Image title: Galpota (stone book)

English text:

Galpota (Stone Book)—This giant inscription which assumes the shape of a palm-leaf manuscript in stone has been a work of King Nissankamalla (1187 - 1196 A.D.) and it is the largest stone inscription so far discovered. The inscription itself says that this large stone block was transported from Mihintale, some hundred kilometers away from Polonnaruva. It describes the genealogy, heroic and altruistic deeds of King Nissankamalla. The letters of the inscription were gilted with molten iron. There may have been a roof over the inscription for its protection. The figure of the woman on the side face of the stone on whom two elephants are sprinkling water has been identified as Goddess Gajalakshmi (Goddess of Prosperity).

Sinhalese text (not proofread):

ගල්පොත—ගලින් කළ පොතක් බඳු මෙම දැවැන්ත සෙල්ලිපිය නිශ්ශංකමල්ල රජු (ක්‍රි.ව. 1187 - 1196) විසින් කරවන ලද්දකි. මෙතෙක් හමු වී ඇති විශාලම සෙල්ලිපිය ලෙස ද මෙය හැදින්විය හැකිය. මේ දැවැන්ත ගල් කුට්ටිය මෙහි ගෙනැවිත් ඇත්තේ මීට කිලෝමීටර සියගනනක් දුරින් පිහිටි සෑගිරිය හෙවත් මිහින‍්තලේ සිට බව මේ ලිපියේම සඳහන් වී ඇත. නිශ්ශංකමල්ල රජුගේ පරපුර, වීරක්‍රියා, පුණ්‍ය කටයුතු ආදිය මේ ලිපියෙ විස්තර කෙරේ. මෙහි ඇති අකුරු සඳහා ලෝහමය දියරක් පුරවා තිබුණ බව පෙනේ. සෙල්ලිපියෙ ආරක්ෂාවට පියස්සක් පැවති බවටත් සාධක තවමත් ඉතිරිව තිබේ. මෙහි පසෙකින් කැටයම් කොට ඇති ඇතුන් දෙදෙනෙකු විසින් පිරිවරන ලද සේත්‍රී රූපයෙන් ගජලක්ෂ්මි දෙවඟන නිරූපණය වේ.

Transcription (not proofread):

galpota—galin kaḷa potak bandu mema dævænta sellipiya niśśaṅkamalla raju (kri.va. 1187 - 1196) visin karavana laddaki. metek hamu vī æti viśālama sellipiya lesa da meya hædinviya hækiya. mē dævænta gal kuṭṭiya mehi genævit ættē mīṭa kilōmīṭara siyagananak durin pihiṭi sǣgiriya hevat mihina‍්talē siṭa bava mē lipiyēma sandahan vī æta. niśśaṅkamalla rajugē parapura, vīrakriyā, puṇ‍ya kaṭayutu ādiya mē lipiye vistara kerē. mehi æti akuru sandahā lōhamaya diyarak puravā tibuṇa bava penē. sellipiye ārakṣāvaṭa piyassak pævati bavaṭat sādhaka tavamat itiriva tibē. mehi pasekin kæṭayam koṭa æti ætun dedeneku visin pirivarana lada sētrī rūpayen gajalakṣmi devaṅgana nirūpaṇaya vē.

Transcription (not proofread):

galpota—galin kala potak bandu mema davanta sellipiya nishshankamalla raju (kri.va. 1187 - 1196) visin karavana laddaki. metek hamu vi ati vishalama sellipiya lesa da meya hadinviya hakiya. me davanta gal kuttiya mehi genavit atte mita kilomitara siyagananak durin pihiti sǣgiriya hevat mihina‍්tale sita bava me lipiyema sandahan vi ata. nishshankamalla rajuge parapura, virakriya, pun‍ya katayutu adiya me lipiye vistara kere. mehi ati akuru sandaha lohamaya diyarak purava tibuna bava pene. sellipiye arakshavata piyassak pavati bavatat sadhaka tavamat itiriva tibe. mehi pasekin katayam kota ati atun dedeneku visin pirivarana lada setri rupayen gajalakshmi devangana nirupanaya ve.

Translation of Sinhalese text (automated translation):

Galpotha—This huge stone book-like inscription was commissioned by King Nishankamalla (1187 - 1196 AD). This is also known as the largest inscription ever found. It has been mentioned in this article that this huge block of stone was brought here from Sagiriya or Mihintale which is hundreds of kilometers away. The lineage, heroic deeds, charitable activities etc. of King Nisshankamalla are described in this article. It appears that the letters here were filled with a metallic liquid. There are still evidences that there was a step in the protection of the inscription. Goddess Gajalakshmi is represented by the setri image carved beside it, flanked by two elephants.

