Polonnaruwa was Sri Lanka 's second ancient capital. The city was established by invading Indian Chola armies in the 11 th century, but fell into the hands of the Sinhalese kings after the Chola defeat. As a result Polonnaruwa contains an interesting mix of both Hindu and Buddhist structures. The city rose to prominence during the reign of King Parakramabahu – a monarch who worked tirelessly to create a prosperous kingdom.

The remains of the royal palace (believed to have been a seven story structure), and other ruins such as the royal baths, and audience halls are in close proximity to one another. The Galvihara, is an amazing carving of three statues of the Buddha. Each is in a different position, and all three have been carved out of a single rock. Another amazing feature at Polonnaruwa is the Parakrama Samudra, a reservoir built by King Parakramabahu- which even today is considered a monumental engineering achievement. The reservoir was constructed to provide water to canals in order that a wide area of farming land could be irrigated.