| Itinerary | Culture Tour - Option III - Explore changing culture heritage (Winter) |
|---|---|
| Duration Info | DAY - 5 (Sigiriya - Polonnaruwa - Minneriya - Sigiriya) |
| Accommodation Info | |
| Location | SIGIRIYA |
| Meals Info | Bed & Breakfast |
| Hotel | Oak Ray Elephant Lake |
| Image | PR-MINNE-1.jpg |
| Id | 397 |
| Created | 5/11/20, 5:12 AM |
<ul><li>Early breakfast at the hotel and visit Polonnaruwa. Approximately 1 hours’ drive<br></li><li>You will be cycling inside the ancient city of Polonnaruwa the Cultural World Heritage site and explore the ruins at the period of 12th century AD.</li><li>Afternoon visit Minneriya national park to see the largest heard of Asian elephants in the world </li><li>Dinner and overnight stay at Oak Ray Elephant Lake, Sigiriya</li></ul>
| Id | Location Id | Thinkstodocategory Id | Title | Name | Decsription | Duration Hours | Suitable Time | Good For | Difficulty | Clothing | Equipments | Numberofparticipants | Importanttoknow | Approximatecost | Remarks | Showforpublic | Image | Created | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 59 | 29 | 1 | Elephants watching, Minneriya national park | Elephants watching, Minneriya national park | <ul>Minneriya national park is located 195 km northeast of Colombo and 30 Km from Polonnaruwa. It is the best place in the world to see a large herd of Asian elephants. It was a Wildlife Sanctuary since 1938 and designated as a national park in 1997. </ul> | 1 | B.jpg | 2/11/19, 8:01 AM | View Edit Delete | ||||||||||
| 330 | 29 | 40 | Ancient City of Polonnaruwa, World heritage site | Ancient City of Polonnaruwa, World heritage site | <ul>The World Heritage site, the ancient city of Polonnaruwa is the must-visit place on your journey in Sri Lanka. The most number of buildings in the ancient city of Polonnaruwa has built by King Parakramabahu the Great. He designed Polonnaruwa as a complete city by constructing the king’s palace and administration building with an auditorium, the various religious buildings centered on Alahana Pirivena (a medieval centre of learning for monks), and the unique irrigation complex based on Parakrama Samudraya (sea of Parakrama) that waters the city as well as the surrounding plains.<br> <br>This cultural treasure Polonnaruwa is a part of the “Cultural Triangle” in Sri Lanka. It shows the interesting blend of the influence of south Indian Hindu culture on the Sinhala Buddhist art and architecture in the scattered shrines and monuments still venerated daily by devotees. The top sites you not to miss in your journey in Polonnaruwa are:<br> <br><b>Northern Monuments</b><br> <br><i><b>Gal Viharaya</b></i><br> A magnificent group of colossal statues of Lord Buddha was cut in a row from streaked granite rock originally known as Uttararama. This was the masterpiece of Sinhalese artistic achievement. The expressions of peace, serenity on the statues, and the consummate skills shown by the craftsmen will linger most of the visitors. <br><i><b>Rankot Vehera</b></i><br> The name “Rankot” means goldern-pinnacled. It was the largest stupa in Polonnaruwa with a height of 55 m. This stupa was founded by one of the queens of King Parakramabahu the great and completed by King Nissankamalla. <br><i><b>Alahana Pirivena complex</b></i><br> Alahana Pirivena was the centre of learning for monks. This complex consists of Badda Seema Prasada, Lankatilaka Pilimage, and Kiri Vehera <br><i><b>Badda Seema Prasada</b></i><br> Badda Seema Prasada was an assembly hall said to be 12 storied building used for reciting the common rules of discipline of the Vinaya ancient Bhikku hospital on the right side of this building. and Kirivehera Stupa parts <br><i><b>Lankathilaka Pilimage (image house)</b></i><br> This image house was completely made out of bricks and the outside of the wall decorated with carvings. A headless monolithic Buddha image of 12.49 m in height is inside this image house <br><i><b>Kiri Vehera</b></i><br> The most preserved and unrestored stupa in Sri Lanka. The stupa has unspoiled white plaster and that’s’ why it was named as Kiri (Milk) Vehera.