Muragala

Muragala or muru gal, also known as a guardstone, are a unique feature of the Sinhalese architecture of ancient Sri Lanka.

[1] The muragala is a set of twin oblong slabs of stone, with a rounded top, located at the foot of the flight of steps, leading to a place of worship, situated on a higher elevation.

Charles Godakumbura, the Commissioner of Archaeology in Ceylon from 1956 to 1967, described the evolution of the muragala from its origins as a painted wooden plank or a stone terminal slab, serving as a stop wedge at the lower end of a slanting rail or balustrade (korawakgala) through to its final form as an elaborate carved stone.

[5] He distinguished five phases in its evolution: More recently archeologists consider that muragala merely served as a decorative feature, rather than a structural purpose.

This however was not strictly a consecutive evolution but a succession of overlapping developments, with the most evolved pūrṇaghaṭa motifs not necessarily pre-dating the earliest Nāgarājas carvings.

Entrance to Polonnaruwa Vatadage , with the two stone muragala located either side of the staircase.
A close-up of the muragala, depicting the naga-raja. In one hand he holds a pūrṇaghaṭa and in the other a sprouting branch complete with leaves, buds and flowers. Around his head is a seven-hooded cobra hood. The two minor figures at his feet are Śańkha and Padma.