Polonnaruwa Vatadage
Encyclopedia
The Polonnaruwa Vatadage (Sinhala: ) is an ancient structure dating back to the Polonnaruwa period of Sri Lanka
. It is believed to have been built during the reign of Parakramabahu I
to hold the tooth relic
of the Buddha
, or during the reign of Nissanka Malla to hold the alms bowl used by the Buddha. Both these venerated relics would have given the structure a great significance and importance at the time. Located within the ancient city of Polonnaruwa
, it is the best preserved example of a vatadage
in the country, and has been described as the "ultimate development" of this type of architecture. Abandoned for several centuries, excavation work at the Polonnaruwa Vatadage began in 1903.
Built for the protection of a small stupa
, the structure has two stone platforms decorated with elaborate stone carvings. The lower platform is entered through a single entrance facing the north, while the second platform can be accessed through four doorways facing the four cardinal points. The upper platform, surrounded by a brick wall, contains the stupa. Four Buddha statues are seated around it, each facing one of the entrances. 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 pahana
s, 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.
during his reign in the 12th century. The chronicle Chulavamsa mentions that he built a circular stone shrine to hold the tooth relic of the Buddha. Archaeologist H. C. P. Bell
believed that this shrine is the Polonnaruwa Vatadage. This is contradicted by several ancient sources of the island, including Rajavaliya and Poojavaliya, which mention that it was built by Nissanka Malla. However, according to the studies of Arthur Maurice Hocart
, Nissanka Malla only renovated an already existing building and made some additions such as the entrance and outer porch. Wilhelm Geiger
, who translated the ancient chronicle Mahavamsa
, and historian H. W. Codrington both agree with this theory. A nearby stone inscription set by Nissanka Malla lists the Vatadage among his constructions. In this, he claims that it was built by one of his generals under his own direction.
A unique feature of ancient Buddhist architecture
, vatadages were built for the protection of small stupas that had an important relic enshrined in them or were built on hallowed ground. If the Polonnaruwa Vatadage is the shrine built by Parakramabahu I, the tooth relic
of the Buddha
would have been enshrined within it. Another possibility is that the alms bowl used by the Buddha may have been enshrined here. Both these relics were important objects in ancient Sri Lankan culture, and would have made the Polonnaruwa Vatadage one of the most significant and venerated buildings in the country.
The Kingdom of Polonnaruwa ended in 1215 with an invasion from South India
. The Polonnaruwa Vatadage appears to have been abandoned with the fall of the kingdom, and there is no mention of it in the chronicles in later periods. It was not until 1903 that the Department of Archaeology began excavation work at the site under Bell, who noted that it was "only a mound of earth" at the time.
. The Dalada Maluva contains some of the oldest and most sacred monuments of the city. The Polonnaruwa Vatadage, which occupies most of the south western area of it, is a prominent structure among them. It is the best preserved example of a Vatadage in the country, and is somewhat similar in design to those belonging to the Anuradhapura period
, especially Thuparamaya
and Lankaramaya.
The building has been built around a small stupa
with a base diameter of 27 in 8 in (8.43 m). The Vatadage has two levels; the lower platform and the raised upper platform that contains the stupa. The upper platform is 80 feet (24.4 m) in diameter, and the lower one 120 feet (36.6 m). The lower platform is 4 in 3 in (1.3 m) from ground level, and the upper platform is 5 in 3 in (1.6 m) from the lower.
The circular lower platform is entered through a single entrance on the northern side. Four elaborately constructed doorways lead from it to the upper platform, which is surrounded by a brick wall on its edge. These entrances are oriented to the four cardinal directions. The center of this platform is occupied by the stupa, which has four Buddha statues seated around it, each facing one of the entrances. Each of these statues are 5 feet (1.5 m) high, and are seated on stone seats with a height of 2 in 10 in (0.8636 m) each. Three concentric rows of stone columns had existed on the upper platform. Two of these rows, of which nothing remain, were within the brick wall, while the third row is just outside it. The inner row had consisted of 16 columns, the middle row of 20, and the outer row of 32. The existing stone columns of the outer ring are about 8 feet (2.4 m) in height.
(moonstone) at the northern entrance and the two muragalas (guard stone) at the eastern entrance are considered to be the best examples of such architectural features belonging to the Polonnaruwa period. These decorational elements were commonly placed at entrances to monastic buildings of ancient Sri Lanka, and historians believe that sandakada pahanas depict the cycle of Saṃsāra
in Buddhism. According to Bell, the carvings on the sides of the upper platform are "unrivalled, whether at Anuradhapura or Polonnaruwa, and probably in any other Buddhist shrine of Ceylon".
The straight, symmetrical stone columns found in the Polonnaruwa Vatadage are quite similar to those seen in buildings of the Anuradhapura period. The foot of each column is carved in the shape of a lotus flower. Archaeologist Senarath Paranavithana
has suggested that these stone columns had supported a wooden roof. This is widely accepted, and nails and roof tiles found in excavations seem to support this. However, another theory is that the Vatadage did not have a roof, and the stone columns were used to hang lamps, curtains or Buddhist symbols.
The brick wall around the platform is in a considerably preserved state as well, although parts of it have broken off. It is quite thick—2 in 6 in (0.762 m)—and was presumably constructed to protect the stupa from the sides. There is evidence that inner surface of the wall had been adorned with paintings. Its lower portion is covered by stone panels with carvings of a flower design. Below the wall, the side of the upper platform itself is decorated with carvings, as is the side of the lower platform.
The four Buddha statues, which depict the Dhyana mudra
, are also carved from solid rock. Two of them are more or less intact today, while only parts of the other two remain. The stupa in the middle appears to have been of the Bubbulakara (bubble shaped) design commonly seen in Sri Lanka. The upper part has been destroyed, and only the dome shaped lower part now remains. However, it has only two Pesavas (the rings found at the base of stupas) rather than the traditional three.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. It is believed to have been built during the reign of Parakramabahu I
Parâkramabâhu I
Parākramabāhu I was king of Sri Lanka from 1153 to 1186. During his reign from his capital Polonnaruwa, he unified the three sub kingdoms of the island, becoming one of the last monarchs in Sri Lankan history to do so...
to hold the tooth relic
Relic of the tooth of the Buddha
The Sacred Relic of the tooth of Buddha is venerated in Sri Lanka as a relic of the founder of Buddhism.-The relic in India:...
of the Buddha
Buddha
In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
, or during the reign of Nissanka Malla to hold the alms bowl used by the Buddha. Both these venerated relics would have given the structure a great significance and importance at the time. Located within the ancient city of Polonnaruwa
Polonnaruwa
The second most ancient of Sri Lanka's kingdoms, was first declared the capital city by King Vijayabahu I, who defeated the Chola invaders in 1070 AD to reunite the country once more under a local leader.-History:While Vijayabahu's victory and shifting of Kingdoms to the more strategic Polonnaruwa...
, it is the best preserved example of a vatadage
Vatadage
Vatadage is a type of Buddhist structure found in Sri Lanka. It also known as dage, thupagara, and cetiyagara. Although it may have had some Indian influence, it is a structure that is more or less unique to ancient Sri Lankan architecture. Vatadages were built around small stupas for their...
in the country, and has been described as the "ultimate development" of this type of architecture. Abandoned for several centuries, excavation work at the Polonnaruwa Vatadage began in 1903.
Built for the protection of a small stupa
Stupa
A stupa is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the remains of Buddha, used by Buddhists as a place of worship....
, the structure has two stone platforms decorated with elaborate stone carvings. The lower platform is entered through a single entrance facing the north, while the second platform can be accessed through four doorways facing the four cardinal points. The upper platform, surrounded by a brick wall, contains the stupa. Four Buddha statues are seated around it, each facing one of the entrances. 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 pahana
Sandakada pahana
Sandakada pahana, also known as Moonstone, is a unique feature of the Sinhalese architecture of ancient Sri Lanka. It is an elaborately carved semi-circular stone slab, usually placed at the bottom of staircases and entrances. First seen in the latter stage of the Anuradhapura period, the sandakada...
s, 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.
History
Theories vary among archaeologists and historians regarding who built the Polonnaruwa Vatadage, and when. One such theory suggests that it was built by Parakramabahu IParâkramabâhu I
Parākramabāhu I was king of Sri Lanka from 1153 to 1186. During his reign from his capital Polonnaruwa, he unified the three sub kingdoms of the island, becoming one of the last monarchs in Sri Lankan history to do so...
during his reign in the 12th century. The chronicle Chulavamsa mentions that he built a circular stone shrine to hold the tooth relic of the Buddha. Archaeologist H. C. P. Bell
Harry Charles Purvis Bell
Harry Charles Purvis Bell , more often known as HCP Bell, was a British civil servant, a commissioner in the Ceylon Civil Service. Appointed an official archaeologist, he carried out many excavations in Ceylon , for the Archaeological Survey, during an appointment running from 1890 to 1912After...
believed that this shrine is the Polonnaruwa Vatadage. This is contradicted by several ancient sources of the island, including Rajavaliya and Poojavaliya, which mention that it was built by Nissanka Malla. However, according to the studies of Arthur Maurice Hocart
Arthur Maurice Hocart
Arthur Maurice Hocart was an anthropologist best known for his eccentric and often far-seeing works on Polynesia, Melanesia and Sri Lanka.-About the Man:...
, Nissanka Malla only renovated an already existing building and made some additions such as the entrance and outer porch. Wilhelm Geiger
Wilhelm Geiger
Wilhelm Ludwig Geiger was a German Orientalist, in the fields of Indian and Iranian languages. He was known as a specialist in Pali, Sinhala language and the Dhivehi language of the Maldives.-Life:...
, who translated the ancient chronicle Mahavamsa
Mahavamsa
The Mahavamsa is a historical poem written in the Pali language, of the kings of Sri Lanka...
, and historian H. W. Codrington both agree with this theory. A nearby stone inscription set by Nissanka Malla lists the Vatadage among his constructions. In this, he claims that it was built by one of his generals under his own direction.
A unique feature of ancient Buddhist architecture
Architecture of ancient Sri Lanka
The architecture of ancient Sri Lanka displays a rich variety of architectural forms and styles, varying in style and form from the Anuradhapura Kingdom to the Kingdom of Kandy. Ancient Sri Lankan architecture mainly grew around religion, styles of Buddhist monasteries were in excess of 25...
, vatadages were built for the protection of small stupas that had an important relic enshrined in them or were built on hallowed ground. If the Polonnaruwa Vatadage is the shrine built by Parakramabahu I, the tooth relic
Relic of the tooth of the Buddha
The Sacred Relic of the tooth of Buddha is venerated in Sri Lanka as a relic of the founder of Buddhism.-The relic in India:...
of the Buddha
Buddha
In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
would have been enshrined within it. Another possibility is that the alms bowl used by the Buddha may have been enshrined here. Both these relics were important objects in ancient Sri Lankan culture, and would have made the Polonnaruwa Vatadage one of the most significant and venerated buildings in the country.
The Kingdom of Polonnaruwa ended in 1215 with an invasion from South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
. The Polonnaruwa Vatadage appears to have been abandoned with the fall of the kingdom, and there is no mention of it in the chronicles in later periods. It was not until 1903 that the Department of Archaeology began excavation work at the site under Bell, who noted that it was "only a mound of earth" at the time.
Location and appearance
The Polonnaruwa Vatadage is located in a quadrangular area known as the Dalada Maluva in the ancient city of PolonnaruwaPolonnaruwa
The second most ancient of Sri Lanka's kingdoms, was first declared the capital city by King Vijayabahu I, who defeated the Chola invaders in 1070 AD to reunite the country once more under a local leader.-History:While Vijayabahu's victory and shifting of Kingdoms to the more strategic Polonnaruwa...
. The Dalada Maluva contains some of the oldest and most sacred monuments of the city. The Polonnaruwa Vatadage, which occupies most of the south western area of it, is a prominent structure among them. It is the best preserved example of a Vatadage in the country, and is somewhat similar in design to those belonging to the Anuradhapura period
Anuradhapura Kingdom
The Anuradhapura Kingdom , named for its capital city, was the first established kingdom in ancient Sri Lanka. Founded by King Pandukabhaya in 377 BC, the kingdom's authority extended throughout the country, although several independent areas emerged from time to time, which grew more numerous...
, especially Thuparamaya
Thuparamaya
Thuparamaya is a dagoba in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. It is a Buddhist sacred place of veneration.Mahinda Thera, an envoy sent by King Ashoka himself introduced Theravada Buddhism and also chetiya worship to Sri Lanka. At his request King Devanampiyatissa built Thuparamaya in which was enshrined the...
and Lankaramaya.
