Polonnaruwa
Polonnaruwa 115 km East of Anuradhapura was made the capital city of Sri Lanka in 1029 AD by the Cholas of India who invaded and destroyed the city of Anuradhapura. Polonnaruwa was a retreat to the Sinhala (Sri Lankan) Kings during times of foreign invasions. It was a prosperous agricultural village and the Cholas decided that it was a suitable place for their capital.
The Chola reign was considered invincible until a brave Sinhala King named Vijebahu from the Southern part of the island defeated them and continued to rule from Polonnaruwa adding much development to the Religious and agricultural aspects.
Among the many Kings and Queens that ruled from the capital of Polonnaruwa, the names of King Parakramabahu and King Nissankamalla who succeed King Vijebahu standout due their great contributions towards the development of the city and spreading the faith of Buddhism.
One visiting the ancient ruins of Polonnaruwa could observe evidence of the existence of both Sinhala and Tamil cultures in the Polonnaruwa period.
