North - Saman

East - Skanda

South - Vibhishana

West - Vishnu

The Four Protectors of Sri Lanka

Lankatillaka, Sri Lanka

Directional niche-shrines inside the temple carry tall, Kandyan-period, images of Sri Lanka's traditional Four Protectors: Saman with consort (north), multiarmed Skanda on a peacock (east), fanged Vibhishana and consort (south), and blue Vishnu with tiny consort (west). These consorts, in the Four Protectors context, are all forms of Tara, the female emanation of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. The four niches are set into the outside faces of the central Buddha shrine, which contains a large seated Buddha image and Kandyan-era paintings.