Polonnaruwa Ancient City And Habarana Day Tour From Sigiriya

according to the chronicles, during the 12th century a prince of great metal and physical vigour hailing from the Rohana (Southern part of Sri Lanka) forced his way to the throne of Sri Lanka as King Prakrama Bahu the great. Establishing himself in Polonnaruwa, a capital worthy of authority and ambition of the ruler, he proceeded to show himself as a successful warrior and a great administrator, during which time he, through a medium of a dam nine miles long created the Sea of Parakrama” harvesting rain water to be used in the dry period of the year for cultivation purposes, carving the irrigation brilliance of Sri Lankan’s in stone, when most of Europe where still in darkness. In a period of prosperity with the objective of storing food many such projects were undertaken some of which function even today. Today vast ruins stand sentinel bearing witness in Polonnaruwa to his power and glory.

is located 182 kms away from Colombo, in the North Central Plains of Sri Lanka. The major city closest to Minneriya National Park is Polonnaruwa. May to October is the best period to visit Minneriya National Park in view of the famous Gathering of the wild elephant herds. The gathering is documented as the largest known meeting place of Asian Elephants in the world. During the dry season of August to September each year, herds up to 300 elephants are seen within a few square kilometers of the vast Minneriya Reservoir. This Elephant Gathering is a thrilling spectacle that would be remembered for the rest of the life of all those who were fortunate enough to witness it. 24 species of mammals and over 170 species of birds have been recorded here and out Of the 25 species of reptiles recorded in the park 8 are endemic.