Polonnaruwa පොළොන්නරුව பொலன்னறுவை | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Polonnaruwa Location in Sri Lanka | |
| Coordinates:7°56′N81°0′E / 7.933°N 81.000°E /7.933; 81.000 | |
| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Province | North Central Province |
| Polonnaruwa | Before 1070 AD |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (Sri Lanka Standard Time Zone) |
| Postal code | 51000 |
| Website | https://www.polonnaruwa.dist.gov.lk |
 Interactive map of Polonnaruwa | |
| Official name | Ancient City of Polonnaruwa |
| Criteria | Cultural: i, iii, vi |
| Reference | 201 |
| Inscription | 1982 (6thSession) |
Poḷonnaruwa, (Sinhala:පොළොන්නරුව,romanized: Poḷonnaruva;Tamil:பொலன்னறுவை,romanized: Polaṉṉaṟuvai) also referred asPulathisipura andVijayarajapura inancient times, is the main town ofPolonnaruwa District inNorth Central Province, Sri Lanka. The modern town of Polonnaruwa is also known as New Town, and the other part of Polonnaruwa remains as the royal ancient city of theKingdom of Polonnaruwa.
The second-oldest of allSri Lanka's kingdoms, Polonnaruwa was first established as a military post by the Sinhalese kingdom.[1] It was renamed Jananathamangalam by theChola dynasty after their successful invasion of the country's then capital, Anuradhapura, in the 10th century. TheAncient City of Polonnaruwa has been declared a World Heritage Site.[2]
The name Polonnaruwa is of unknown origin.[3] Its Tamil form,Pulainari, is mentioned inTamil inscriptions of theChola dynasty found at Polonnaruwa.[4] The name was perhaps a contraction of its ancient namePulastya nagara orPulatti nakaram meaning city of the Hindu sagePulastya.[5][6]
It was renamed under Chola rule asJananathapuram orJananathamangalam.[7][8] The place was later known asVijayarajapuram as mentioned in the records ofJayabahu I, which probably was derived from the name ofVijayabahu I.[9]
Polonnaruwa has aSinhalese majority.Muslims form the second largest group. There are also small numbers ofSri Lankan Tamils andIndian Tamils. Others includeBurgher andMalay.
| Population | Percent | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sinhalese | 82.90% | |||
| Muslims | 15.82% | |||
| Sri Lankan Tamils | 1.01% | |||
| Indian Tamils | 0.10% | |||
| Others | 0.16% | |||
Source:statistics.gov.lk
Polonnaruwa was first established as a military post by the Sinhalese kingdom.[1] It was renamed Jananathamangalam by theChola dynasty after their successful invasion of the country in the 10th century.[10]Raja Raja Chola I builtVanavan Mahadevisvaram, aShiva temple at Polonnaruwa named after his queen, which presently is known asSiva Devale.[11] The temple among other contained Ganesha and Parvati statues ofbronze.[6] During this period, the northern and central regions of Sri Lanka were directly governed as a Chola province underRajendra Chola I. However, after 1070 AD, Chola rule on the island came to an end, and Polonnaruwa was captured byVijayabahu I of Polonnaruwa, also known as Vijayabahu the Great.[12]
Starting from Mahanagakula on the south of theWalawe river, Vijayabahu dispatched three armies to attack Polonnaruwa from three fronts. One army was sent along the western shore of the country to the port of Mahathittha to deal with any reinforcements arriving from South India. Afterwards, part of this army moved towards Polonnaruwa and attacked from the northwest. A second army was sent from the east across Magama to attack Polonnaruwa from the east. The third and main force advanced across the country, led by the king. Surrounded by these three armies, Polonnaruwa was besieged for seven months before king Vijayabahu I's forces entered the city. In 1070, Vijayabahu I became the ruler of Polonnaruwa.[13][14] At that time Sri Lanka was known as Thambapanni.
Trade and agriculture flourished under the patronage ofKing Parakramabahu the Great, the renowned grandson of Vijayabahu I of Polonnaruwa, who insisted that not a single drop of water falling from the heavens should go to waste, ensuring that every drop contributed to the development of the land.[citation needed] Hence, irrigation systems that are far superior to those of theAnuradhapura period were constructed during Parakramabahu I's reign – systems which to this day supply the water necessary for paddy cultivation during the scorching dry season in the east of the country. The greatest of these systems is theParakrama Samudra or the Sea of Parakrama which was also used as a large sea-going ship anchorage via the Mahaweli River.[12] The Kingdom of Polonnaruwa was completely self-sufficient during King Parakramabahu I's reign.
With the exception of his immediate successor,Nissankamalla I, the other monarchs of Polonnaruwa were not as strong-willed and were prone to picking fights within their own court.[citation needed] They also went on to form more matrimonial alliances with strongerSouth Indian kingdoms until these matrimonial links superseded the local royal lineage. This prompted an invasion by theAryacakravarti dynasty warlordKalinga Magha in 1214, which resulted in the complete destruction of the metropolises of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa by fire..
 | This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(April 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Today, the ancient city of Polonnaruwa stands as one of the best-planned archaeological relic cities in the country, bearing testimony to the discipline and grandeur of the Kingdom’s early rulers. Its beauty was also used as a backdrop to film scenes for theDuran Duran music videoSave a Prayer in 1982. The ancient city of Polonnaruwa has been declared aWorld Heritage Site byUNESCO.
Near the ancient city lies a bustling town with numerous hotels, modern shops, and facilities to meet daily needs. About 6 km away, along the main road, a newly developed area known as 'New Town' houses various government institutions. The largest school in the district,Polonnaruwa Royal Central College is situated in the new town.
Polonnaruwa, the second-largest city in theNorth Central Province, is renowned as one of the cleanest and most picturesque cities in the country. Its lush environment, remarkable ancient monuments, theParakrama Samudra - a vast reservoir constructed in the 13th century - and a combination of attractive tourist accommodations and hospitable locals make it a popular destination for visitors.
Another draw for tourists is the city's population oftoque macaques. These monkeys have inhabited the ruins since human occupation and have continued to thrive long after the humans departed.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
 | ||
| |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Anuradhapura kingdom 377 BC – 1017 AD | |||||||
| Background | |||||||
| History |
| ||||||
| Government | |||||||
| Politics and people | |||||||
| Geography | |||||||
| Economy | |||||||
| Society and culture | |||||||
| |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||
| Background | |||||||||
| History |
| ||||||||
| Government |
| ||||||||
| Politics | |||||||||
| Geography | |||||||||
| Society | |||||||||
| Culture |
| ||||||||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
