Lankathilaka Viharaya - "Save a Prayer" - Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka
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Becktracker
N 07° 57.768 E 081° 00.220
44N E 500404 N 880185
The final of the Sava a Prayer music video by Duran Duran has been shot at the Lankathilaka Viharaya building In the ancient Pollonaruwa
Waymark Code: WM15A64
Location: Sri Lanka
Date Posted: 11/20/2021
Views: 8
Many of the scenes of the Duran Duran music video of Save a Prayer have been shot at the ancient city of Polonnaruwa in Sri Lanka. At the end of the video, the band members climb up a stairs to a big Buddha Statue. The camera zooms out slowly unitil the whole statue is in view, or what's left of it. The buidling is the Lankathilaka Viharaya building
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"Polonnaruwa Lankathilaka Image House is a monolithic Buddha image house built by king Parakramabahu (1153-1186) lying on the South of Kiri Vehera. The building is complete made out of bricks and the outer walls are covered with elaborate designs and carvings. The Buddha statue is also completely made out of clay bricks and it has been 41 feet in height. Specially made flat bricks have been used to build this statue and today the portion above the shoulder is destroyed.
At the entrance to the Lankathilaka building is two massive pillars made from bricks. The tallest one is 58 feet in height. It is thought that these pillars would have been at least twice as tall this before destruction . According to chronicles this building has had five stories. This too is a part of the Ãlahana Privena.
The two stairways to the upper floors inside the Lankathilaka stupa house are a unique design. The width of a step is only about 4 inches and each is about one feet tall. The stairways start from the Buddha Statue end and goes up towards the entrance end. This unique design is used so that the user find it impossible to climb these stairs the normal may we are used to. The only practical way to climb these stairs are sideways with your back to the walls."
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