Menika and daughter first visit to ancient Polonnaruwa

Our trip to the Gal Vihare and the Watadage in Polonnaruwa was a brief introduction to show Menika and her daughter some of what we had to offer here. There were tourists and there were signs all over saying "no photos with backs to the images" There were a number of tourist police whose job was to prevent people from having their photos taken.

One couple in particular were interpreting it as it was fine if the back was not to the statue but just the side was so the person and the statue would be in one photo in a sideways pose. The police pounced on them with the tourist protesting that their back was not to the statue.

They felt most agrieved as they felt they were obeying the instruction to the letter and the police were not interpreting it properly. They were most upset. So in order that there is no confusion the notice should read, no photos to be taken with people posing as well and to apply this universally for all buddha statues all over the island and not just an isolated place here and there.


The head of the reclining Buddha at Gal Vihare


A view of Gal Vihare from the adjoining rock



My favorite photo of them coming down the Gal Vihare rock