Sighting record / 2002

The Polonnaruwa Blue Light, Sri Lanka, 2002

May 13, 2002 · Polonnaruwa District, Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka

24Thinly documented UAP Orb / light 15 sources

May 13, 2002. Around 11.30 pm. The first report came from the seed farm in Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka. A strange blue ball of light, moving just above the ground. For about a month the reports kept coming, from Polonnaruwa District and later Anuradhapura. Villagers said it sounded like a bee and changed direction to avoid trees. Then the national broadcaster Rupavahini aired footage shot near the sacred cliff of Dimbulagala. Hundreds more came forward. Investigators led by a University of Colombo physicist went out to watch the night. They came back convinced. A television crew reached a different answer. A three-wheeler's headlight.

▶ Narrate · Pro

Key facts

When	May 13, 2002
Time of day	around 11.30 pm
Where	Polonnaruwa District, Sri Lanka,Sri Lanka
Duration	about a month (a wave), from 13 May into mid-June 2002
Witnesses	100
Witness roles	civilians
Found	testimony only
Evidence	none confirmed
Investigations	Sri Lanka Air Force (reported by Times of India),University of Colombo / SLUFORA investigation,Rupavahini internal review
Status	disputed

The object

A strange blue or blue-white ball of light, said to speed along as low as 2 feet above the ground. Villagers said it moved at very high velocity, buzzed like a bee when low, and changed direction to avoid trees. Investigators described rotating beams and a V-shaped beam of intense illumination.

Altitude	about 0.6 m
Distance	about 3.0 km from the witnesses
Colour	blue, white
Surface	glowing
Lights	1 light, single light, blue and white
Sound	buzz
Motion	high speed, erratic, abrupt turns

Context

Polonnaruwa District is a land of rice paddy fields, archaeological sites and dense jungle. In the spring of 2002 it became the setting for what the Sri Lanka UFO Research Association would later call its most prolific case.

Sources (15, most influential first)

Sunday Observer, 16 June 2002 (reproduced by Patrick Gross) · Sunday Observer / Patrick Gross· 2002-06-16 · Press, book, documentary · news
Polonnaruwa UFO: experts refuse to close the case · Sunday Times (Sri Lanka)· 2002-06-30 · Academic / paper of record · news
Times of India, 17 June 2002 (reproduced by Patrick Gross) · Times of India / Patrick Gross· 2002-06-17 · Press, book, documentary · news
Of Aliens And UFOs: Sri Lanka's Strangest Sightings · Roar Media· 2017-02-02 · Press, book, documentary · news
Akila Weerasekera on the Polonnaruwa case · LankaWeb · Wiki, blog, podcast · blog

Reputability

24/100Thinly documented

Keywords

People

Gamini ObeysekaraRupavahini's Polonnaruwa correspondent who filmed the light near Dimbulagala
Chandana JayaratneUniversity of Colombo physics lecturer who led the SLUFORA investigation
Akila WeerasekeraSLUFORA and MUFON-Minnesota investigator who witnessed the light over Parakrama Samudra
Sanjaya BandaraUFO author and witness who linked the light to sacred sites
Arthur C. ClarkeAuthor who publicly rejected the alien explanation
Nalaka GunawardenaSpokesman from Clarke's office who noted no objects had been tracked
Umangi de MelSunday Observer reporter
Chandani KirindeSunday Times reporter who covered the three-wheeler explanation

Names

MUFON BUFORA