Heritage

Palace of King Parakramabahu the Great (වෛජන්ත ප්‍රාසාදය)

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View of the remains of the palace from front

This is a majestic palace built by King Parakramabahu I (1153-1186) with seven stories and is said to have 1000 chambers. Although the main building possibly couldn’t hold such a number of chambers, when you consider the whole palace complex it is thought that this number is a possibility.

Today you can see the massive walls over a meter thick going up to about 30 feet (9 meters) and the bottom half of the main stairway which led to upper floors. Inside the building, you can see parts of melted brick walls caused by intense heat when this was set on fire by Tamil invaders at the end of the Polonnaruwa era. Around the main palace, there are remains of more buildings where the ministers, soldiers, and servants lived.

Large holes in the wall probably held massive wooden structures that formed the floor of the upper levels. Even after facing such destruction by human hands and then by Mother Nature for 800 years, the plastering on these walls still remains in some places.

An architect’s impression of what it would have looked like can be seen at the Polonnaruwa Museum in a 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

Also See

Map of Palace of King Parakramabahu the Great

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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 royal ancient 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: 4.45 hours Driving Directions: See on Google map	Through : Maradankadawala – Habarana Distance: 103 km Travel Time: 2 hours Driving Directions: see on Google map
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 map	Through : Maradankadawala – Habarana Distance: 103 km Travel Time : 2 hours Driving Directions: see on Google map