Tamil text (not proofread):

கற்புத்தகம (கல்பொத்த)—புத்தக உருவில் கல்லில் செதுக்கப்பட்ட இக் கல்வெட்டு நிசங்கமல்ல அரசனால் (बी.पी. 1187 1196)உருவாக்கப்பட்டது. இது வரை கிடைக்கப் பெற்ற பெரிய கல்வெட்டாக இதைக் கூறலாம். நூற்றுக்கணக்கான கிலோ மீற்றர் தூரத்துக்கு அப்பாலுள்ள சாகிரியா என்னும் மிகுந்தலையில் இருந்து இப்பெரிய கல் கொண்டுவரப்பட்டதாக இக்கல்வெட்டில் கூறப்படுகிறது . நிசங்கமல்ல அரசனின் பரம்பரை வீரச்செயல்கள், நற்செயல்கள் இக்கல்வெட்டில் கூறப்படுகின்றது.இதன் எழுத்துக்களின் மேல் உலோகத்தை உருக்கி ஊற்றப்பட்டுள்ளதற்குச் சான்றுகள் உள்ளன. கல்வெட்டின் பாதுகாப்புக்காகக் கூரை அமைக்கப்பட்டதற்கான சான்றுகள் இன்றும் ஒருபெண்ணின் உருவம் செதுக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. இப்பெண்ணின் உருவம் கஜ இலக்குமியின் உருவத்தைப் பிரதிபலிக்கின்றது.

Transcription (not proofread):

kaṟputtakama (kalpotta)—puttaka uruvil kallil cetukkappaṭṭa ik kalveṭṭu nicaṅkamalla aracaṉāl (बी.पी. 1187 1196)uruvākkappaṭṭatu. itu varai kiṭaikkap peṟṟa periya kalveṭṭāka itaik kūṟalām. nūṟṟukkaṇakkāṉa kilō mīṟṟar tūrattukku appāluḷḷa cākiriyā eṉṉum mikuntalaiyil iruntu ipperiya kal koṇṭuvarappaṭṭatāka ikkalveṭṭil kūṟappaṭukiṟatu . nicaṅkamalla aracaṉiṉ paramparai vīracceyalkaḷ, naṟceyalkaḷ ikkalveṭṭil kūṟappaṭukiṉṟatu.itaṉ eḻuttukkaḷiṉ mēl ulōkattai urukki ūṟṟappaṭṭuḷḷataṟkuc cāṉṟukaḷ uḷḷaṉa. kalveṭṭiṉ pātukāppukkākak kūrai amaikkappaṭṭataṟkāṉa cāṉṟukaḷ iṉṟum orupeṇṇiṉ uruvam cetukkappaṭṭuḷḷatu. ippeṇṇiṉ uruvam kaja ilakkumiyiṉ uruvattaip piratipalikkiṉṟatu.

Transcription (not proofread):

karputhagama (kalpotha)—puthaga uruvil kallil sethukkappatta ig kalvettu nisangamalla arasanal (?.?. 1187 1196)uruvakkappattathu. ithu varai kidaikkap perra periya kalvettaga ithaig kuralam. nurrukkanakkana kilo mirrar thurathukku appalulla sagiriya ennum migunthalaiyil irunthu ipperiya kal konduvarappattathaga ikkalvettil kurappadugirathu . nisangamalla arasanin parambarai viracheyalkal, narseyalkal ikkalvettil kurappaduginrathu.ithan ezhuthukkalin mel ulogathai urukki urrappattullatharkus sanrugal ullana. kalvettin pathugappukkagak kurai amaikkappattatharkana sanrugal inrum orupennin uruvam sethukkappattullathu. ippennin uruvam kaja ilakkumiyin uruvathaip pirathipalikkinrathu.

Translation of Tamil text (automated translation):

Karputhagama (Kalpotha)—This book-shaped stone inscription was created by King Nisangamalla (b.p. 1187-1196). It can be said to be the largest inscription found so far. It is said in this inscription that this huge stone was brought from Sakhiriya, a mountain hundreds of kilometers away. Hereditary heroic deeds and good deeds of King Nisangamalla are mentioned in this inscription. There are evidences of metal being melted and poured over its letters. Evidence that the roof was erected to protect the inscription is still carved with a figure of a woman. The image of this woman mirrors that of Gaja Lakshami.

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.