Introduction
This is identified as the image house of Jetavanarama (monastery) built by king
Parakramabahu the Great (1153 – 1186 A.D.) . It is called Tivanka (meaning three
bends) because the giant Buddha image inside is bent at three places, namely the
shoulder, hip and the knee. The Image house is famous for its 12th century paintings
on the interior walls. These paintings depicting certain incidents from jataka Katha
(stories) and the life of the Buddha are the best examples of the murals of the
Polonnaruva period. This image house belongs to the vaulted type (gedige) just as
Lankatilaka and Thuparama. A fragment of the brick vaulted roof is still lying to
the south of the shrine. The vimanas with figures of deities and the dwarf figures
in various postures on the exterior walls are admirable works of decorative art.
Key
- Porch
- Vestibule
- Secondary Entrance
- Stairway
- Entresol
- Circumambulating Passage
- Sanctum
- Tivanka Buddha Image
- Fragment of the vaulted roof
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