Visnu Devale No. 2 (Sinhala: විශ්ණු දේවාලය අංක 2) is a ruined Hindu temple situated near the northern gate of the Ancient City of Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka.
History
The construction date or the builder of this shrine is not known (Wikramagamage, 2004). However, it is believed to have been constructed during the Cola Period of Sri Lanka (1017-1070 A.D.) or in the 13th century.
The temple
Only the stone basement of this shrine remains today. However, the entire building had been constructed of moulded granite stones. The remaining basement is approximately 50 ft. long by 20 (Arumugam, 1991). The Moolasthanam is about 9 ft. rectangular with a smaller Artha-mandapam opening out to a Maha-mandapam about 20 ft. long (Arumugam, 1991). The entire basement has been raised about 5 ft. high (Arumugam, 1991). A frieze of lions carved on the stones can be seen around the structure.
The temple opens towards the west. A statue of God Visnu which is said to have been found at the site is currently on the display in the Polonnaruwa Archaeological Museum. A replica of that statue has been placed at the present site. It is 3 ft. 8 inches tall and stands on a lotus pedestal (Arumugam, 1991). It has four arms and three of them carry the traditional emblems; the Sakkaram, conch and lotus (Arumugam, 1991). The fourth arm is lifted in Abhaya (blessing) pose (Arumugam, 1991).
Two other shrines dedicated to God Ganesa and Siva (Siva Devale No. 7) are found in the vicinity of this shrine.
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See also
References
1) Arumugam, S., 1991. More Hindu temples of Sri Lanka. London. p.86.
2) Wikramagamage, C., 2004. Heritage of Rajarata: Major natural, cultural,
and historic sites. Colombo. Central Bank of Sri Lanka. p.213.
Location Map
This page was last updated on 8 January 2023