Vishnu Devale No. 2 of Polonnaruwa Kingdom

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Vishnu Kovil (no. 2) of Polonnaruwa Kingdom

On the inner side of the Northern Gateway, to the east of the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, stand three small kovils. Two of these, situated to the left of the entrance, are dedicated to Siva and Ganesh. The third shrine, identified as Vishnu Kovil No. 2, is dedicated to Vishnu.

Historical Background

The Cola occupation of Sri Lanka between 1017 and 1070 CE witnessed the establishment of numerous shrines devoted to deities of the Hindu pantheon. As Polonnaruwa functioned as the administrative center of the Colas for several decades, many of these temples were constructed within the capital itself.

During the first decade of the twentieth century, H. C. P. Bell recorded at least fourteen ruined monuments of this type. More recent excavations have brought to light an additional brick-built devale, including one within the Alahana Parivena complex. It is also conceivable that certain shrines were founded in the thirteenth century, particularly during the invasion led by Magha of Kalinga, which culminated in the decline of the Polonnaruwa Kingdom.

Architectural Features of Vishnu Kovil No. 2

Among the three shrines in this cluster, Vishnu Kovil No. 2 has withstood the forces of nature more successfully than the others. The structure was built entirely of granite blocks, although today only the lower portions of the building remain intact.

When documented by H. C. P. Bell in 1908, this shrine was identified as the only Vishnu kovil located within the walls of the inner city. The plan consists of two chambers—a vestibule and an inner sanctum—each measuring approximately 2.06 square meters (6 feet 9 inches), with a mandapam positioned at the front. At the time of discovery, the roof and much of the upper wall structure had already collapsed.

Despite this deterioration, the four-armed image of Vishnu, carved from stone, remains standing at the centre of the inner sanctum to this day.

Hindu Shrines Discovered in the Ancient Polonnaruwa Kingdom

References

“Annual Report : Archaeological Survey” (1909) Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society 1908, 21(61), pp. 278–285.
සෙනෙවිරත්න අනුරාධ (1998) පොලොන්නරුව : මද්‍ය කාලීන ලක්දිව අග නගරය . කොළඹ 7, Sri Lanka: පුරාවිද්‍යා දෙපාර්තුමේන්තුව .

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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.