Cobra-guardians
subject: Cobras in art
subject: Stone--bas-reliefs--Lankatilaka Vihare--Polonnaruwa--Sri Lanka
description: Carved on the balustrades on either side of the Lankatilaka Vihare at Polonnaruva, Sri Lanka, are two naga and nagini (male and female cobras in human form) guardians from the 12th century A.D. The nagini is on the inner side of the left balustrade as you enter. Her head is framed by the same number of hoods as the naga on the opposite side indicating the naga and nagini were both considered equally important functionally in their role as guardian. With the nagini are attendant female dwarfs, one a nagini and the other bearing a flywhisk. They give her added status.
creator: Sirima Kiribamune
source: Lankatilaka Vihare, Polonnaruva, Sri Lanka
date: 12th century A.D.
date: Period of study: 1986-1987
date: Version: 01/12/2012
contributor: Co-Author: Seneviratna, Harsha
contributor: Technical Officer: Wijesinghe, Lalith
contributor: Technical Assistant: Jayasundare, Subhashini
contributor: Photographer: Madanayake, I.S.
contributor: International Center for Ethnic Studies, Kandy, Sri Lanka
contributor: Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation
contributor: American Institute for Sri Lankan Studies, Colombo
rights: All rights reserved by International Center for Ethnic Studies, Sri Lanka.
relation: Forms part of Photographic documentation of Women as depicted in early Sri Lankan sculpture and painting / Slide in present collection
format: JPEG 2000
language: eng
type: image
coverage: ce