Page:History of Indian and Eastern Architecture Vol 1.djvu/287

CHAP. VIII. POLONNARUWA. 247 recording the acts and virtues of King Kirti Nissanka Malla (1187-1196). The carving on its border represents a double row of hansas or sacred geese always a favourite subject of the Buddhist sculptors. 1 At each end of this stone is engraved a representation of Sri with her two elephants with their water- pots (Woodcut No. 3). Beside the Sat Mahal Prasada is the Wata-Da-ge, a circular building, which, so far as is at present known, is all but unique. 2 It is a circular enclosure, open to the sky, 58 ft. 2 in. in diameter, and surrounded by a wall 14 ft. high, once decorated with paintings (Plate No. III.). Inside were found the remains of a small brick dagaba and broken figures of Buddhas at the cardinal points, as also the broken shafts of pillars of two circles that had surrounded the dagaba. Round the outer circumference of the wall is a narrow passage, enclosed by a highly ornamental screen about 3 ft. high, adorned with a range of thirty-two slender pillar shafts, 6 ft. in height with highly carved capitals, like those of the outermost circle at the Thuparama dagaba (Woodcut No. 130). Below this is a richly carved stylobate, about 4 ft. 6 in. high, standing on a circular platform 120 ft. in diameter, about 20 ft. broad and 4 ft. 6 in. above the ground level. The principal entrance is from the north side, but at the other cardinal points also are flights of steps leading up to the enclosure, more elaborate than any others that have yet been discovered in Ceylon. They all have highly carved thresholds or moonstones to start from. Their risers are each adorned with twelve figures of dwarfs, and their side pieces, or jambs, are of exceptional richness, and each has a pair of Naga-headed dwarpals at the sides of its steps. 3 Altogether this is one of the most interesting buildings in Ceylon, as well as one of the richest in sculptural decorations. 4 Close to the Wata-Da-ge, on its south-west side, is the Thuparama temple, a large, oblong brick structure, built by Parakrama Bahu I., the walls of which are full 5 ft. in thickness (Plate No. IV.). The principal entrance is on the east side and a smaller one on the north, and it has four narrow windows divided by round mullions. The temple consists of a vestibule and inner hall, vaulted in the Hindu method by corbelling inwards the successive layers of brick. Over this is a low, square tower. Round the base of the building runs a low dado of lions somewhat boldly worked in stucco. 1 They occur also on Ajoka's pillars in the earliest known sculptures in India (Woodcut No. 6). 2 Mr. Bell mentions the ruins of a very similar "Circular Relic-shrine" at Mediri- giriya, 20 miles north of Polonnaruwa. 'Annual Report, 1903.' 3 This is probably the Dalada Mali- gawa, erected by Parakrama Bahu in the second half of the I2th century. ' Mahawansa,' ch. 73 and 78. 4 Smither's ' Anuradhapura,' p. 12.