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Allekattu Gal Amuna across Kalaru River (කල්ආරු හරහා අල්ලෙකට්ටු ගල් අමුණ)
Parker in 1909 describes an ancient amuna known as "Allekattu" in Tamil, located across the Kalaru River, which originates from the Pavatkulama Wewa reservoir and serves as one of the main tributaries to the Malwathu Oya in the Northern Province. The dam is situated approximately 2 miles (about 3 km) upstream from the Kalaru bridge on the Mannar-Medawachchiya road. Brohier refers to this weir as "Allekattu Tekkam." […]
Degaldoruwa Pitiye Devale (දෙගල්දෝරුව පිටියේ දේවාලය)
Pitiye Deviyo is a powerful protector deity of Dumbara who had once defeated the deity Natha Deviyo who had fled in fear of him after a brief battle. The people of Dumbara fear and respect him as he is believed to protect the land, the crops, and the people who live in the area. He provides the rain on time for cultivation and dry weather for harvesting. […]
Tissamaharama Uduvila Gangarama Viharaya (තිස්සමහාරාම උඩුවිල ගංගාරාම විහාරය)
Despite the Uduvila Gangarama Viharaya temple's recent developments, there are still a few relics of the monastic complex from the Pre-Christian era. Near the stupa, you'll find a cluster of undressed stone pillars that once supported an ancient building. Additionally, the top portion of a massive Yupa Gala, and Gal Chatra is found nearby […]
Archaeological Ruins at Tissamaharama Poththewelagala Aranya Senasanaya (පොත්තේවෙලගල ආරණ්‍ය සේනාසනය)
The Poththewelagala Ruins are located in a scrub jungle, 2 kilometers southeast of Tissamaharama. The site can be reached from a gravel road 3.3 km down the Kirinda-Sithulpawwa Road. A black archaeology board by the roadside marks the direction of this gravel road. After driving 1 kilometre along this road and passing a model village, you will arrive at the ruins. […]
Tissamaharama Uddhakandara Rajamaha Viharaya (උද්ධකන්දර රජමහා විහාරය)
Uddhakandara Rajamaha Viharaya is a new temple in Tissamaharama built on an ancient monastic site going back to the pre-Christian era. The original temple is believed to have been built by regional king Mahanaga, the brother of King Devanmpiyatissa (250-210 BCE) who fled the Anuradhapura kingdom. […]
Thambarawa Wewa & Pre Historic Burial Site (තඹරව වැව හා ප්‍රාග් ඓතිහාසික සුසාන භූමිය)
Thambarawa is a small ancient reservoir situated 8 km southeast of Tissa, on the western border of the Yala National Park. The area is partly paddy fields and covered in forest on the southern side. The reservoir was restored for the last time in 2023. The bund of the Thambarawa Wewa is 640 meters long with spills on both sides of the bund. […]
Handapangala Wewa Reservoir (හඳපානාගල වැව ජලාශය)
Handapangala Wewa is a picturesque and peaceful haven located in the Wellawaya area popular among the travellers and photographers for the abundant elephants in the area especially during the dry season. The bund of the Handapanagala Wewa is 3600 feet (1.1 km) long and 19 feet (5.8 m) high. At full capacity, the water covers 450 acres and holds 5000 acre feet. […]
Empilipitiya Chandrika Wewa Reservoir (ඇඹිලිපිටිය චන්ද්‍රිකා වැව ජලාශය)
Empilipitiya Chandrika Wewa Reservoir, located in the Ratnapura District bordering Hambanthota District, is one of the largest reservoirs constructed after Ceylon gained independence. Chandrika wewa today is a magnet for the tourists and pilgrims to Kataragama seeking the scenic route rather than than the Southern Expressway. […]
Udawalawe Reservoir and the Dam (උඩවලවේ ජලාශය සහ වේල්ල)
The Udawalawe Reservoir, located in the Ratnapura and Hambantota Districts of Sri Lanka, is one of the country's largest and most significant water bodies. It was constructed in 1963, primarily to support agriculture and irrigation in the surrounding regions, which include Udawalawe, Embilipitiya, and Hambantota. […]
Hurulu Wewa Reservoir (හුරුළු වැව)
Hurulu Wewa ancient reservoir, originally known as Challura Vapi, was one of sixteen reservoirs constructed by King Mahasen, the renowned Sinhalese monarch who ruled over Lanka from 276 to 303 CE. The reservoir lies on Yan Oya in the remote village of Yakalla, between Anuradhapura and Habarana off Ritigala. […]
List of Adhigars of the Kandyan Kingdom (උඩරට රාජධානියේ අධිකාරම්වරු)
The title of Adhigar (Adigar) in the Kandyan Kingdom of Sri Lanka referred to a high-ranking official or noble who held significant administrative and judicial authority. In Sinhala, he is called the Adhikaram. The position was one of the most powerful in the Kandyan court, second only to the king himself. Adhigars were entrusted with overseeing various aspects of governance, including implementing laws, administering justice, and managing royal affairs. […]
