Sri Lanka - Polonnaruwa

The Chola empire came to power in the late 9th century and lasted until around the late 13th century. For about seventy-five years, Sri Lanka was ruled as a Chola province and it was during this time that the practice of Buddhism became surpassed by Hinduism. The Chola empire chose Polonnaruwa to be their capital as a result of its location near the Mahaweli Ganga, a river that formed a natural barrier to potential Sinhalese attacks from the South.

In 1070 AD, King Vijayabahu I drove the Chola out of Sri Lanka and recaptured the former Sri Lankan capital of Anuradhapura. But instead of renaming it as their capital, they instead chose Polonnaruwa, for the same reason as the Chola, because it offered a more defensible position from potential invasions.

Vijayabahu focused his energies on restoring the Buddhist presence to the capital by rennovating temples and monasteries that had been formerly neglected. After Vijabahu's reign ended, a short period of political instability followed, ending when King Parakramabahu I rose to power. Under his guidance, Polonnaruwa reached its peak.

Perhaps the most impressive sculptures at Pollonnaruwa are the imposing images of the Buddha located at the Gal Vihare. These four pieces of sculpture were commissioned by Parakramabahu. The first is of a seated Buddha in deep meditiation, seated on a throne decorated with lions and thunderbolts. The second is inside of a cave and records in detail Parakramabahu's initiatives to unite the Buddhist order. The next sculpture stands twenty three feet high and expresses the serenity of the Buddha. The final, and most imposing, statue is of a reclining Buddha, which measures 46 feet in length. He is in the last moment of his life on earth, on the verge of entering nirvana.