The most complete of the Hindu temples in the city, Shiva Devale No. 2 was built by Chola conquerors from South India during their brief eleventh-century rule before Vijayabahu I drove them out. It is, in effect, a small Chola temple transplanted to Sri Lanka, with the characteristic square sanctuary, mandapa porch, and tower carved with sculpted niches.
The temple is built entirely of stone — unusual at Polonnaruwa where brick is the norm — and the workmanship is at the level you would expect in Tamil Nadu. The lingam still stands in the inner sanctum. The smaller, more dilapidated Shiva Devale No. 1 sits a few hundred metres south.