As Sri Lanka’s second most ancient kingdom, and one of the country’s most impressive archaeological relic cities, Polonnaruwa is breathtaking at every single turn. 🙌🏼
Ancient crumbled palace and temple ruins, giant white stupas, pristine gardens & lotus ponds 🌿, massive Buddha statues carved into rocky hillsides, and lush green landscapes dotted with fluffy toque macaques 🐒 and cloud-like white egrets.
And its urban planning is no less impressive than its architecture and landscapes — the irrigation systems built under King Parākramabāhu are actually still used to supply water to regions in Sri Lanka to this day. 💦 The king of Polonnaruwa believed that not a drop of water fallen from the heavens should be wasted, and ensured that every bit of it was used to develop the land. And it shows.
Polonnaruwa has been one of the most jaw-dropping sites I’ve seen in Sri Lanka (and one of the most incredible @unescoworldheritage sites I’ve seen anywhere in the world) and it’s worth spending a day exploring the grounds and catching sunset from the lake. Don’t miss it on your Sri Lanka itinerary!
Repost @thewayfaress