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BATHING-PLACE NEAR THE BUND OF TISSA-WEWA.

p. 119

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It is possible to ascend to the summit of this great tope by a path, which, though steep, presents no difficulty to any ordinarily active person.

The height of the dagaba (Jetawanarama), as given in the Mahawansa, was originally 160 cubits; a Ceylon builder's cubit is reckoned by Mr. Parker,' after careful comparisons, to be equal to 2 feet. The present height, exclusive of the brick-work crown, or platform, is about 230 feet. In an interesting diagram Mr. Parker shows that the apex of the third pyramid at Gizeh would fall within the spire of Abhayagiriya and its base angles coincide with the base from altar to altar, but the bowl-shaped dagaba does not give nearly so great an impression of size as the angular pyramid. The view from the summit is good, but not striking. It consists of acres and acres of richly green tree-tops, broken here and there by the spires of the great sister dagabas which rise from the living sea.

The dagaba was begun by King Maha Sena (A.D. 275-292), the same king who pulled down the Maha Vihara, or Brazen Palace, and used the stones for enlarging other religious buildings elsewhere. He never lived to complete the work, which was carried on by his son and successor. Leaving the dagaba and passing on by the road, which runs around it in a great curve, we soon see ruins on every side, remnants of the monasteries which clustered round the mighty dagaba. the left, under a tree, is an unusually fine specimen of a Yantra-gala, cut into twenty-five square compartments on the surface like the

Ancient Ceylon. (Luzac, 1909.)

On

one already seen near Ruanweli. The curious. feature of these stones is that they are always found cut in squares of five or three, making the number of holes nine or twenty-five, but why this should be so remains a mystery. At one time it was a common idea to suppose that monks used these stones to induce a state of hypnotism, and they were called yogi stones, but it has now long been proved that they were relic-receptacles, placed beneath the pedestal of some great image to receive the treasured relics there deposited by the faithful. In many cases they have been found in situ, thus proving the matter beyond dispute.

A very short distance from the Yantra-gala is a fine railing of a curious pattern, made completely of stone, but in a style more appropriate to wood. This is called a Buddhist railing, and specimens of this class of work are very rare. It was found in 1890 in a mass of débris, and later completely rebuilt and set up. It is an excellent example of the way in which earlier builders found it difficult to shake their ideas free from the use of wood. "The railing forms a magical protection against evil spirits the magic circle or square-for the relics enclosed within it; and the three rails usually found in it most probably typify the three protecting 'refuges' of Buddhism-the Buddha, the Law, and the Community of Monks." Several examples of such a railing are known in India, but far more frequent than the actual thing is the representation of it in slight relief, which forms a fairly common

1 Ancient Ceylon, by H, Parker. (Luzac, 1909.)

Indian ornament. It may be noted that the htees, or platforms, supporting the spires on the dagabas are often built to represent, in a rather far-off way, this form of railing, and it may be traced when looked for on those of Abhayagiriya (rebuilt) and Jetawanarama. Mr. Fergusson devotes a chapter to these railings. He speaks of the oldest-known examples being at Bodh-gaya and Bharhaut; but those are far more richly decorated than the specimen before us, and can in fact hardly be compared with it. It resembles very closely that at Sanchi, where, however, the posts are octagonal instead of square as in this instance. Mr. Fergusson comments on the essential woodenness of the structure, and notes how the holes must have been cut in the uprights, which were then thrust on to the horizontal rails, not as any stone-work was done either before or after."

The gateways in the rail at Sanchi, however, rise high, and are decorated with overpowering richness. There is nothing of that sort at Anuradhapura, where the only ornament is a vase with a flower on the outermost face of the post. We do not know the date of this rail, but it is possible it is antecedent to A.D. 200, at which Mr. Fergusson places the limiting date of the Indian examples. All around are the remains of the building to which it belonged, and which was, probably in Tamil incursions, so completely thrown down that literally there is not "one stone upon another," except where they have been dug out and replaced.

› History of Indian Architecture, (Murray. 1910 edition.)

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