Polonnaruwa (ancient city) [Photo gallery]

Polonnaruwa represents one of the most ancient cities of Sri Lanka and the archaeological site preserves the remains of various structures dating to the 10th century CE. Some of the important kings who reigned in this kingdom are King Vijayabahu I and his grandson, king Prakramabahu the Great. The city and it's architecture were influenced by various religious such as Hinduism in its early history, Shaivism and later Buddhism. Polonnaruwa is also known by the names Pulathisipura (Pulathisi-pura), Vijayarajapura (Vijayaraja-pura) and Jananathapuram (Jananatha-pura) or Jananathamangalam (Jananatha-mangala).