Royal Palace of King Parakramabahu I

The Royal Palace of King Parakramabahu I was constructed around 1153 AD and according to the Chulavamsa chronicle originally rose seven storeys and contained 1,000 rooms. The surviving walls reach up to 10 metres and show the outlines of the ground floor rooms, staircases, and the Council Chamber (Audience Hall) nearby, whose floor is decorated with carved elephant friezes. The scale of the ruins gives a clear sense of Polonnaruwa at its peak as one of medieval Asia's most planned and organised cities. The Audience Hall columns are particularly well-preserved and display intricate carvings of lions, elephants, and dwarves. A bicycle is the best way to link this ruin with the nearby Vatadage and Lankatilaka sites, all within one kilometre.