23 August 2019
There was much needed overnight rain here. We were woken up at about 6 am by the noise of monkeys (Gray Langur) outside our balcony. They were in the trees foraging for berries. They were playing and it was quite interesting to watch.
We checked and Sigiriya Rock was still there. Today we will be going to the ancient city of Polonnaruwa and followed by an elephant sanctuary. It will be a long day. I have done both before and happy to see these places again.
Polonnaruwa is especially interesting for history buffs. I spent some time there on my previous visit. Our trip today to Polonnaruwa will take us past Sigiriya Rock.
On the road trip, we came across someone feeding an Asian Water Monitor with discarded fish heads. These animals are scavengers and play an important role in the river eco system. They clean the river of dead animals and other edible items. This keeps the river clean.
We reach Polonnaruwa before noon. We visit the museum to get an idea of the immenseness of this area.
Polonnaruwa was established in the 11th century after the first capital , Anuradhapura was invaded by the South Indian armies of the Cholas. The Chola influence spread right across to East Asia and as far as Bali.
Polonnaruwa is an extensive and well organised city. The Kings at the time had a lot of forethought and built large reservoirs for irrigation of crop fields. These reservoirs are still actively being used and benefitting farmers today.
Polannaruwa contained a mixture of Buddhist and Hindu structures. There were Hindu influences following the conquest of South Indian armies into Polannaruwa.
I visited the Shiva Devale No 2. The Hindu priest present invited me and performed a prayer in my name and blessed me. I felt really touched standing in front of a temple that is over a 1000 years old.
After Polonnaruwa, we made our way to a Safari 4WD outfit to get a guide and a 4WD for at trip into the Kaudulla National Park. There are 3 interconnecting parks in this area. A large number of the elephants are currently in Kaudulla.
Elephants at Kaudulla National Park
