Stone--bas-reliefs--Lankatilaka Vihare--Polonnaruwa--Sri Lanka
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.
Lankatilaka Vihare, Polonnaruva, Sri Lanka
Technical Assistant: Jayasundare, Subhashini
International Center for Ethnic Studies, Kandy, Sri Lanka
Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation
American Institute for Sri Lankan Studies, Colombo
All rights reserved by International Center for Ethnic Studies, Sri Lanka.
Forms part of Photographic documentation of Women as depicted in early Sri Lankan sculpture and painting / Slide in present collection