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| Vatadage with Moonstone |
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| Guardstones |
After lunch, we went to the Quadrangle section. One of the main structures (and my favorite) was the vatadage. Due to its religious significance, we had to take our shoes off, making walking on the carved stone a challenging affair with the hot noon sun. In the second terrace were four entrances, each with beautifully carved guardstones on each side. Almost like a doormat (the guide said part of the function was actually to help wipe the feet), the semi-circular relief carved moonstones were quite beautiful, nicely framing the stairway up to the Buddhas at the top. One of the four Buddhas was made out of marble.
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| Sathmahal Prasada |
Across from the vatadage was the Sathmahal Prasada, an unusual pyramidal stupa. Its style resembles those seen in northern Thailand. A few Buddha relief sculptures could be seen in the front.
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| 60-days Tooth-relic chamber |
A tooth-relic chamber, built in 60 days, was nearby, in direct line to the vatadage. It also had some guardstones and a larger Buddha statue at the far end.
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| Gal Pota |
Off to one side was the Gal Pota, a stone book measuring 9 m x 1.5 m wide, with a thickness between 40-66cm. On it were stone inscriptions – the longest in Sri Lanka, as well as relief carvings of elephants and birds that resembled geese.
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