Polonnaruwa Pabalu Vihara, Srilanka

Address

Polonnaruwa Pabalu Vihara, Gal Vihara Road, Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka

Diety

Buddha

Introduction

Pabalu Vihara is a small Buddhist brick sanctuary. Its origin is unknown but it probably dates back to the reign of Parakrama Bahu I. It is called Pabalu which means pearls because many glass pearls were found on the site during its excavation. There are signs of successive destruction, including the upper part of the stupa and its center, probably the result of invasions and treasure looters. The originality of this stupa is that it has 9 sanctuaries when there are usually four, placed at the cardinal points and housing a statue of Buddha. These sanctuaries contain statues in a sitting or standing position. One of them contains a Buddha footprint while another contains an elongated Buddha. The disparity between all these idols suggests that the shrines have been added over time. The stupa includes a flight of steps to reach its first level.