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Arts & Communication

ARTICLE
Cultural exchange and decorative motifs

in Polonnaruwa, Sarnath, and Angkor Wat:
12 -century regional traditions and bilateral
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relations

Ganga Rajinee Dissanayaka*
Former Deputy Director Samkathana Research Center and Archive, Faculty of Humanities,
University of Kelaniya, Kelaniya, Western Province, Sri Lanka

Abstract

This study delves into the artistic and cultural connections among Polonnaruwa,
Sarnath, and Angkor Wat during the 12 century, focusing on their decorative
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*Corresponding author: motifs within the context of bilateral relations and contemporary political dynamics.
Ganga Rajinee Dissanayaka Through an analysis of historical sources, architectural remnants, and artistic styles,
(gangaraj_2019@kln.ac.lk)
the research identifies significant parallels and influences shared among these ancient
Citation: Dissanayaka GR. Cultural centers. Polonnaruwa is highlighted as a critical hub where artistic expressions
exchange and decorative motifs in flourished amid external pressures and environmental changes. The city’s advanced
Polonnaruwa, Sarnath, and Angkor
Wat: 12 -century regional traditions carving techniques are seen as a developmental link between the artistic traditions
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and bilateral relations. of Angkor and Sarnath, even as foreign invasions and climatic impacts obscured
Arts & Communication. aspects of Polonnaruwa’s artistic legacy. This study underscores the pivotal role of
2025;3(3):4205.
doi: 10.36922/ac.4205 Polonnaruwa, Angkor, and Sarnath in shaping the cultural landscape of South and
Southeast Asia during this period, demonstrating how artistic innovations and
Received: July 11, 2024
diplomatic interactions fostered a shared visual language across the region.
1st revised: September 2, 2024
2nd revised: October 18, 2024 Keywords: Polonnaruwa; Sarnath; Angkor Wat; 12 century; Decorative motifs
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3rd revised: November 15, 2024
4th revised: December 23, 2024
5th revised: January 12, 2025 1. Introduction
Accepted: January 13, 2025 Although the golden age of the Polonnaruwa (Sri Lanka), Sarnath (India), and Angkor
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Published online: February 18, Wat (Cambodia) empires (Figure 1) is traditionally associated with the 12 century,
2025 their rise and decline spanned a broader period from the 5 to the 13 century. This
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Copyright: © 2025 Author(s). study focuses exclusively on the 12 century to examine the artistic characteristics of
This is an Open-Access article these regions. In the realm of world art history, distinct styles such as Khmer art, Gupta
distributed under the terms art, Pala art, and Polonnaruwa-Sri Lankan art are associated with each site.
of the Creative Commons
AttributionNoncommercial License, The primary objective of this research is to investigate the homogeneity of decorative
permitting all non-commercial use,
distribution, and reproduction in any motifs in religious sites across Polonnaruwa, Sarnath, and Angkor Wat kingdoms. The
medium, provided the original work research question addresses similarities in the decorative motifs of religious buildings
is properly cited. in South and Southeast Asia and examines whether sociopolitical interactions between
Publisher’s Note: AccScience these regions contributed to these shared characteristics. Employing a contextual
Publishing remains neutral with analysis framework, this study examines decorative motifs, situating them within the
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional broader social, political, and economic environments of their time. This approach
affiliations. assumes that patterns in art are not merely expressions of esthetic preferences but are

Volume 3 Issue 3 (2025) 1 doi: 10.36922/ac.4205