Earlier in the morning Steven and I had hired Rohan, our superb host at our hotel in Dambulla, to take us in his tuk tuk the 90-minute drive to the Ancient City of Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka's capital from the 11th to the 13th century. There we had first explored the Royal Palace Group and the Sacred Quadrangle which had enthralled us. Rohan then drove us a few minutes away to the fringes of the Quadrangle where there were a number of structures including Shiva devales or Hindu temples that were relics from the 10th-century invasion by the South Indians.
The 13th century Shiva Devale No. 1 highlighted the Indian influence after the height of the Sinhalese period in Polonnaruwa. I read that it was "notable for the superb quality of its stonework which fit together with unusual precision." When the building was being excavated, some excellent bronzes were found which were later relocated to the Archaeological Museum which we had explored earlier. However, because of the museum's stringent no photography policy, I can't show you any of the bronzes.
It was so, so hot that day I decided not to enter the temple as it would've meant taking off my shoes and I didn't want to walk barefoot on the scorching pavement.
In a woodland clearing away from all the other temples sat Pabula Vihara, a brick stupa that was the third-largest dagoba or relic shrine in Polonnaruwa. Its name may have derived from the recovery of beads or pabula in the vicinity.
Around the stupa were several image houses.
The temple was in such a secluded spot that we saw none of the tour groups that had thronged the more famous Quadrangle sights.
The history of the Manik Vehera monastery nearby wasn't known but its architectural features showed it likely dated to the 8th or 9th century. The monastery was built on a high terrace surrounded by a high wall.
The monastery had a terraced layout and consisted of a stupa, a Bodhi tree shrine and image houses both of which were common to all stupas, as well as a refectory, monks' dispensary, and cells or dorm rooms.
I loved seeing the dancing women by the stairs.
The stupa had squatting lions decorating the plinth.
Rohan took us next to the ruins in Polonnaruwa's Northern Group, so-called because they were located 1.5 kms north of the Quadrangle. We stopped initially at the 54m-high Rankot Vihara, the largest dagoba in Polonnaruwa, and the fourth largest on the island.
Thank goodness we were able to enter this shrine for a few moments to cool off as the sand was so hot and we couldn't wear our shoes the entire time we walked around the temple.
On our walk or half-run (!!), we passed several shrines like the one above and also the ruins of several image houses like this one.
The enormous dome consisted of earth fill covered by a brick 'mantle' and plaster.
While in the Archaeological Museum earlier, we'd seen some surgical instruments found in a ruined 12th-century hospital near Rankot Vihara. It was amazing how similar they were to those still used today!
This was the third image house at the temple but obviously was in far better shape than the earlier one.
Buddhist prayer flags decorated the Bodhi tree on the grounds of the temple.
Though Rankot Vihara was certainly a stupendous temple, we couldn't properly enjoy it because it was just too darn hot hopping about on the piping hot sand around the vast temple.
Since it was so uncomfortably hot, Steven stopped for a pop to fortify himself before continuing to see more temples! Most visitors welcomed a king coconut drink, though.
Next up was Lankatilaka, a Buddhist temple built by Parakramabahu I and then restored by Vijayabahu IV. To access the temple, we thought we needed only to climb up steps at the end of this path.
However, the steps just opened up to two large grassy areas initially!
Then, up yet more steps!
There we saw a burial stupa and, beside it, a far larger burial stupa.
The piece de la resistance for me was undoubtedly the giant, standing headless Buddha that could only be viewed after walking down a cathedral-like aisle just as if I were in a church! Steven was taking a breather in the shade while I explored by myself but I dragged him back to see the Buddha as I was so mesmerized by its access up the aisle.
Steven wasn't as wowed as I was by this sight but I thought it was just magical and the highlight so far of the Northern Group ruins.
The back of the remarkable temple:
The front and sides of the temple:
Even more burial mounds!
In the same grounds was Kiri Vihara which meant 'milk-white' because when the overgrown temple was cleared away after 700 years of neglect, the original lime plaster was found to be in perfect condition! Can you imagine being there and peeling away the underbrush and seeing this spectacular temple revealed? Not surprisingly, Kiri Vihara was the best-preserved unrestored dagoba in the ancient city of Polonnaruwa.
Buddha Seema Prasada was a convocation hall for a monastery where monks met every two weeks and also rehearsed the code of discipline here. The building featured a raised platform with decorative pillars. I read that the pillars and brick walls suggested there was likely an additional story. The central platform would have held a relic casket while four monks sat on the stone pedestals facing the cardinal directions read the code of discipline.
