Polonnaruwa

                Like Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa is another, if more recent, former capital of the country.  Indeed, the history of Anuradhapura is much older and its ruins cover a greater expanse of land. Nevertheless, Polonnaruwa flourished more than a millennium ago. It is also better preserved than its near neighbour. Just north of the present day town, and 140 km north of Kandy, are the ruins of the ancient city.

                 These date from the late 10th century, when the Chola kings of southern India invaded Sri Lanka and conquered Anuradhapura. The invaders moved their capital to Polonnaruwa, strategically located for defence against attacks from the unconquered Sinhala kingdom of Ruhunu to the southeast. Today it boasts perhaps the finest examples of Buddhist sculpture in the country, which are also amongst the finest in the world. Of special note both for its devotional intensity and for supreme skill of its execution is the universally acclaimed “Reclining Buddha”, in fact a representation of the dying moments of the great sage and teacher.

                 Extraordinarily delicate emotion and detail can be seen in the head and in the depression of the pillow created by its weight. A slight shortening of one foot as against the other denotes the moment of death. The work represents carving of supreme artistic refinement and, given that the medium is granite, of remarkable technical virtuosity as well.