Shiva Devales
All of these images reflect Hindu influence that was strong at Polonnaruwa both before and after it was a Sinhalese Buddhist capital. The first two, with the still-intact rounded stone roof, are of the oldest building still standing – a Shiva Devale (I think Devale must mean some kind of temple) dating from the pre-Sinhalese Chola era. The third and fourth are another Shiva Devale dating from the 13th Century, when Hindu influence crept back in after what Lonely Planet calls “Polonnaruwa’s Sinhalese florescence.”
Leave a Reply