Hatadage is an ancient relic shrine located in Polonnaruwa town, Sri Lanka. It was built by King Nisanka Malla and used to hold the Buddha’s Tooth Relic. Although only fragments of the brick and stone walls are left, the sixty-six were built using stone, brick and wood. It looks like a two-story structure, but the upper floor is now gone.
The temple is surrounded by a stone wall 120 feet (37 m) long and 90 feet (27 m) wide. On its right side is a gateway with stone carvings. The main entrance to the temple is decorated with stone carvings and sandakada pahana. There is another small door on the east side of the temple.
The walls of the temple are made of brick and the outer walls are covered with stone. The main entrance leads to a small chamber 27 feet (8.2 m) long and 21 feet (6.4 m) wide. The base of its walls is decorated with lotus flowers and lions. The cabin has six stone pillars and a staircase leading to the top floor. The rectangular main chamber is located behind the outer chamber. Each side is 35 feet (11 m) long and has four windows. There were 16 stone pillars in the chamber, but now only three remain. In the center of the stall are three Buddha statues carved out of granite. These are also partially destroyed. The statue is 9 feet (2.7 m) tall and the other two are 7.5 feet (2.3 m).
This is another valuable Buddhist ancient relic shrine in Lanka’s history. This is another place that has attracted the attention of foreigners and locals alike.
