Polonnaruwa
Gal Vihara
Four Buddha statues carved directly into a single granite outcrop, considered among the finest stone carving of the medieval period.
Compact,Elegant Ruins.
Polonnaruwa succeeded Anuradhapura as Sri Lanka’s capital in the 11th century, and its ruins are more compact and easier to explore in a single day. The royal palace complex, quadrangle of shrines and the giant rock-cut Buddha statues at Gal Vihara are among the best-preserved medieval monuments on the island.
The surrounding Parakrama Samudra reservoir, built by King Parakramabahu I, still irrigates the surrounding farmland today — a working reminder of just how advanced the era’s hydraulic engineering was.
