Avaṭadāge (Sinhala:වටදාගෙ) is a type of Buddhist structure found inSri Lanka. It also known as adage,thupagara and acetiyagara. Although it may have had some Indian influence, it is a structure that is more or less unique to thearchitecture of ancient Sri Lanka. Vatadages were built around smallstupas for their protection, which often enshrined a relic or were built on hallowed ground. Circular in shape, they were commonly built of stone and brick and adorned with elaborate stone carvings. Vatadages may have also had a wooden roof, supported by a number of stone columns arranged in several concentric rows.
Only ten vatadages now remain in Sri Lanka. The builders of many of these monuments are unknown, as are their time of creation. The oldest such construction is believed to be the one surrounding theThuparamaya. The best example of a vatadage is generally believed to be thePolonnaruwa Vatadage. Along with it, the vatadages atMedirigiriya andThiriyaya remain more or less intact.
Although popularly known asvatadage now, the structure has had several different names. In ancient Sinhalese literature, this type of structure is referred to asvatadage ordage. The 12th and 13th century chroniclesPujavaliya andDalada Siritha use these names when mentioning the Thuparamaya and Polonnaruwa Vatadage. However,Pali texts use the namethupaghara. The namecetiyaghara is also used in some sources.[1]
The wordvatadage literally means circular relic house or shrine.Dage simply means "relic house". Similarly,cetiyaghara means "cetiya-house" andthupaghara "stupa-house".[2]
Vatadages were circular in shape. They were constructed around small stupas for their protection, as well as shelter for devotees. The stupa is located at the centre of a raised circular platform, commonly paved with stone. The vatadage in Polonnaruwa has two platforms, one above the other. This platform contained several concentric rows of stone columns. The columns on the inner row were the highest, while the heights of the columns in the outer rows gradually diminished as they spread further from the center. The number of stone columns and rows have varied from structure to structure, with the vatadage inLankarama originally having as many as 88 columns.[3]
The concentric rows of stone columns were presumably used to support a wooden roof. However, it is disputed if a roof was constructed in some vatadages.[4] If a roof did exist, the part over the stupa itself may have been domed.[3] However, the positioning of the stone columns suggest that the rest of the roof may have been conical in shape.[2] A brick wall often surrounded this platform, and there is evidence that the inside of this wall had been adorned with paintings.[4]
Vatadages often had four entrances, usually oriented to the fourcardinal directions.[5] However, not all of them have been built according to this tradition, and vatadages such as the Thuparama have only one entrance.[6] These entrances were elaborately decorated. The steps that lead to the raised platform were adorned with carvings, as were thekorawakgalas (stone balustrades). Asandakada pahana (moonstone) was placed at the foot of the steps, flanked by twomuragalas (guard stones).[7]
Some ancient stupas inIndia have platforms decorated with carvings at their bases, such as theAmaravati stupa inAndhra Pradesh. Although this type of structure may have influenced the more elaborate vatadage, it is more or less unique toancient Sri Lankan architecture.[2]
The oldest vatadage in Sri Lanka is believed to be the one at the Thuparama temple inAnuradhapura. It was built byVasabha around an already existing stupa, during his reign from 67 to 111 AD.[8] Although a number of vatadages were built following this, in most cases it is uncertain who constructed them or when.[7] Only ten vatadages now remain in the country. These are located atThuparama,Lankarama,Mihintale, Polonnaruwa,Medirigiriya, Attanagalla,Rajangana, Menikdena, Devundara, and Tiriyaya.[9] Of these, the vatadages at Polonnaruwa, Medirigiriya, and Tiriyaya are relatively well preserved, and provide a good indication as to the original appearance of this type of constructions.[7] The vatadages at Mihintale and Attanagalla may have been constructed byGothabhaya, who ruled in the 3rd century.[5]
The Rajangane Vatadage, which was probably built during the 7th or 8th century, differs from others in that it has a square platform rather than a circular one.[10] The vatadage at Tiriyaya was built in the 8th century.[11] The Polonnaruwa Vatadage, considered to be the "ultimate development" of vatadage architecture, was built during the 12th century.[12][13]
Vatadages were usually constructed around stupas which were either built on hallowed ground or contained a relic of the Buddha or an object used by him.[9] The Polonnaruwa Vatadage may have had thetooth relic of theBuddha enshrined within it.[14] Similarly, it is believed that a hair relic of the Buddha is enshrined at Tiriyaya, and his collarbone at Thuparama. The Attanagalla and Mihintale vatadages are both believed to have been built over hallowed ground.[9]
TheZamani Project, document cultural heritage sites in 3D to create a record for future generations.[15][16][17][18] The documentation is based on terrestrial laser-scanning.[19][20] The 3D documentation of the Vatadage in Polonnaruwa was carried out in 2019.[21] The following structures in Polunnaruwa where also documented in 3D:Gal Vihara; Kiri Vihera; Lankatilaka Vihara and the Quadrangle (Hatadage; Atadage; Recumbent-house; Chapter House; Gal Pota;Satmahal Prasada; Bodhisattva Shrine; Latha Mandapaya; Bodhi Tree Shrine and Thuparama Gedige).
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