Lankatilaka, Polonnaruwa
A roofless brick image house whose walls still stand about 17 metres high, with a headless standing Buddha filling the far end of a narrow nave.
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What Lankatilaka actually is
Lankatilaka is a large brick image house, an enclosure built to hold a Buddha statue, in the northern part of Polonnaruwa. Guides and Lonely Planet attribute it to Parakramabahu I (reigned 1153–1186), with a later restoration credited to Vijayabahu IV. It is built in the gedige style, with very thick walls and a corbelled roof, but the roof has collapsed.
What remains is two parallel walls, about 17 metres high and reported to be around 4 metres thick, flanking a narrow aisle. At the end stands a huge standing Buddha of brick and plaster. It has lost its head and hands. Reported heights vary, from about 12 metres to over 14 metres, so treat any single figure with caution.
The scale is the point: the walls close in and the statue fills the end of the nave. It is not the Lankatilaka temple near Kandy, which is a separate 14th-century building.
Worth your attention
The nave
A narrow aisle between the two high walls, with sky where the roof was. Walk it slowly: the walls force you to look at the Buddha from a distance.
The headless Buddha
A standing figure of brick and plaster, missing its head and hands. Its size fills almost the whole end wall.
The wall carvings
The outer walls carry carved scenes of palaces, gods and kings. They are weathered, so side light helps.
The approach
Guardstones, makara balustrades and wide steps lead up to the entrance, which is better preserved than the interior.
Before you go
Do this
- Walk the whole length of the nave to the statue rather than stopping at the entrance.
- Look up at the tops of the walls, which show where the roof was and how much has been lost.
- Pair it with Gal Vihara and Kiri Vehera, which are close by.
- Visit before the heat; there is no shade at the entrance.
- Take a hat and water; the nave traps heat.
Know this first
- The roof is gone, so there is no shelter from sun or rain.
- Reported dimensions vary: the 17 m wall height is widely repeated, but the Buddha’s height is quoted differently by different guides.
- The headless statue disappoints some visitors expecting a face.
- It is easy to confuse with the Lankatilaka temple near Kandy; make sure your driver means Polonnaruwa.
Getting to Lankatilaka, Polonnaruwa
Most people see Lankatilaka, Polonnaruwa as part of a stay around Polonnaruwa. Our Polonnaruwa guide covers where to stay, how long to give it and what else is nearby.
Coming straight from the airport, the relevant run is Colombo Airport to Polonnaruwa — fixed price per vehicle, driver waiting inside arrivals with a name board.
Read the full Polonnaruwa guideFrom Colombo Airport
Car up to 3 passengers; vans quoted on the route page. No night surcharge.
Lankatilaka, Polonnaruwa — frequently asked
What is Lankatilaka at Polonnaruwa?
A large roofless brick image house with walls about 17 metres high and a headless standing Buddha at the end of its nave. It is attributed to Parakramabahu I.
How tall is the Buddha statue?
Guides disagree: about 12 metres in one account, over 14 in another. It has lost its head and hands.
Is it the same as Lankatilaka near Kandy?
No. That is a different, 14th-century temple at Udunuwara. This one is a ruined brick image house at Polonnaruwa.
Do I need a separate ticket?
No. The Polonnaruwa ticket covers it. Around US$ 30 for foreign adults was the 2026 listing price.
Also worth stopping for around Polonnaruwa
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