This is undoubtedly the most famous and artistically impressive structure in the Polonnaruwa archaeological site. Built by King Parakramabahu the Great (1153–1186 AD), it was formerly known as the "Uttararamaya" (the monastery north of the city).

The uniqueness of this structure is that four Buddha statues have been carved into a naturally occurring granite rock face, using the stone to create a very intricate design. The serenity of the faces of these statues and the realistic way in which even the folds of their robes are carved into the stone have been highly praised by critics around the world. Although they are now outdoors, evidence has been found that each of these statues had separate roofed buildings (statue houses) in the past.

The Main Statues

Here, from left to right, there are four statues:

• The Samadhi Image: This is a large seated statue in the Veerasana posture and the Dhyana mudra. A beautiful pandal and four small Buddha images are carved behind the Buddha.
• The Vidyhadhara Guha: This is a small chamber carved into the rock. Inside it is another Buddha statue in the Dhyana mudra, and there are Brahma and Vishnu images on both sides, and paintings on top.
• The Standing Image: There are different opinions about this statue, which is about 7 meters (23 feet) tall. Because of this rare gesture of folding his arms over his chest, some say that this is of Venerable Ananda, who is mourning the passing away of the Buddha. However, many scholars believe that this represents a special gesture of the Buddha himself (paradukkhadukkhita mudra - the way of looking at the suffering of worldly beings).
• The Reclining Image: This is the largest statue at 14 meters (46 feet) long. It depicts the Buddha's passing away. What is special about this is that the pillow on which the head is placed is very realistically carved in the stone, pressed inward by the weight of the head.