (102 feet by 42 feet). The walls were of exceptional thickness, exceeding 3 meters (ten feet), and entire tree trunks had been embedded within the brickwork to bear the weight of the upper stories. A broad staircase, now only partially preserved, is still visible today (Paranavitana, 1967).

Ornamentation and Interior

The Cūlavamsa describes the interior as richly ornamented, with doors and windows made of gold, walls embellished with carvings of climbing plants, and hundreds of painted pillars. The chambers contained various beds adorned with gold, ivory, and similar materials. The royal sleeping apartment was depicted as especially splendid, decorated with clusters of pearls at its four corners and encircled by a wreath of golden lampstands that diffused the fragrance of flowers and incense (Geiger & Rickmers, 1929).

Present Remains and Destruction

Today, the surviving remains include massive walls over one meter thick rising to a height of about 9 meters (30 feet), along with the lower portion of the main staircase that once led to the upper levels. Within the structure, sections of melted brickwork can be observed, caused by intense heat when the palace was set on fire by Tamil invaders at the end of the Polonnaruwa period. Surrounding the main palace are the ruins of subsidiary buildings that likely accommodated ministers, soldiers, and servants.

Structural Features and Legacy

Large cavities in the walls probably supported heavy wooden beams that formed the floors of the upper storeys. Despite the combined effects of human destruction and natural decay over nearly 800 years, traces of the original plaster still survive in certain areas. An architect’s reconstruction of the palace can be viewed at the Polonnaruwa Museum in the form of a miniature model.

Design of Plaster still existing after thousands of year - at the Palace of king Parakramabahu

Plaster still existing after thousands of year - at the Palace of king Parakramabahu

Melted walls of the Palace of king Parakrambahu when it was burned down by the Invaders

References

Geiger, W., & Rickmers, C. M. (1929). Culavamsa: Being The More Recent Part of The Mahavamsa: Vol. Part I–II. Pali Text Society. (Original work published 1815)
Paranavitana, S. (1967). Sinhalayo. Lake House Investments Ltd. Publishers.
Obeyesekere, D. (1911). History of Ceylon : Outlines of Ceylon History. The Times of Ceylon Colombo.
Mendis, O. (1998). The story of the Sri Lankans: A Small People with a Great History of Over 2500 Years from the Tiny Island in the Indian Ocean. A Sridevi Publication

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Driving Directions to Polonnaruwa Sacred City

The modern town of Polonnaruwa is also known as New Town, and the other part of Polonnaruwa remains the ancient royal city of the Kingdom of Polonnaruwa.

Route from Colombo to Polonnaruwa Sacred City	Route from Kandy to Polonnaruwa Sacred City
Through: Central Highway—Kurunegala—Dambulla Distance from Colombo: 230 km Travel Time: 5 hours Driving Directions: See on Google Maps.	Through: Maradankadawala–Habarana Distance: 103 km Travel Time: 2 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps.
Route from Anuradhapura to Polonnaruwa Sacred City	Route from Batticaloa to Polonnaruwa Sacred City
Through: Maradankadawala–Habarana Distance: 103 km Travel Time: 2 hours Driving Directions: See on Google Maps.	Through: Maradankadawala–Habarana Distance: 103 km Travel Time : 2 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps.