An exquisite circular relic house at the heart of the Sacred Quadrangle, regarded as the finest surviving example of vatadage architecture in Sri Lanka.

Overview

The Polonnaruwa Vatadage is the centrepiece of the Dalada Maluwa, or Sacred Quadrangle, a raised terrace crowded with the ancient city's most refined monuments. The circular structure once sheltered a small stupa under a wooden roof, ringed by concentric platforms, stone screens, four seated Buddha statues facing the cardinal points and beautifully carved moonstones and guardstones at its entrances. It represents the high point of this uniquely Sri Lankan building form and rewards a slow, careful look at its stonework.

History

The Vatadage is thought to have been built in the reign of King Parakramabahu I in the 12th century and later embellished by King Nissanka Malla, who added an ornamental stone screen. It is believed to have enshrined the sacred tooth relic of the Buddha during the Polonnaruwa period. It forms part of the Ancient City of Polonnaruwa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed in 1982.