monks. The inscriptions are incised on the brows of the caves, just below the kataraya or drip-line. As to the identification of this site with that of Vessagiri Vihāra, stated to have been built by King Dēvānampiya Tissa in the third century B. C.', we have only tradition, more or less confirmed by the evidence derived from (1) the probable age of the cave inscriptions, (2) the archaic style of the ruined buildings, and (3) the relative position of the site, in respect at east of Rock B. These terraces had buildings now underground, and there were at least two flights of steps (plain guard stones and balustrades) descending due east from Nos. 9 and 10. Here some damage has been done by stone breakers. The south-east face of No. 10 has kaṭāre, and an inscription. The cave is worked and slopes back to the horizontal, where it meets No. 9. The south-east [northeast?] end of No. 10 rests on a small boulder, which, being undercut (with kaṭāre) on east face as well, forms another small cave No. 11 (where brickbats and stones abound) with one inscription. The east face of No. 9 is also cut back at an angle of 45 degrees, but rough: there is one inscription at this cave. Cave No. 12.-Rock No. 2 at its back (east) and south-east forms a commodious shelter, almost horizontal and smoothly worked roof. This was likely the Vihāra. The door flags and jamb stones (bottom) are in position. There is an inscription at south-east high up-also a rock-cut (small letters) inscription, shallow on the rock wall at north end of cave No. 12. Beyond cave No. 12 to north the rock runs smooth from summit to ground. The hummock (Rock B) beyond rock No. 9 on to south consists of a line of boulders (as indeed the whole of rock B consists) resting on a long rock base. On east side, this base is smooth and runs up 12 to 15 feet at a steep slope. There are no further caves here until the south end of hummock (Rock B). Towards its south end are three solitary boulders, and at the south end two striking boulders (undercut on most sides deeply) resting like irregular marbles on the top of the base rock which slopes down east, west, and south. Under the most northerly and smallest of the three boulders is a cave No. 8, with kaṭāre facing east: no inscription. Under the next boulder (sheer on south) is a cave No. 4, with kaṭāre facing west: one inscription: double kaṭāre in part and top.kaṭāre continued down south end of roof (as with No. 3): brickbats of ancient room. The north face of third boulder (which stands on south edge of the hummock, Rock B) is also sheer, and separated by 8 to 10 feet from south face of second boulder. Under its west and south-west face, kaṭāre-cut cave No. 5, but no inscription (notice the rock-cut "sets" as at Sigiriya to hold wall, all vestige of which has disappeared). About twelve rock-cut steps lead up hummock, Rock B, south end from west. On these are the twin boulders, and after passing between them on the hummock summit, eight more steps lead down to cave No. 7. This faces east, and is nearly horizontal at roof with kaṭāre and inscription. Cave No. 6 lies below north-east face of third rock, has kaṭāre and lettersalso four stone beds on the hummock surface under cave shelter (notice the deep-cut drain 4" x 2" deep to turn the rain-water from the beds). On the top of the hummock near the first of the three boulders towards south end are pillars of some ruin. Immediately east of Rock B, 100 yards across the paddy field in private land, are large pillared ruins. 'Rock C. This is a cluster of jumbled boulders, very picturesque, with caves here and there in no special order. Two caves have inscriptions; and at one, the stone door frame of the Vihāra (?) is still in situ; but all caves are more or less silted up. Note the beautifully cleft vertical rock at southwest corner of Rock C-a real wall of rock. There are structural ruins all round the Rocks A, B, C. Also some in the adjoining paddy fields.' Mv. xx. 15-20. to the neighbouring Isurumuņiya (Issarasamaņaka') Vihāra, also built by Dēvānampiya Tissa. According to the Mahavamsa1, 'Vessagiri' received its name from the 500 Vaisyas who lived there in retirement, after they had been ordained by Mahinda Thera (son of the Indian Emperor Asōka), who was then promulgating Buddhism in Ceylon. The Isurumuniya Vihāra also (it is stated) received its name from 'the eminently pious personages' that sojourned there after their ordination by the same apostle. The only other reference to Vessagiri in this chronicle is in connexion with King Vaṭṭagāmanī Abhaya or Vaļagambāhu (circa 104-76 B.C.), who 'concealed himself in the Vessagiri forest' after he had been defeated by Tamils in battle. The then abbot of the monastery 'Kutthikkula Mahātissa, meeting him there, presented him with a meal which he had first partly partaken of. The ruler, gratified thereat, dedicated (certain lands) for the support of his fraternity, recording the grant on a ketaka leaf (no other writing-materials being procurable) 2.' Nothing further is known regarding the history of this monastery. That it must have been abandoned many centuries ago, is evident from the state of the ruins and the trees that have since grown over them. The inscriptions discovered here consist of (1) those on the caves Nos. I to 4, 6, 7, and 9 to 12 in Rock B, and Nos. 6 and 8 in Rock C as marked in the accompanying plan, (2) two on Rock B, and (3) those on two slabs now placed in the grounds of the local Museum at Anuradhapura. i. CAVE INSCRIPTIONS. The facsimile Plates 5 and 6 show that these records are inscribed in the Brahmi lipi or Mauryan character. As they furnish no historical data, their age can only be fixed, with some probability, by means of the palaeographic and linguistic evidence they afford. In the study of Ceylon palaeography, two important facts must be borne in mind, namely: (1) The most ancient Ceylon inscriptions yet discovered are written in Brāhmī lipi; and, as will be shown hereafter, they contain some of the oldest types of that script side by side with the later forms. |