The medieval capital from the 11th to the end of the 1st quarter of the 13th Century, Polonnaruwa is situated in the Dry Zone of the North Central province.
The ancient Sinhala rulers built vast irrigation reservoirs and many of them are still flourishing in the planes of Polonnaruwa and is the heart of the city to date. The Thopaweva, built in the 6th century by Upatissa the 2nd, and two other reservoirs were combined by the greatest ruler of Polonnaruwa, King Parakramabahu the 1st, and is known as the 'Parakrama Samudraya', the sea of Parakrama. This great man made lake is 2,500 hectares in extent and has a capacity 134 million cubic meters.
The city of Polonnaruwa covers an area of about 122 hectares, spread out to a distance of 5km from north to south and 3km from east to west. All the building complexes were made within these boundary walls and later were carefully excavated and preserved.
Vatadage, or the circular relic house is the most sacred monument in the quadrangle. consisting of two terraces and a platform with 4 seated Buddha statues, this building is teemed with the most well preserved stone sculptures in the area from the 11th century.
Also in the quadrangle is the Nissankalatamandapa, once the home to the Tooth Relic, enshrined on the upper floor. Unmistakable with it's unusual pillar type simulating a lotus stalk, with the flower as the capital. An inscription attributes this charming edifice to King Nissankamalla, with how the good king used to listen recitals of the Buddhist scriptures there.
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