Pathimagaras are Image Houses - temples enshrining a statue
Lankatilaka - one of three large image houses in Polonnaruwa
Sri Lankan image houses, called Pathimagaras in Pali and Pilimages in Sinhala or also statue houses in English, are temples that enshrine a statue as a cult idol. Most of them have a circumambulatory around the statue. As devotees should never turn their back to a Buddha statue, most image houses have an exit door to the side of the front hall, allowing to leave the room while still facing the Buddha.
Image houses occur in the late Anuradhapura period, also in most provincial temples. They may have been inspired by Indian temples containing statues of deities as central objects of veneration. Large-scale Pilimages are a typical feature of the sacred architecture of Polonnaruwa. The most significant shrines of this type are Thuparama on the Quadrangle, Lankatilaka of Polonnaruwa's main monastery, Alahana Parivena, and Tivanka statue house in the very north of Polonnaruwa. Apart from the big three, image houses alias statue houses are also typical features of smaller monasteries such as Menik Vihara. Also the Hatadage on the quadrangle, King Nissanka Malla's Tooth Temple, follows the pattern of an image house.
Image houses occur in the late Anuradhapura period, also in most provincial temples. They may have been inspired by Indian temples containing statues of deities as central objects of veneration. Large-scale Pilimages are a typical feature of the sacred architecture of Polonnaruwa. The most significant shrines of this type are Thuparama on the Quadrangle, Lankatilaka of Polonnaruwa's main monastery, Alahana Parivena, and Tivanka statue house in the very north of Polonnaruwa. Apart from the big three, image houses alias statue houses are also typical features of smaller monasteries such as Menik Vihara. Also the Hatadage on the quadrangle, King Nissanka Malla's Tooth Temple, follows the pattern of an image house.
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