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 248 BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURE. BOOK I. Besides these, there are at Polonnaruwa several of those groups of pillars, without roofs or walls, which we tried to describe in speaking of Anuradhapura. One, called the Audience Hall, 1 seems to be very similar to those of the northern capital ; a vihara, the so - called Heta - Da - ge, close to the Sat Mahal Prasada, is more extensive, and has been profusely ornamented ; 2 but no mere description is of much use, and till we see the plans and more details it is needless speculating on what they may or may not have been. Polonnaruwa likewise possesses another point of interest of considerable importance, though hardly germane to our present subject. Among its ruins are several buildings in the Dravidian style of architecture : one of these, miscalled the Dalada Maligawa, is really a Saiva temple, erected probably by Nissanka Malla, about A.D. 1190. It is built of granite and, except the roof and outer mandapa, is in fair preservation. 3 Another building, though called the Vishnu Dewala, was also dedicated to the worship of Siva, as is testified by the presence of the bull alongside of it, and also apparently on its roof (Plate No. V.). It is the lowest and flattest of those buildings I have yet met with, and whilst in general style and carving resembling the preceding, it is more like a direct literal copy from a constructive vihara than even the raths at Mamalla- puram (Woodcut No. 185, p. 329). This may arise either from its being a copy of an actual vihara existing at the time it was built, or to its being very old. Those at Mamallapuram, even if older than this one, may have gone through certain stages towards their present conventional forms before they were cut in the rock. 4 It is unfortunate for the history of architecture in Ceylon that the oldest and finest of her rock-cut temples as those, for instance, at Dambulla are only natural caverns, slightly improved by art; and those mentioned above, as the Isuru- muniya at Anuradhapura, and Gal Vihara rock temple at Polonnaruwa, with a recumbent figure of Buddha entering Nirvana hewn on the rock, besides being comparatively modern, have little architecture about them, and that little by 1 ' Indian Antiquary," vol. ii. p. 247 ; Mr. Bell's 'Annual Report, 1900,' p. 9. 2 The proof of Mr. Bell's ' Annual Report, 1903,' contains a description of this vihara, but no plan or section is there given. 1 Nissanka Malla was of a Kalinga family, and would naturally incline to the Hindu style of architecture. There are remains also of a group of Hindil temples, chiefly of brick, but too much ruined to be of architectural importance. 4 The Editor is indebted to Lord Stan- more, G.C.M.G., Mr. James G. Smither, F.R.I.B.A., and Mr. H. C. P. Bell, Archaeological Commissioner in Ceylon, for much valued assistance in the revision of this chapter.