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What is significant in Polonnaruwa

The ancient city of Polonnaruwa remains as one of the best planned Archeological sites in the country. It had been developed as an alternative capital by the Sri Lankan kings. King Aggabodhi IV (667 – 683 AD) was the first Sri Lankan King who resided in Polonnaruwa. Some kings also chose Polonnaruwa to rule from whenever Anuradhapura was under siege or under threat.

Although established as a metropolis well before the Chola invasion from South India in the tenth century, the Cholas made it their capital after laying waste the then capital Anuradhapura in 993 AD. The selection of Polonnaruwa as the capital was no doubt a strategic decision made by the Chola invaders.

Anuradhapura was the first capital of Sri Lanka and lasted for over 1500 years from the 4th century BC to the 10th century AD. The Chola emperor Rajaraja invaded the northern part of Sri Lanka, the Rajarata or ‘King’s Country’ in 993 AD and annexed it to the ‘Mummuda Chola Mandalam’ ( as the Chola Empire was then called) as a province named ‘Ila Mandalam’. King Mahinda V was the last ruler of the Anuradhapura kingdom. A weak ruler, he was captured by the invaders, taken to India and died there in 1029. The Chola Invaders destroyed Anuradhapura city and established their ruling capital in Polonnaruwa in 1017 which they called “Jananathapuram”. During this period most of the Sinhalese in these areas migrated to the south to escape the cruelties of this Tamil ruler.

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