Heritage

Oth Pilimaya at Dalada Maluwa in Polonnaruwa (පොලොන්නරුව ඔත් පිළිමය)

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Oth Pilimaya at Dalada Maluwa in Polonnaruwa

The Oth Pilimaya in Polonnaruwa is a 12th-century recumbent Buddha shrine situated at the western edge of the Dalada Maluwa. Likely commissioned by King Parākramabāhu I, the brick-core statue rests upon an elevated pedestal, surrounded by original stone pillars that once supported a protective, roofed image house.

The Oth Pilimaya, or Recumbent Buddha Image House, is situated at the western extremity of the Dalada Maluwa (Sacred Quadrangle) in the ancient city of Polonnaruwa. This elevated rectangular precinct formed the religious nucleus of the kingdom during the 12th century, housing some of its most sacred monuments.

Structure

The recumbent Buddha statue, positioned on a pedestal, is constructed entirely of brick. Today, the image survives largely as a weathered core, while all the external details have been lost.

Surrounding the statue are the remains of the image house itself. Only the rock pillars of the structure remain standing, indicating the former presence of a roofed building that once enclosed and protected the image.

Historical Attribution

The construction of the Oth Pilimaya is generally assigned to the 12th-century pinnacle of Polonnaruwa’s development (Prematilleke, 2007), most likely during the reign of Parakramabahu I (1153–1186 CE).

References

Maldeniya, S.G. (2016) පොලොන්නරුව පැරණි ස්මාරකයන්හි චිත්‍රගත සැරසිලි මෝස්‌තර . Kadawatha, Sri Lanka: Sarath Gnanasiri Maldeniya.
Prematilleke, P. L. (2007). The Art and Archaeology of Sri Lanka I: Archaeology, Architecture, Sculpture. Central Cultural Fund.

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Map of Oth Pilimaya in Polonnaruwa Ancient City

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Driving Directions to Polonnaruwa Sacred City

The modern town of Polonnaruwa is also known as New Town, and the other part of Polonnaruwa remains the ancient royal city of the Kingdom of Polonnaruwa.

Route from Colombo to Polonnaruwa Sacred City	Route from Kandy to Polonnaruwa Sacred City
Through: Central Highway—Kurunegala—Dambulla Distance from Colombo: 230 km Travel Time: 5 hours Driving Directions: See on Google Maps.	Through: Maradankadawala–Habarana Distance: 103 km Travel Time: 2 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps.
Route from Anuradhapura to Polonnaruwa Sacred City	Route from Batticaloa to Polonnaruwa Sacred City
Through: Maradankadawala–Habarana Distance: 103 km Travel Time: 2 hours Driving Directions: See on Google Maps.	Through: Maradankadawala–Habarana Distance: 103 km Travel Time : 2 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps.

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