Hatadage

Sacred Center, Polonnaruwa

The Hatadage was built by Nissankamalla (1187 - 1196), according to the inscription by its entrance. Nissankamalla, a Tamil prince, had married into the royal family of Polonnaruwa. Upon ascending the throne, he undertook vigorous measures to glorify his reign, both at home and in military expeditions abroad; numerous inscriptions boast of his activities.

The building originally had two storeys, although only the lower storey remains today. It is thought to have displayed, at one time, a tooth relic of the Buddha. A weathered frieze on the wall (later page) is said to be the oldest pictorial representation of Bharat Natyam, the classical South Indian dance form.