Satmahal Prasada, Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka

Satmahal Prasada (29 August, 2005)


Satmahal Prasada represents another unusual design for a temple, unique in Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka. The name means "Seven Storey Edifice", and appears as a stepped pyramid. Historians and archaeologists are stumped as to its origin, as there were no mention of it in the ancient chronicles. According to the book Lanna, Thailand's Northern Kingdom¹, the Satmahal Prasada may owe its appearance to the Mahapol Chedi at Wat Chamathewi in Lamphun, Thailand. Each floor has a niche that contain figurines, some of which still there. A flight of stairs winds its way up the tower.

In all likelihood, the Satmahal Prasada probably bears influences from the Khmers, who are renowned at building temple mountains which are ziggurat-like as well. Visitors admiring the Satmahal Prasada can be satisfied with the knowledge that they know as much about it as the historian, that is, nothing.

Staircase going up Satmahal Prasada (29 August, 2005)

References

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Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.

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