About 1.5 km away from Hingurakgoda town lies an underground water spring known as Bubula which never dries up. This spring pumps up water at a remarkable speed through the year and even throughout the worst droughts in the area.
Angammadilla Gal Amuna (stone weir) also known as Rajabemma creates one of the main feeders to Parakrama Samudraya. This weir is credited to king Parakramabahu (1153-1186) who had tapped the water of Amban Ganga (river) to his Parakrama Samudraya Reservoir.
During glory days of the Polonnaruwa Kingdom (12th century AD), say the elders, ships sailing the Mahaweli River vía Kalinga Ela collected local rice production and transported it even abroad.
Ancient Maduru Oya Sluice was discovered when the reservoir was excavated to build a new dam in 1980’s. The modern specialists placement of the Sluice coinciding with 1st century BC specialists has make this sluice an icon for the expertise of the ancient Sri Lankan Engineering.
Said to be built by King Mahasen in the 3rd century, Kaudulla Wewa bund is 15 meters tall and with a width of 120 meters at the base and runs for a distance of 9.2 km with a capacity of 64 million cubic meters covering an area of 24.5 sq. km.
The Minneriya Wewa was built by the great reservoir builder, King Mahasen (276-303) who ruled in Anuradhapura. This reservoir occupied 4670 acres and it’s strong 13 meter tall dam running along a distance of 2km held over 20 billion gallons of water.
Thoppigala which was once called Baron’s Cap during the pre-independent era is nestled amidst ravishingly and naturally landscaped lush paddy lands bordering natural and manmade water ways.
Polonnaruwa Nelum Wewa Hot springs are latest cluster of hot springs found in Sri Lanka and is the warmest at 61 Centigrade. This is also unique considering that the spring is located inside a irrigation reservoir.
Manampitiya Road-Rail Bridge is the first of its kind built in 1922 connecting the Batticaloa region with the Central Region. The bridge with the rail road going in the center of the road is 960 feet long.
Established in 1984 under the Mahaweli Project, Flood Plains National Park in Polonnaruwa features vital villu wetlands. It serves as a crucial elephant migration corridor between Wasgamuwa and Somāwathiya parks while hosting an ancient cave monastery dating back to the 2nd century BCE.
The miraculous Somawathiya (Somawathi Chethiya) was built in 2nd century BC enshrining the right tooth relic of Buddha. The only other tooth relic lies in Dalada Maligawa in Kandy.
Tucked away deep in the forests of Dimbulagala, the Pulligoda Frescos unveil a mesmerizing glimpse of Sri Lanka’s ancient artistry. Hidden within a lonely rock cave, these vivid paintings of serene, haloed sages—painted in earthy reds and greens—still radiate divine grace, echoing a spiritual legacy that may be older than Sigiriya.
Medirigiriya Vatadage is situated in a beautiful surrounding has a history going in to the pre-Christian times.
In close proximity to the little known Buduruwayaya archeological site in the Polonnaruwa district is found another interesting archeological site (About 7 (seven) kilometers from Bakamuna and 1 ½ (one and a half) kilometers from Buduruwayaya) This is the recently excavated archeology site of Kumara Ella on the Dambulla – Kalagahawela new expressway.
The Kandegama Kanda Lena Viharaya, located near Aranaganwila, is an ancient 2nd-century BCE monastic complex featuring over 60 caves. Notable for a vandalized 38.9-foot recumbent Buddha and inscriptions referencing King Saddhātissa, it also contains a unique “double-decker” cave and evidence of early trade links with India.
Giritale Wewa does not aspire to No. 1 and No. 2 nor (may be) to subsequent reservoirs, by way of the area covered, leaving those priority places to reservoirs as Minneriya Wewa and Parakrama Samudra but if one were to give it a priority place by way of fabled history that could turn out to be factual too, Giritale Wewa comes somewhere among the top.
Buduruwayaya Archaeological Site with rock carvings similar to Gal Viharaya lies south west of the Wasgamuwa park, some 6 kilometers from Bakamuna town.
A document of archaeological interest drawn by J.A.W. Jayasinghe and checked by the Director of archaeology, dated, 10 December 2004, reveals the presence of two Stupas (much buried) at the Agbopura monastic site, one and many more buildings belonging to the site.
The ruins known as Naipena Viharaya lies away from the main cluster of ruins and the ancient main street of ancient Polonnaruwa Kingdom. Here infect lies 2 kovils. On the left is the larger structure which is called the Siva Kovil Number 5. Adjoining it is a smaller structure now identified as s Vishnu Kovil Number 4.
The Thivanka Pilimage is a 12th-century masterpiece in Polonnaruwa, famous for its colossal Buddha statue curved in three places (Thivanka). The interior walls are adorned with the island’s finest Polonnaruwa-era murals, depicting Jataka tales and celestial journeys.
