Polonnaruwa Priti Danaka Mandapaya and Inscription

Polonnaruwa Priti Danaka Mandapaya and Inscription
Priti Danaka Mandapaya  (Sinhala: පොළොන්නරුව ප්‍රීති දානක මණ්ඩපය සහ ‌සෙල්ලිපිය) is a ruined pavilion situated on the wayside of the Minneriya-Topawewa road near the Visnu Devale No. 3 in the  Ancient City of Polonnaruwa , Sri Lanka. It is a rectangular-shaped pavilion 125 ft. in length and 40 ft. in width and has been laid out along the axis of a long hummock of granite rock which rises to a height of 60 ft. (Wikramasinghe, 1928). History The rock inscription engraved on the slope of the rock to the left or north of the flight of steps that lead up to this building reveals that it was the Priti Danaka Mandapaya (Joy-Conferring Pavilion) built by King Nissankamalla [(1187-1196 A.D.) Nicholas, 1963; Ranawella, 2007; Wikramasinghe, 1928]. The inscription further records that Nissankamalla built it and made its premises a sanctuary in order to rest there in bliss and to hear the joyous shouts of Sadhu and the like from the people who had received alms from him (Wikramasinghe, 1928). Priti Dan…