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| Image by Mohamed Nuzrath from Pixabay |
** Poḷonnaruwa**
-**Also referred as Pulathisipura and Vijayarajapura in ancient times, is the main town of Polonnaruwa District in North Central Province, Sri Lanka. The modern town of Polonnaruwa is also known as New Town, and the other part of Polonnaruwa remains as the royal ancient city of the Kingdom of Polonnaruwa.The second oldest of all Sri Lanka's kingdoms, Polonnaruwa was first established as a military post by the Sinhalese kingdom. It was renamed Jananathamangalam by the Chola dynasty after their successful invasion of the country's then capital, Anuradhapura, in the 10th century. The Ancient City of Polonnaruwa has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
**Polonnaruwa Vatadage**
-**The Polonnaruwa Vatadage is an ancient structure dating back to the Kingdom of Polonnaruwa in Sri Lanka. It is believed to have been built during the reign of Parakramabahu I to hold the Relic of the tooth of the Buddha or during the reign of Nissanka Malla of Polonnaruwa to hold the alms bowl used by the Buddha. Both these venerated relics would have given the structure great significance and importance at the time. Abandoned for several centuries, excavation work at the Polonnaruwa Vatadage began in 1903.
-**Constructed to safeguard a petite stupa , the edifice features a pair of stone platforms adorned with intricate stone engravings. There is only one doorway leading to the lower level, which faces north, and four doorways leading to the second platform , which faces the four cardinal points. The stupa is located on the upper platform, which is encircled by a brick wall. Encircling it are four seated Buddha sculptures, each facing a different entrance. Three concentric rows of stone columns had also been positioned here, presumably to support a wooden roof. The entire structure is decorated with stone carvings. Some of the carvings at the Polonnaruwa Vatadage, such as its sandakada pahanas, are considered to be the best examples of such architectural features. Although some archaeologists have suggested that it also had a wooden roof, this theory is disputed by others.
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| Image by Thanuja Sandaruwan from Pixabay |
**Hatadage**
-*Hatadage is an ancient relic shrine in the city of Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka. It was built by King Nissanka Malla, and had been used to keep the Relic of the tooth of the Buddha. The Hatadage had been built using stone, brick and wood, although only parts of the brick and stone walls now remain. It appears to have been a two-storey structure, but the upper storey has now been destroyed.
-**The Hatadage is situated within the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, which lies in the North Central province of Sri Lanka. It is close to the northern edge of the Dalada Maluva, an area containing some of the oldest and most sacred monuments in the city. The entrance to the Hatadage faces directly toward the entrance of the Polonnaruwa Vatadage. Nearby, you’ll find the Galpotha stone inscription to the east and the Atadage to the west.
-**King Nissanka Malla (reigned from 1187 to 1196) commissioned the construction of the Hatadage. Several historical sources, including the Rajaveliya, Poojavaliya, and the Galpotha inscription, mention that it was built in sixty hours. The Sinhalese word “Hata” means sixty, and “Dage” means relic shrine. It is possible that the structure was named Hatadage to commemorate this feat. Another theory suggests that it is named so because it held sixty relics. The tooth relic of the Buddha was presumably kept in the upper storey of the shrine.
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| Image by Thanuja Sandaruwan from Pixabay |
**Rankoth Vehera**
-**Rankoth Vehera-** is a stupa located in the ancient city of Polonnaruwa in Sri Lanka. The stupa was built by Nissanka Malla of Polonnaruwa, who ruled the country from 1187 to 1196. The Rankoth Vehera has been built according to the tradition of the stupas of the Anuradhapura Maha Viharaya and bears a close resemblance to Ruwanwelisaya. However, it has later come to be known by the currently used name, Rankoth Vehera. In Sinhalese, ran means gold, kotha is the name given to the pinnacle of a stupa, and vehera means stupa or temple.
-**Rankoth Vehera-** is made entirely of brick. Its base has a circumference of 550 feet (170 meters), and its height is 108 feet (33 meters). However , during later renovations, especially to its upper portion, its original height of nearly 200 feet (61 meters) may have been altered. Notwithstanding this , it continues to be the biggest stupa in the historic city of Polonnaruwa and the fourth biggest stupa nationwide. Four sizable Vahalkadas , or support structures for flowers, are present on the stupa and are meant to balance the weight of the monument.
-**These Vahalkadas are also made of brick.Rankoth Vehera stands at the center of a large square terrace, surrounded by a brick wall. The terrace has four entrances, each oriented toward the four cardinal points, with sand paths leading to them. A stone inscription near one of the entrances indicates that King Nissanka Malla personally observed and supervised the stupa’s construction from that spot. It also mentions that he worshiped the stupa from a small platform located in a corner of the terrace. Rankoth Vehera is a remarkable piece of Sri Lanka’s ancient architecture and religious heritage.
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| Image by Mohamed Nuzrath from Pixabay |
**Nissanka Latha Mandapaya**
-**Nissanka Latha Mandapaya-** is a unique structure in the ancient city of Polonnaruwa in Sri Lanka. A màndapa is a pillared structure that is open on all sides and protects the person(s) inside from the sun with a roof. By definition, as of the 20th century, mándapas, as temporary structures, are built inside a house or a building and serve as recitation platform during remembrance ceremonies for the dead.The Nissanka Latha Mandapaya is a unique structure located in the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka. Built by King Nissanka Malla (reigned from 1187 to 1196), this remarkable màndapa (pillared structure) has several distinctive features:
-**The Nissanka Latha Mandapaya as a recitation house for Buddhist chanting (pirith). It is an open-sided structure with a roof that provides shade from the sun. Unlike temporary mándapas built inside houses, this one stands independently near the western entrance of the Dalada Maluva, an area containing some of the oldest and most sacred monuments in Polonnaruwa. The structure consists of an elevated stone platform surrounded by a low stone wall. The Nissanka Latha Mandapaya is particularly notable for its eight granite columns. There are two rows of these columns, four in each row. Each intricately carved column is roughly 8 feet 4 inches (2.54 meters) tall. The crown of each column resembles a blossoming lotus bud, while the rest of the column resembles the stem of the flower. Unlike typical straight columns of the period, these are curved in three places, making them exceptional examples of ancient Sri Lankan architecture.-**
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| Photo by Rathna Deepaya on Unsplash |
**Gal Vihara**
The Gal Vihara is a rock temple of the Buddha situated in the ancient city Polonnaruwa, the capital of the ancient Kingdom of Polonnaruwa, now present-day Polonnaruwa, in North Central Province, Sri Lanka. It was fashioned in the 12th century by King Parakramabahu I. The central feature of the temple is four rock relief statues of the Buddha, which have been carved into the face of a large granite gneiss rock. The images consist of a large seated figure, another smaller seated figure inside an artificial cavern, a standing figure, and a reclining figure. These are considered to be some of the best examples of ancient Sinhalese sculpting and carving arts, and have made the Gal Vihara the most visited monument at Polonnaruwa.-**
-**Big Seated Figure: The most noticeable statue is of a big Buddha sitting in the mudra of dhyana (a meditative pose).
-**Smaller Seated Figure Inside a Cavern: There is a smaller seated figure inside an artificial cavern next to the larger sitting Buddha.
-**There is a smaller seated figure inside an artificial cavern. This represents the Buddha during meditation.
-**Standing Figure: In a different statue, the Buddha is shown standing and offering a helping hand.
-**The last statue shows the Buddha in a reclining position, signifying his ascension into nirvana. Some of the best specimens of ancient Sinhalese sculpting and carving are these rock relief statues.
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| Image by Thanuja Sandaruwan from Pixabay |