Located in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Polonnaruwa, the 11th-century Atadage is a historic "House of Eight Relics" and the kingdom's first temple for the Sacred Tooth Relic.

Why visit Atadage

• Oldest Surviving Structure in the Sacred Quadrangle: Atadage is considered the oldest surviving building in the Sacred Quadrangle of Polonnaruwa, built by King Vijayabahu I (reigned 1055–1110 CE).
• Custodian of the Tooth and Bowl Relics: It was purpose-built to house the most sacred Buddhist relics: the Tooth Relic and the Bowl Relic (alms bowl) of the Buddha, which were kept on its now-vanished wooden upper floor.
• Features the Velaikkara Inscription: Near the ruins is the unique Velaikkara Stone Inscription (in Tamil Grantha script), which states that the protection of the relic was entrusted to a hired Tamil mercenary army (Velaikkara soldiers), offering a rare historical insight into the kingdom’s security forces.
• Possible Dual Meaning for “Ata” (Eight): The name “Atadage” (Ata meaning eight in Sinhala) is thought to refer to either the eight relics housed there (including the Tooth and Bowl) or the possibility that the building was remarkably completed in only eight days.
• Site of the Netra Mangalya Ritual: It was the location for the Netra Mangalya (Anointing the Eye) ceremony, a ritual involving the annual removal and anointing of the eyes of the standing Buddha statue located on the ground floor.