Image title: Atadage (Temple of the Tooth)

English text:

Atadage—This is the oldest building in the Sacred Quadrangle. This may be identified as the Temple of the Tooth built by King Vijayabahu the Great (1055-1110 A.D.). This was a two storied building and in the upper floor were deposited the Sacred Tooth Relic and the Bowl Relic. The upper floor was probably made of timber and the roof had wooden beams and was covered with clay tiles. Near the building is an inscription in Tamil grantha script which says that the protection of the Sacred Tooth Relic had been entrusted to the Velaikkara soldiers who were the king's private guards.

Sinhalese text (not proofread):

අටදාගේ—දළදා මළුව තුළ දක්නට ලැබෙන පැරණිතම ගොඩනැගිල්ල මෙයයි. මහා විජයබාහු රජු (ක්‍රි.ව. 1055 - 1110) විසින් ඉදි කරවනු ලැබූ දළදා මැදුර ලෙස මෙය හඳුනාගත හැකිය. දෙමහල් ගොඩනැගිල්ලක් ලෙස පැවති මෙහි ඉහළ මහළ දළදා වහන්සේ මෙන්ම පාත්‍රා ධාතූන් වහන්සේද වැඩහිටි බවට සාධක ඇත. ඉහළ මහළ දැවයෙන් නිර්මාණය කර තිබෙන්නට ඇති අතර පියස්ස දැව පරාල යොදා උළු සෙවිලි කොට නිර්මිතය. මෙය අසලම පිහිටි ද්‍රවිඩ ග්‍රන්ථාක්ෂරයෙන් ලියැවුනු ලිපියේ දළදා මාලිගාවේ ආරක්ෂාව, රජුගේ පෞද්ගලික ආරක්ෂකයන් වූ වේලයික්කාර භටයන්ට පැවරුණු බව සඳහන්ව තිබේ.

Transcription (not proofread):

aṭadāgē—daḷadā maḷuva tuḷa daknaṭa læbena pæraṇitama goḍanægilla meyayi. mahā vijayabāhu raju (kri.va. 1055 - 1110) visin idi karavanu læbū daḷadā mædura lesa meya handunāgata hækiya. demahal goḍanægillak lesa pævati mehi ihaḷa mahaḷa daḷadā vahansē menma pātrā dhātūn vahansēda væḍahiṭi bavaṭa sādhaka æta. ihaḷa mahaḷa dævayen nirmāṇaya kara tibennaṭa æti atara piyassa dæva parāla yodā uḷu sevili koṭa nirmitaya. meya asalama pihiṭi draviḍa granthākṣarayen liyævunu lipiyē daḷadā māligāvē ārakṣāva, rajugē paudgalika ārakṣakayan vū vēlayikkāra bhaṭayanṭa pævaruṇu bava sandahanva tibē.

Transcription (not proofread):

 atadage—dalada maluva tula daknata læbena pæranitama godanægilla meyayi. maha vijayabahu raju (kri.va. 1055 - 1110) visin idi karavanu læbu dalada mædura lesa meya handunagata hækiya. demahal godanægillak lesa pævati mehi ihala mahala dalada vahanse menma patra dhatun vahanseda vædahiti bavata sadhaka æta. ihala mahala dævayen nirmanaya kara tibennata æti atara piyassa dæva parala yoda ulu sevili kota nirmitaya. meya asalama pihiti dravida granthaksharayen liyævunu lipiye dalada maligave arakshava, rajuge paudgalika arakshakayan vu velayikkara bhatayanta pævarunu bava sandahanva tibe.

Translation of Sinhalese text (automated translation):

Atadage—This is the oldest building found in Dalada's courtyard. This can be identified as Dalada Madura built by King Vijayabahu Maha (1055 - 1110 AD). There are evidences that the upper floor of this two-storeyed building housed the Talada as well as Patra relics. The upper floor may have been made of wood, while the floor is covered with tiles using wooden rafters. In the nearby Dravidian script, it is stated that the protection of the Dalada Palace was assigned to the Velaikkara troops who were the king's personal bodyguards.

Tamil text (not proofread):

அட்டதாகை—தலதா முற்றத்தில் காணக் கூடியதாகவுள்ள பழைய கட்டிடம் இதுவாகும். இது மகா விஜயபாகு மன்னனால் (கி.பி.1055-1110) கட்டப்பட்ட புனித தந்த மாளிகை என்பதை அறியலாம். இரண்டு மாடிகளில் மேல் மாடியில் புனித தந்தமும், புனித பாத்திரமும் வைக்கப்பட்டிருந்தமைக்கான சான்றுகள் உள்ளன. மேல் மாடி மரத்தால் அமைக்கப்பட்டிருக்கலாம். அதேபோன்று மரப்பாளையால் அமைக்கப்பட்டு கூரை ஓடுகளால் வேயப்பட்டிருக்கலாம். இதற்கருகில் காணப்படும் தமிழ் எழுத்துக்களைக் கொண்ட கல்வெட்டில், தலதா மாளிகையின் பாதுகாப்பும், அரசனின் தனிப்பட்ட பாதுகாப்பும் வெலைக்காரப் படைக்கு (கூலிப்படை)கொடுக்கப்பட்டதாகக் கூறப்பட்டுள்ளது.

Transcription (not proofread):

aṭṭatākai—talatā muṟṟattil kāṇak kūṭiyatākavuḷḷa paḻaiya kaṭṭiṭam ituvākum. itu makā vijayapāku maṉṉaṉāl (ki.pi.1055-1110) kaṭṭappaṭṭa puṉita tanta māḷikai eṉpatai aṟiyalām. iraṇṭu māṭikaḷil mēl māṭiyil puṉita tantamum, puṉita pāttiramum vaikkappaṭṭiruntamaikkāṉa cāṉṟukaḷ uḷḷaṉa. mēl māṭi marattāl amaikkappaṭṭirukkalām. atēpōṉṟu marappāḷaiyāl amaikkappaṭṭu kūrai ōṭukaḷāl vēyappaṭṭirukkalām. itaṟkarukil kāṇappaṭum tamiḻ eḻuttukkaḷaik koṇṭa kalveṭṭil, talatā māḷikaiyiṉ pātukāppum, aracaṉiṉ taṉippaṭṭa pātukāppum velaikkārap paṭaikku (kūlippaṭai)koṭukkappaṭṭatākak kūṟappaṭṭuḷḷatu.

Transcription (not proofread):

attathagai—thalatha murrathil kanag kudiyathagavulla pazhaiya kattidam ithuvagum. ithu maga vijayapagu mannanal (ki.pi.1055-1110) kattappatta punitha thantha maligai enpathai ariyalam. irandu madigalil mel madiyil punitha thanthamum, punitha pathiramum vaikkappattirunthamaikkana sanrugal ullana. mel madi marathal amaikkappattirukkalam. atheponru marappalaiyal amaikkappattu kurai odugalal veyappattirukkalam. itharkarugil kanappadum thamizh ezhuthukkalaig konda kalvettil, thalatha maligaiyin pathugappum, arasanin thanippatta pathugappum velaikkarap padaikku (kulippadai)kodukkappattathagak kurappattullathu.

Translation of Tamil text (automated translation):

This is the old building that can be seen in Attakai-Talada courtyard. It is known to be the sacred ivory palace built by King Maha Vijayabahu (1055-1110 AD). On the upper floor of the two floors there is evidence of the sacred ivory and the holy vessel. The top floor may have been made of wood. It may also be constructed of wooden planks and roofed with tiles. An inscription in Tamil characters found near it mentions that the security of the Thalada palace and the king's personal security were entrusted to the Velaikara force (mercenaries).

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.