Image title: Hatadage (detail)

Hatadage (or Hetadage) is the Temple of the Tooth built by King Nissankamalla 1187 - 1196 A.D.). It is said that it is called Hatadage ecause it was built within sixty (hata) hours. It has been a two-storied building and the upper floor may have contained the Tooth Relic. Among the stone slabs on the walls are three inscriptions of King Nissankamalla of which one has the words "Nissanka Hatadage". The other inscriptions contain the king's altruistic activities and advice given to the community of Buddhist monks. The roof may have had wooden beams and covered with clay.

The building contains three inscriptions of King Nissankamalla (Nissanka-Malla) (reign 1187-1196 A.D.) in Medieval Sinhala Language. Two have been found in the shrine and one in the porch.

For more details and text, see previous photos.

Gallery information:

These photographs were taken at the Polonnaruwa archaeological site which preserve some of the monuments and religious structures of the ancient kingdom of Polonnaruwa (also Pulathisipura or Vijayarajapura) of Sri Lanka dating to the 10th century CE. Some of the important kings who reigned in this kingdom are King Vijayabahu I and his grandson, king Prakramabahu the Great. The city and it's architecture were influenced by various religious such as Hinduism in its early history, Shaivism and later Buddhism.