The building has been built around a small stupa
Stupa
A stupa is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the remains of Buddha, used by Buddhists as a place of worship....
with a base diameter of 27 in 8 in (8.43 m). The Vatadage has two levels; the lower platform and the raised upper platform that contains the stupa. The upper platform is 80 feet (24.4 m) in diameter, and the lower one 120 feet (36.6 m). The lower platform is 4 in 3 in (1.3 m) from ground level, and the upper platform is 5 in 3 in (1.6 m) from the lower.
The circular lower platform is entered through a single entrance on the northern side. Four elaborately constructed doorways lead from it to the upper platform, which is surrounded by a brick wall on its edge. These entrances are oriented to the four cardinal directions. The center of this platform is occupied by the stupa, which has four Buddha statues seated around it, each facing one of the entrances. Each of these statues are 5 feet (1.5 m) high, and are seated on stone seats with a height of 2 in 10 in (0.8636 m) each. Three concentric rows of stone columns had existed on the upper platform. Two of these rows, of which nothing remain, were within the brick wall, while the third row is just outside it. The inner row had consisted of 16 columns, the middle row of 20, and the outer row of 32. The existing stone columns of the outer ring are about 8 feet (2.4 m) in height.
Architecture and stonemasonry
Employing citizens in construction and repairing works was done in ancient Sri Lanka as a form of tax payment. Such labour may also have been used in the construction of the Polonnaruwa Vatadage. However, the quality of the works indicate that most of the task may have been carried out by skilled craftsmen. Architecture of vatadage type structures was at its peak during the Polonnaruwa period, and the Polonnaruwa Vatadage is considered to be its "ultimate development". Some of the most striking features of the structure are its elaborate stone carvings. The sandakada pahanaSandakada pahana
Sandakada pahana, also known as Moonstone, is a unique feature of the Sinhalese architecture of ancient Sri Lanka. It is an elaborately carved semi-circular stone slab, usually placed at the bottom of staircases and entrances. First seen in the latter stage of the Anuradhapura period, the sandakada...
(moonstone) at the northern entrance and the two muragalas (guard stone) at the eastern entrance are considered to be the best examples of such architectural features belonging to the Polonnaruwa period. These decorational elements were commonly placed at entrances to monastic buildings of ancient Sri Lanka, and historians believe that sandakada pahanas depict the cycle of Saṃsāra
Samsara (Buddhism)
or sangsara is a Sanskrit and Pāli term, which translates as "continuous movement" or "continuous flowing" and, in Buddhism, refers to the concept of a cycle of birth , and consequent decay and death , in which all beings in the universe participate, and which can only be escaped through...
in Buddhism. According to Bell, the carvings on the sides of the upper platform are "unrivalled, whether at Anuradhapura or Polonnaruwa, and probably in any other Buddhist shrine of Ceylon".
The straight, symmetrical stone columns found in the Polonnaruwa Vatadage are quite similar to those seen in buildings of the Anuradhapura period. The foot of each column is carved in the shape of a lotus flower. Archaeologist Senarath Paranavithana
Senarath Paranavithana
Senerath Paranavitana was a pioneering archeologist and epigraphist of Sri Lanka. His works dominated the middle-part of the 20th century. He became the archeological commissioner in 1939, following H. C. P. Bell, and D. M. de Z. Wickremasinghe in that position.He was born on 26 December 1896 at...
has suggested that these stone columns had supported a wooden roof. This is widely accepted, and nails and roof tiles found in excavations seem to support this. However, another theory is that the Vatadage did not have a roof, and the stone columns were used to hang lamps, curtains or Buddhist symbols.
The brick wall around the platform is in a considerably preserved state as well, although parts of it have broken off. It is quite thick—2 in 6 in (0.762 m)—and was presumably constructed to protect the stupa from the sides. There is evidence that inner surface of the wall had been adorned with paintings. Its lower portion is covered by stone panels with carvings of a flower design. Below the wall, the side of the upper platform itself is decorated with carvings, as is the side of the lower platform.
The four Buddha statues, which depict the Dhyana mudra
Mudra
A mudrā is a symbolic or ritual gesture in Hinduism and Buddhism. While some mudrās involve the entire body, most are performed with the hands and fingers...
, are also carved from solid rock. Two of them are more or less intact today, while only parts of the other two remain. The stupa in the middle appears to have been of the Bubbulakara (bubble shaped) design commonly seen in Sri Lanka. The upper part has been destroyed, and only the dome shaped lower part now remains. However, it has only two Pesavas (the rings found at the base of stupas) rather than the traditional three.