Page:History of Indian and Eastern Architecture Vol 1.djvu/271

 CHAP. VIII. ANURADHAPURA. 235 over which is a rounded boss 4 in. in diameter. Some of the capitals in the two inner rows have raised pads, and various forms of seatings that might have been supports for images or symbols ; all in the third circle have square pads on them. Originally there have been 128 of these pillars belonging to the three inner circles, 2 and 48 more in the outer or fourth row ; the latter are more slender than the others, and stand in a circle 14 ft. beyond the third. This relic-shrine was originally erected by the celebrated King Devanampiya Tissa, about 246 years B.C., to contain the right collar bone of Buddha, which say the Buddhist chroniclers descending from the skies, placed itself on the crown of the monarch. As contemporary with Ajoka it belongs to the most interesting period I3I. capital from outer of Buddhist history, and is older, or, at least, circle at Thuparama as old, as anything now existing on the continent Da s aba - Scale Jv^- 1 of India ; and there is every reason to suppose it existed till 1842, as nearly as may be, in the form in which it was originally designed, having escaped alteration, and, what is more unusual in a Buddhist relic-shrine, having escaped augmentation. When the celebrated Tooth Relic was brought hither from India some time during the 4th century, it was deposited in a small building erected for the purpose to the south-east of the circular platform. This was known as the Dalada Maligawa or Tooth relic Temple. The Lankarama (Woodcut No. 132) is extremely similar to the last though there is no distinct historical mention of its erection in the Sinhalese chronicles. Its being encircled by pillars, like the Thuparama, might suggest that it belonged to about the same age, 3 and this seems supported by Mr. Smither's drawings, which point in that direction. The building, however, has more than once undergone restorations that may have nearly obliterated its more ancient features. Parakrama Bahu I. (1153- ii 86) repaired many of the old monuments most probably 1 From Smither's, ' Anuradhapura ', plate 7, fig. 3. 2 These pillars were arranged thus : 52 in the inner circle, 36 in the second, and 40 in the third ; those in the inner circle are only 2 ft. 5 in. apart, except in front of the chapels, where they are about 9 ft. 4 in. apart in each circle. None of the other pillars in one circle are directly opposite pillars in the next. Abhaya Tissa, A.D. 231; Major Forbes assigned it to Mahasena between 277 and 304 (Sinhalese dates) ; and Mr Smither suggests that it might be the vihSra, unnamed by Tumour, mentioned as built by MahSsiva, dr. B.C. 190; this last, however, was the Nagarangana vihara. 'Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society,' vol. xx. pp. I75f. ; Forbes 'Eleven Years in Ceylon ' ; Wijesinha, ' MahSwansa,' part i., p. 81.
 * Captain Chapman said it was built by