<br> <br><b>Ancient City</b><br> <br><i><b>Sacred Quadrangle</b></i><br> The main focus of the ancient city area is Sacred Quadrangle (In Sinhala “Dala Maluwa”). It is the terrace of the tooth relic temples built by various kings ruled from Polonnaruwa. The sacred quadrangle is on a raised up platform bounded by a wall. It has contained 12 ancient buildings. <br><i><b>Atadage</b></i><br> The first tooth relic temple built by King Vijayabahu – I. It is said that this was built on 54 stone pillars and the relic was kept on the second floor. A few steps of the staircase to the second floor still can be seen. This is the only surviving building in Polonnaruwa built by King Vijayabahu – I. <br><i><b>Hatadage</b></i><br> The tooth relic temple said to be built by King Nissankamalla. <br><i><b>Polonnaruwa - Vatadage</b></i><br> A circular building with a diameter of 18 m. The uppermost platform containing a small stupa on the centre and 4 seated Buddha statues around it. The lower platform has a single entrance. The middle platform has four entrances facing the four cardinal points. The Buddha statues in the uppermost platform directly facing the four entrances. The moonstone and the guard stone at the entrance of the Vatadage have considered the best of their kind in Sri Lanka and masterpiece of Singhalese art tradition. <br><i><b>Nissanka Latha-Mandapaya</b></i><br> This beautiful architectural edifice has built by king Nissankamalla to listen to the religious texts being chanted. It is a stone-built structure only its foundation platform and highly ornate stone columns remain. <br><i><b>Thuparamaya</b></i><br> The well-preserved image house was built for the worship of the Buddha. This is a different architectural manifestation in comparison with the other image houses in Sri Lanka. It is considered as a stylistic derivation of the ancient architectural form called “Gnijakavsatha” described in Pali literature. <br><i><b>Gal Pota</b></i><br> The "stone book" is an enormous stone slab that has glowing inscriptions praising the work of King Nissankamalla. This 8 m long, 4 m wide 25 tonnes weighed stone slab dragged from Mihintale to Polonnaruwa <br><i><b>Sathmahal Pasada</b></i><br> This "Seven Storey Edifice" was a Buddhist stupa that perhaps reflects a rare architectural form that prevailing in the wider Asian region including the southeast during the late historic period that is exemplified by the Wat Phra That Hariphunchai in Lamphun, Thailand. <br><i><b>Shiva Devale No. 1</b></i><br> It is believed that this was built in the 13th century AD by south Indian invaders. This was constructed according to the south Indian architectural style with excellent stone carving.<br> <br><b>Royal citadel Monuments</b><br> <br><i><b>Vejayanta Pasada</b></i><br> This the King Parakramabahu’s administrative centre including his palace. According to the chronicle, it is a seven-story building and contained 1000 rooms. The gigantic brick walls of the auditorium and 40 intercommunicating rooms can still be seen. <br><i><b>Audience Hall</b></i><br> King Parakramabahu’s audience hall is located east of the royal palace that has gorgeous stone carvings. The perfectly engraved bas-relief friezes of elephants and majestically seated lions are on the stone base of this building. <br><i><b>Kumara Pokuna</b></i><br> The royal bathing pool and the remains of the water gardens of the royal palace beautiful places to watch.<br> <br><b>Southern Monuments</b><br> <br><i><b>Pothgul Vihara Statue</b></i><br> The statue carved on a large rock boulder near the Pothgul Viharaya. The majestic figure depicted on the statue is commonly known as a figure of King Parakramabahu the great but still not confirmed by the archaeologist. <br><i><b>Pothgul Vihara</b></i><br> This is the ancient library complex. It is Gedige type structure and consists of four small stupas surrounding a circular brick building on the central platform. <br><i><b>King Nissankamalla’s Council chamber</b></i><br> It is located close to the bund of the Parakrama Samudraya, the largest man-made ancient reservoir in Sri Lanka. Each pillar of this council chamber has an inscription indicating the seating arrangement of the respective ministers and state officials and their statues.<br> <br>The ancient city of Polonnaruwa much of the same as the ancient city of Angkor in Cambodia that also belonged to the same period. Both being able to walk relatively freely through the temples, shrines, and ruins</ul> | 1 | B.jpg | 4/28/20, 11:43 PM | View Edit Delete |