At the bottom of the steps was one of the most beautiful moonstones we saw anywhere in Sri Lanka. Each circle in the half-circle had a different design!
Even though Steven and I had seen so many ruins already in the Northern Group at Polonnaruwa, the ancient city was so huge there was still far more to view! It seemed almost incomprehensible that so many of the ruins had lasted so well over the millennia with the thousands of tourists that visit every year and especially given the unlimited access we had to each site.
Gal Vihara was an especially popular site for religious Sri Lankans who dressed in white when visiting religious sites.
Before reaching the famous images at Gal Vihara, there was a huge pond that egrets and other birds loved to frequent.
The Gal Vihara consisted of four separate images, all cut from one large slab of granite. In the past, each image was enshrined in a separate enclosure. These were the most famous group of Buddha images in all of Sri Lanka.
This 7m tall standing Buddha was described as the finest of the series. The unusual crossed position of the arms and sad facial expression may have meant it was a representation of Buddha's disciple Ananda who was grieving for his master's departure to nirvana because the reclining statue was next to it.
The impressive 14m-long reclining Buddha was depicted entering parinirvana or nirvana after death.
I couldn't help but be wowed by how the carvers had made such sublime use of the natural marbling in the rock. As Steven noted, we could imagine the carvers knowing right away what they would carve out of the stone for each piece. Seeing these figures was like coming across the crown jewels in Sri Lanka! Never had I been so thankful and appreciative that we had decided to visit the ancient cities of Sri Lanka even though it meant giving up some no doubt beautiful sights in the southern part of the country.
Steven and I were pretty wiped by this point in the day as it had started early with a long drive from Dambulla to Polonnaruwa, spending the morning walking around the huge Palace and Quadrangle areas before coming to the Northern Group in the afternoon. The excessive heat had been an issue all day as we still weren't used to it, a week after arriving in Sri Lanka from wintry Colorado.
Absolutely convinced nothing more could top what we'd already seen, Steven and I were hoping to begin the long drive back to Dambulla as we were pooped! But Rohan insisted he take us to Tivanka Image House with Tivanka meaning 'thrice bent' and referred to the Buddha image was in a three-curve position normally reserved for female statues.
As wiped as we were both of us were very glad we didn't say no to Rohan once we saw the image house as its intricate statues and the sheer number of them all around the huge building was just mindboggling.
Very faint frescoes inside the temple depicted Buddha in his past lives.
More photos of the exterior which I found so delightful!
Rohan then said he had to take us to just one more site before leaving Polonnaruwa and that was Nelum Pokuna or Lotus Pond! The shape of the pond, built in the shape of a full-blown lotus flower had given it its name. The pond, built in the late 12th century, was one of eight ponds that have been discovered during excavations.
Steven with Rohan at the Lotus Pond: Were we ever fortunate that our hotel manager had been willing to be our driver for the day as we couldn't have visited all the sights in the mammoth Polonnaruwa without his escorting us in his tuk tuk from one spot to another. He was incredibly patient and always checking with us to make sure we had seen everything we wanted and then some! Rarely in almost ten years of traveling overseas have we been as lucky to have a driver whose only concern was our happiness and not how long it took to see everything we wanted.
On the way back to Dambulla, Rohan stopped by a huge statue of Buddha by a lake so we could admire it close up.
Steven and I couldn't understand why Rohan slowed down considerably as we approached this wildlife area.
We realized soon enough he had been on the lookout for some wild elephants that he thought might be in the distance! He rightly figured out they might be near the local garbage dump. What an unexpected treat seeing them and just another example of how Rohan went the extra mile for us.
Since it was only the late afternoon, we asked Rohan to drop us off in Dambulla so we could walk around the town, visit its market, and then grab some dinner. As his hotel was about a two-mile walk out of town, we told him we'd either walk back or get a tuk tuk but he generously told us he'd pick us up at no cost if we wanted.
Every town in Sri Lanka had at least one Singer store which sold appliances and furniture.
Every town also had a clock tower!
Gaily colored murals decorated the walls next to the sidewalks.
The Dambulla Market was still a hive of activity near the dinner hour. We soon realized the market had everything anyone could have wanted, from toys to school supplies, to clothes and all sorts of unusual food!
I wish I had asked Rohan what these colorful things were.
Next post: The cave complex in Dambulla halfway up a hilltop!
Here's a link to my latest post on our trip to Ireland and the United Kingdom last fall for a change of pace and place!
Posted on May 21st, a perfect spring day in Denver. Steven and I hope you and your families are well and that you continue to be safe during this pandemic.
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