We passed a beautiful lake
--well I thought it was a lake. Then Lankesh said: “Man-made reservoir, Mum. One thousand years old.”
An 11th century reservoir that was still functioning! And just one of several from the same period still used for swimming, “angling” and agriculture. Built when Leif Eriksson was establishing his settlement in Greenland. Built at the time of the Battle of Hastings. Polonnaruwa was the second capital of the Island. The first was further north in Anuradhapura -- established 1400 years earlier. And I hadn’t heard of either.
Polonnaruwa was a sort of “Forbidden City”, accessible only to the Royal Family, and also a sanctuary for Buddhist monks. After it was abandoned in 1215 for yet another capital, Polonnaruwa was gradually overtaken by the jungle. When excavation started in 1903 it was “only a mound of earth” according to British archaeologist HCP Bell whose exciting job it was to rediscover it.
It has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1982 and is one of the most visited places in Sri Lanka both by tourists and Buddhist pilgrims – who were in the majority the day I went.
There are a few rules to observe when visiting Buddhist shrines. A special one for tourists: “No photos with your back to the Buddha.” And all have to have shoulders and knees covered and take off their shoes near the shrines.
This last nearly undid me. The hot stones burned my feet. When I decided to keep my shoes on and just look from a distance at the most remarkable statues in Polonnarawa, Lankesh, realizing my problem, said “Socks are all right, Mum.” And so I strode forward, the envy of all the footsore Europeans I encountered whose guides hadn’t given them this useful information. And I was glad I did.
Buddha in meditation position
Smaller Buddha in artificial grotto surrounded by Hindu gods.
Reclining Buddha (14 m or 46 feet long)
He has a lovely face.
In the late afternoon, I visited another Buddha at Aukana -- a place I found even more impressive. First, we drove on a country road through the jungle and passed another ancient reservoir or “tank” as they are known locally. Shortly afterwards, we arrived at a small parking area near some stone steps. We climbed them and came to the place to take off our shoes and buy an entry ticket. There was a school nearby but, since it was Sunday, there were no children. We went through an entrance, walking on stone. In front of us was
To our left was the statue we had come to see – the tallest in the Buddhist world since the Taliban destroyed the Bamian statues in Afghanistan in 2001.
This statue, built at approximately the same time as the others I had seen, is 12 m (39 ft) tall and carved, like them, from living rock. The Buddha has his hand raised in the blessing position and is positioned so the rising sun’s rays light his head. The statue was originally covered in gold. You can see traces of it on his toes -- as well as the mark between his feet which the sculptor used to align the head and the feet.
“All the calculations without a computer, Mum.” said Lankesh in awe. I was the only westerner there at the time. This is more a local shrine than a tourist attraction. Toward the end of our visit, a group of pilgrims, led by a monk, knelt and chanted.
“Many people haven’t been able to come here for 30 years, Mum.” said Lankesh, quietly. One more reason to be glad that one war, at least, is over.
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