The ancient Royal capital of Polonnaruwa is a cultural as well as religious site to be traveled in Sri Lanka. Both locals and foreigners are tempted to travel around the site due to its glorious history tracing back to the 7th century AD. Among them, Hatadage in Polonnaruwa is an ancient relic chamber where the sacred tooth relic of Lord Buddha was kept. This is a masterpiece of King Nishshankamalla(1187-1196) made by full of stones, brick, and wood. Anyway, stone and brick items are rescued.
Later the mansion was revamped with two flats. But today you will find only the lower mansion. In Sinhalese, the Hatadage reveals of a sixty relic shrine. The entire structure was built in memory this feat. Another version is that it was called, because of six relics which were conserved and ensured at one time. Constantly the relics were kept in a special chamber in the upper story of the Hatadage. A 120 feet high stone wall guards the shrine. Simultaneously you can find that the shrine has a wooden structure. The entrance to the shrine is decorated with stone carvings. A Moonstone or ‘Sandakadapahana’ which was concerned as another great architectural feature of the Polonnaruwa architect is placed at the same place. While you are passing by you can see the 27 feet long and 21 feet broad small chamber.
There were six stone columns and a steady staircase which is supposed to be used to reach the upper mansion in ancient times. Another square shaped main chamber is located to the rear of this outer chamber. This is 25 feet long. It is believed that there were 16 columns in the chamber yet 3 of them remain. Hence you can see partly destroyed 3 Buddha statues made of full granite in the chamber.
Some say that the Hatadage was built within 60 hours. According to the legend, ‘Atadage’ was built by King Vijayabahu to the house and protect Tooth relic of Buddha from south Indian Dravidian invasions. Atadage means House of eight relics and believe that it housed 7 more relics of Buddha rather than the main tooth relic placed in the shrine. While both structures are built to protect the tooth relics devotees and pilgrims never forget to visit these two places, on their journeys around the ancient city of Polonnaruwa.