Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia

Due to the shared Theravada Buddhist tradition, Sri Lanka has mch in common with Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia. Particularly the monastic traditions are intertwined. Strong ties started to develop during the Polonnaruwa period and the 13th century. Although by and large Sri Lanka played a more significant role in the cultural history of the other Theravada countries, traces of influences from Southeast Asia can be seen even in Sri Lanka's heritage sites such as Polonnaruwa. The layout of the Potgul Vihara in the south of Polonnaruwa, with three upper levels of temple terraces, may have been inspired by Khmer architecture. The Satmahal Pasada on the Quadrangle temple platform is a steep step pyramid with niches for Buddha statues, a quite unique structure in ancient Sri Lanka. But it very much resembles Mon architecture of northern Thailand.

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