Diyawadana Nilames of Kandy Dalada Maligawa
Diyawadana Nilame’ has the custody of the key to the first casket out of the seven golden caskets where the Sacred Tooth Relic is enshrined, as he is the lay custodian of the Sacred Tooth Relic. This position is recorded in the ‘Dathuwansa’, the chronicle of tooth relic, as ‘Dhathurakkadikari’. […]
Wendaruwa Kirivehera Rajamaha Viharaya (වෙඬරුව කිරිවෙහෙර රජමහා විහාරය)
The image house of Wendaruwa Kirivehera Rajamaha Viharaya is a rectangular Kandyan-style building with a verandah supported by 16 evenly spaced wooden pillars. The pillars are carved with alternating square and cylindrical sections, though these sections are plain and lack any decorative design. The pillars rest on a wooden frame constructed with large wooden beams placed atop the half-height outer wall of the image house. […]
Dimbulagala Dewagala Archaeological Ruins (දේවගල පුරාවිද්‍යා භූමිය)
These ruins are scattered across a rocky hill that stretches approximately 800 meters from north to south. The hill is surrounded on all sides by farmland. An irrigation canal and a paved road run along the eastern slope, making the western slopes the most accessible route to approach the rock by a vehicle. […]
Namalpura Sri Vishuddharama Tampita Viharaya / Madawala Tampita Viharaya (නාමල්පුර ශ්‍රී විශුද්ධාරාම ටැම්පිට විහාරය / මඩවල ටැම්පිට විහාරය)
The Tampita Viharaya of the Sri Vishuddharama Tampita Viharaya (Madawala Tampita Viharaya) lies in the remote village of Namalpura 17 kms away from Habarana. […]
Orubendi Siyambalawa Tamarind Tree (පුරාණ ඔරුබැඳි සියඹලාව සියඹලා ගස)
A giant Tamarind Tree over 1700 years in Orubendisiyambalawa lying on the banks of ancient Elahera Yoda Ela. It is said that king Mahasen (276-303) used to tie his royal barge on to this tree when he visited Elahera area. […]
Minneriya National Park (මින්නේරිය ජාතික වනෝද්‍යානය)
Situated 182 km from Colombo, Minneriya National Park is dominated by the Minneriya tank. This is another park where you will find the Elephants in large numbers. […]
Mannar Fort (මන්නාරම් බලකොටුව)
Built on the island of Mannar in Sri Lanka by the Portuguese in 1560, Mannar Fort surrendered to the Dutch on 22 February 1658 and was rebuilt by the Dutch in 1696. On 5 October 1795 the Dutch surrendered to the British. […]
Helamulla Degalhela Viharaya Ruins (හෙලමුල්ල දෙගල්හෙල පුරාණ විහාරය නටබුන්)
The ruins at the deserted Helamulla Degalhela Viharaya at the foot of the Degalhela Rock is another unexplored and unknown ancient Buddhist site in Siyambalanduwa. […]
Hulannuge Tharulengala Rajamaha Viharaya at Lahugala (හුලංනුගේ තරුලෙන්ගල රජමහා විහාරය)
Built by King Kanvantissa before the 2nd centenary BC, Hulan Nuge Tharulengala Raja Maha Viharaya ( Tharulengala Forest Hermitage) on a 633 feet high rocky hill called Karadahela in Lahugala Divisional secretariat in Ampara district is a fine example of the grandeur of the ancient Digamdulla heritage. […]
Mulativu Wediwettukallu Amuna Archaeological Ruins
Hidden within the forest along the Wediwettukallu and Welioya road lies a significant ancient Amuna (Anicut), spanning across a tributary of Kikul Oya. This Amuna stands approximately 1.5 meters high from the ground level, stretching 40 meters in length and 8 meters in width. Evidence suggests that it may have served as a bridge at some point, as brick construction is observed atop the stone blocks. […]
Bathalagoda Wewa Reservoir in Kurunegala (කුරුනෑගල බතලගොඩ වැව)
According to Hendry Parker, the Bathalagoda Wewa was built in pre Christian times for the water supply of an ancient city which for many centuries has been merely referred to as ‘Parana Nuwara’ since its original name was never known. […]
Panda Wewa – The First man made Reservoir in the World (ලොව මුල්ම අංග සම්පුර්ණ වැව වන පඬාවැව සහ එහි නටබුණ්)
Panda wewa, lying close to the ancient kingdom of Panduwasnuwara is believed to be the oldest man made reservior in the world built by King Panduwasdeva (504-474 BC) in 450 BC for irrigation as well as for daily use by the citizens of Panduwasnuwara. […]
Yoda Wewa at Tissamaharama (තිස්සමහාරාම යෝධ වැව)
It is believed that this tank was built by King Mahanaga in the late 3rd Century BC and the Duratissa Wewa mentioned in the ancient texts is the current Yodha Wewa in Tissamaharama. […]
Tissamaharama Tissa Wewa: The First Oblique Dam in the World (තිස්සමහාරාම තිස්ස වැව)
The Tissa Wewa is one of the largest ancient irrigation tanks constructed the 3rd Century is considered the first Oblique Dam in the world […]

Also See

Map of Palace of King Parakramabahu the Great

Driving Directions to Polonnaruwa Sacred City

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