After the beaches, we were wondering what to do next. Since we’d seen plenty of beaches already, we decided to go the hills. So naturally we ended up in Polonnaruwa.
Polonnaruwa is the second most ancient of Sri Lanka’s kingdoms. The ancient monarchs moved there when Anuradhapura, their stronghold since the times of Vijeya, fell under threat of invading Indians. It quickly became the hub of Sinhalese power. The most famous ruler of its times was King Parakramabahu the first.
Getting There
And no, we hadn’t been driven out of our minds by the sheer beauty of East. Our intention was to originally head from Vaalachchanai to Badulla. But getting to Badulla at the time we left turned out to be near impossible on public transport (you’ll have to start in the morning if you are attempting this), so we decided to head towards Polonnaruwa first, and then head to the hills the next morning.
The bus will take you to Kaduruwela, the town about 5km from the Old Town of Polonnaruwa. We took a three wheeler from there to our chosen guest house, the Manel Guest House (Rs. 1000 for a very comfortable triple room), situated near the tank built by King Parakramabahu.
Kaduruwela serves as the main commercial hub of Polonnaruwa. It is somewhat of a transport hub with a lot of buses and trains to various parts of the island available. The town is busy, crowded and not very clean. its like they desperately transfer all the cleanliness available to Polonnaruwa, the crowd puller.
Biking Around
When we woke up and found ourselves loathe to leave the ancient city immediately, we decided to see if we could find a few bikes to get a quick tour of all the ruins. We got mountain bikes from the guest house itself for 300 bucks a pop, and set off.
We found a route that led uphill to the tank, Parakrama Samudraya - which dominates the entire landscape, then along the bund till we came to a statue of a statesman, where we turned off into town. About a kilometer away we came across an entrance to the Old City, an entire ancient city, now ruined, all marked and labeled with metal plates.
We highly recommend bikes as a mode of transport for this since it would take ages to walk from place to place and a vehicle doesn’t give you much… exposure. A bike, on the other hand, is just like walking, except faster.
The Ruins
There was plenty to see and much ground to bike around on. Even an old dried up reservoir or two can be found to ride down. The actual ruins are impressive, even if all that remains of castles are the ancient equivalent of picket fences and front facing walls. The castle forts were positioned in such a way that one could imagine the ancient kings strolling across the street to the castle next door to borrow some sugar, or a suitable medieval replacement, like gunpowder, from his neighbor.
Loll about near the ponds and the various temples and other constructions. Bike over to the more distant ruins around the Old City to get a sense of how city planning must have worked in the times of the ancients. There are souvenirs you can buy and food and drink to refresh yourself with in ample quantities. Maps and books of information can also be purchased.
Polonnaruwa is littered with signs and notice boards giving directions and information to anyone exploring. Certain sections will ask admission fees from foreigners. A tip, read about the historical significance of Polonnaruwa and the significance of the ruins and constructions for a more enjoyable and fulfilling experience.
