which contained a relic! Closely akin in idea to the pagodas of Burma, these dagabas are yet quite different in style. Fergusson says in a note in his Indian Architecture:

Dâgaba is a Singalese word applied to a stûpa, from the Sanskrit 'dhâtu,' a 'relic,' ́ element' and 'garbha,' a 'womb,' 'receptacle,' or‘shrine.' Dhatugharba is thus the relicreceptacle or inner shrine, and is strictly applicable only to the dome of the stupa."

He mentions in another place the word Chaitya as applied to stupas, and it is as a Chetiyo, the same word, that Ruanweli is continually referred to in the Mahawansa, but there is no need in this book to multiply confusion in the multiplication of foreign words, and dagaba is usually employed.

Ruanweli was a real dagaba in the sense of being a relic store-house, while Abhayagiri and Jetawanarama were merely commemoration piles, but have been equally described as dagabas though lacking the intrinsic meaning of the word; these are the three largest known dagabas. It is necessary to imagine the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral sliced off and set on the ground in order to get some idea of these curious buildings without seeing one. The upper part of Ruanweli is to-day covered with green jungle scrub, while the lower is rendered hideous by a huge new binding wall. Ruanweli is one of the Eight Sacred Places at Anuradhapura held by the Buddhist community or Atamasthana, the others being the Bo-tree, Brazen Palace, Abhayagiri, Thuparama, Jeta

wanarama, Lankarama, and Mirisaveti dagabas. Consequently the archæological survey authorities are not responsible for its preservation. Some years ago a great slice of it fell down, burying in its débris three or four statues of a king (supposed to be Dutugemunu) and four Buddhas supposed to represent the four Buddhas of this kalpa, which formerly stood along the platform-for this huge bowl is surrounded by a platform of set granite blocks, and on the sides of the dagaba at the four cardinal points are four altars, or "screens," facing outwards. That facing south is decorated with elephants' heads in relief. Among the rubble and fallen bricks work plump little Tamil women, who chatter as they sort the still perfect bricks from the piles, and carry them over to the workmen who are building up the great new supporting wall. The scarp of the outer platform, which is square, is now buried to a great extent beneath the rubble mounds, but was once decorated with elephants' heads in relief, facing outwards, shoulder to shoulder, all round. These were made of brick, coated with chunam, and supplied with tusks of real ivory. In its freshness the gleaming ring must have looked magnificent. Only a few of the elephants, of worn brick, with vacant tusk sockets, can now be seen on the north side. It is very difficult to get a photograph of them, as they are always in deepest shade, and two exposures resulted in failure.

The upper platform of Ruanweli is now disfigured by hideous little gim-crack buildings like sugar toys, put up by the priests. In one of them, painted out of recognition, and with all

their charm gone, are the rescued statues of the king and the Buddhas above mentioned. Opposite the south altar, stately in its blackened and worn stone, is the statue of another king, supposed to be Bhatikabhaya (19 B.C.), who alone of all laymen was allowed, on account of his sanctity, to penetrate into the relic - chamber. Major Forbes gives another account, saying that the king wore holes in the pavement with his knees by his continued prayers that he might obtain entrance to the relic-chamber, so that, at last the gods showed him an underground and secret way. The entrance to this, covered by a stone slab at a considerable distance from the outer enclosure of the dagaba, was pointed out to Major Forbes by a priest who greatly desired to obtain his favour. This same priest, however, on subsequent occasions denied all knowledge of such an entrance, nor could it again be found.

How long has this mighty dagaba stood in its present position, and who was responsible for building it? We learn all about that in the Mahawansa. It was the conception of the great King Dutugemunu, and he determined, as in the case of the Brazen Palace, that the labour should be paid for.

When the question of the shape of the great stupa was under discussion, the king asked the bricklayer what he suggested. "The bricklayer, filling a golden dish with water, and taking some water on the palm of his hand, dashed it against the water (in the dish); a great globule in the form of a coral bead rose to the surface, and he said, 'I will construct it in this form.'

The foundations were solidly laid, for round stones were brought and well beaten in, and then trampled further by elephants wearing leathern pads on their feet. Many surreptitious attempts were made by monks and others to contribute unpaid labour in the form of a brick or handful of earth, so as to gain merit, but when discovered they were always defeated, generally by payment of the doer, which destroyed his "merit," for the king was determined the great monument should be made by paid labour only.

There was a tremendous ceremony at the deposition of the relics in Ruanweli, which included the largest and most important collection of relics ever enshrined together in one place. Hence the peculiar sacredness of Ruanweli. At the ceremony bands played and flowers and incense were offered, and the people assembled in glad thousands, for then, as now, they loved a pinkama. The king gave the priesthood "robes, cane-sugar, buffalo butter," and many other things.

When the sacred relics had been enshrined in a receptacle of great magnificence, the king deposited also all the regal ornaments he had on his person, then the priests closed the receptacle with a stone, after which the people were allowed to put any relics they wished on the top of the shrine. Ruanweli is not the largest of the Anuradhapura dagabas, coming third in size. The height of the drum, or body, at the present day is 178 feet 8 inches. It is capped by a modern copper spire.

When the construction of the spire and the plastering of the dagaba alone remained to be completed, the king became very ill. Sending