Archaeological Museum, Polonnaruwa, Polonnaruwa Overview

Polonnaruwa is an ancient city, which constitutes, apart from the natural ruined sites ,one of UNESCO's World Heritage Site. The city has rooms full of excavated artefacts, which form the archaeological museum of Polonnaruwa. The museum was established in the Public Services Sports Club Hall at Polonnaruwa in 1962 and depicted scenes from 1012 A.D. During this period, the region was ruled by the Chola dynasty, which had some of the mightiest rulers. One of the most diligent rulers was King Parakramabahu I, who selflessly supervised the construction of Polonnaruwa. The museum looks like a small, simple hut from outside, but consists of a variety of informative visuals and artefacts on the inside.

The museum aims to develop and provide knowledge to the community by following methods of conservations and reservations, showcases several statues of Indian Gods, especially bronze statues of Lord Shiva and Gautam Buddha. The archaeological museum, with all its history, heritage and honour, is the first destination in most Polonnaruwa tours. It is the entry point to the city and well deserves so. The replica of ancient monuments and buildings stimulates the imagination of informs the tourists of the royal past of the site. Usually, travellers begin their Polonnaruwa tour from this site. Doing so briefs them about where they have landed - the history and heritage of the city, which lies at 200 km from the capital city, Colombo.

Entry Fee at Archaeological Museum, Polonnaruwa

The entrance fee to the museum is around 3000 LKR.

The price is entirely worth it because the museum has a lot to offer. The site is rich in information, ancient statues and imaginary visuals from the medieval era, which leaves tourists with no regrets.

Collection at Archaeological Museum, Polonnaruwa

The museum contains several ancient artefacts, like statues, coins, carvings, weapons, household items and musical instruments. One can also find historic maps here. All these artefacts have information with it, which is in different languages, including Sinhalese, Tamil, English and French. The front desk of the museum has bundles of drawings of the site. Frequent visitors to the museum recommend tourists to pick a map from the front desk to be able to navigate the museum quickly.

Architecture of Archaeological Museum, Polonnaruwa

The museum looks like a simple hut from outside but is an extensive collection of rooms on the inside. Each room depicts one region, including the citadel, the outer city and the monasteries. There are many statues and sculptures, of ancient Hindu Gods, like Shiva and Buddha.These statues come with information on the excavations. As one goes further inside the museum, there are different rooms dedicated to different ancient imaginary buildings, such as the citadel, the outer city and the monasteries. In other words, the museum is a topographical representation of the ruined sites.

History of Archaeological Museum, Polonnaruwa

The museum was established in the Public Services Sports Club Hall at Polonnaruwa in 1962 and depicted scenes from 1012 A.D. During this period, the Chola dynasty ruled the region. The museum was built to commemorate the buildings of the medieval era, and provide information to the visitors.

Tips while Visiting Archaeological Museum, Polonnaruwa

Some of the tips to keep in mind while visiting the museum are:

The locals worship the ruins and thus expect tourists to have their shoulders and knees covered.
Photography is strictly not allowed inside the museum.
It is advisable to pick a map from the museum's front desk before going in further.

How To Reach Archaeological Museum, Polonnaruwa

The museum is located at an approximate distance of 4 kms from Polonnaruwa station and is accessible by tuk-tuk. The tuk-tuk ride should fare around 1000 LKR, and take 15 minutes. The route of the journey has a few ancient ruins, which are worth a watch.