Hatadage

Legend has it that this magnificent building at the centre of the ruins of Polonnaruwa was completed in just 60 hours, and that it originally housed the Relic of the Tooth of the Buddha. Built of brick and wood in the reign of King Nissanka Malla (1187–1196), only part of the ground floor now remains, which includes an inner shrine containing three granite Buddha statues. The history of Polonnaruwa is reflected in the construction of this impressive edifice, and its guardstones and moonstones, and the symmetry of its stone pillars, evoke all the mystery and history of Sri Lanka’s cultural heritage.