Lankatilaka Polonnaruwa

Lankatilaka, Polonnaruwa Overview

Lankatilaka is an ancient Sinhalese temple located in between Kandy and Polonnaruwa. It is one of the most magnificent ruined sites of the country. It was built by King Parakrabahu in the 11th century and attracted archaeologists, historians and tourists all around the year.

The site is an enormous 'gedige', which is a typical Buddhist temple with a corbelled roof and thick walls. The gedige is an intriguing structure, made entirely of bricks. The composition comprises of two massive pillars with a height of 17 metres and a thickness of 4 metres. In between the two components is a 14-metre high statue of Buddha, which is broken from above the shoulder. This site has two storeys, connected by an impressive staircase and the outer walls have elaborate carvings and designs which depict ancient times. The inner walls and stairway have exciting murals.

Lankatilaka, a monolithic Buddha image house has irked the minds of historians for centuries. Its architecture and ruins are interesting topics amongst archaeologists. The site, with all its glory and holy atmosphere, evidently attracts tourists from all over the world and during any given time of the year.

Timings

Lankatilaka is open from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, on all days.

Most people, however, visit it in the morning. It is most crowded on the weekends, public holidays and festivals. Afternoons see the least crowd in this temple, because of the general heat in the country.

Entry fee

There is no entry fee to the structure. Due to extreme religious significance, the government doesn't want to commercialize it. Tourists are always welcome here.

Architecture

The structure has two pillars of 17 metres each. The centre has a 14 metres statue of Buddha, cut from above the shoulders. The site is two-storeyed and has a circular staircase. The walls have exciting carvings, murals and designs. The structure is made entirely of bricks.