Polonnaruwa was the second capital of Sri Lanka and it is a UNESCO world heritage site now. To many, Polonnaruwa is a ruin city with many palaces, tall city walls, huge stupas, nicely carved Buddha statues and colossal image houses with colorful paintings. 
Only few knows the fact, that Polonnaruwa has 14 Hindu temples inside the sacred city and some of them are living temples venerated by both Hindus and Buddhist living in nearby areas. 
The kings of Polonnaruwa intermarried with the members of South Indian royals and as a result, veneration of Hindu deities come to a prominence than ever before. In the other hand, the influence of powerful Chola emperor Rajendra 1 and his descendants became a key factor in Political affairs of Polonnaruwa in 10th century and thereafter. Veneration of Shiva was getting popular in South India and this cult was brought to Sri Lanka by these Chola invaders.