Quadrangle Temples description and photos - Sri Lanka: Polonnaruwa (Topic)

Quadrangle Temples description and photos - Sri Lanka: Polonnaruwa. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The title in English is Quadrangle.

Photos & Descriptions

Just a short walk north of the royal palace ruins, is the area known as the Quadrangle, which is an ancient structure located in an elevated walled plaza. It has the largest concentration of age-old architectural heritage that you will see in ancient cities. In addition to the ruins, there is also a house of images, a Bodhisattva temple and a holy bodhi tree. You can only walk barefoot on this land, as in other shrines.

In the southeast of the quadrangle, there is a watadagi (round house of relics) typical of Sri Lanka. Its outer terrace is 18m in diameter, and the second terrace has four entrances with stone guards. The moonstone at the north entrance is considered the best in Polonnaruwa. Four entrances lead to a central relic store with four seated Buddhas. The stone shield is considered a later addition to the relic house. It was probably made under the Nissank Malle.

In the southern part of the quadrangle is the Tuparama Gedige, or house of images, the smallest gedige (hollow Buddhist temple with thick walls) in Polonnaruwa. The roof has remained intact. It was built during the reign of Parakramabah I. Inside there are several images of Buddha, but they are barely visible in daylight.

Gal Pot (Stone Book), located to the east of the house of relics and is a colossal stone image of the book “ ola ”. The length is 9 m, the width is 1.5 m, and the thickness is from 40 cm to 66 cm. The inscription on it indicates that this is a Nissan Malla edition. Most of him praises his virtues, as a king, but the footnote also states that the slab weighs 25 tons and was pulled out of Mihintale.

In addition, the temple erected by Nissanka Mall for the main Buddhist relic, the tooth of Buddha, was believed to have been built in 60 days.

Nissanka Malla was also responsible for Lata Mandapaya. This unique structure consists of a lattice stone fence imitating a wooden fence with inscriptions and railings, and surrounding a small relic storage. The vault is surrounded by lotus-shaped stone pillars, the stems of which are crowned with closed buds. The story goes that Nissanka Malla used to sit in this building and enjoy Buddhist texts.

Almost nothing is known about Satmahal Prasada. It is made in the form of a stepped pyramid of six floors, each of which is smaller than the previous one (previously there were seven).

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Topic: Quadrangle Temples description and photos - Sri Lanka: Polonnaruwa.