JOURNAL

OF

THE ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY.

ART. V.-The Dâgabas of Anuradhapura. By JOHN CAPPER.

IN 1875 my son, the late George Capper, a Ceylon official surveyor, was employed during nearly two years in making measurements and drawings of the principal ruins at Anuradhapura. The results of his labours were shown in upwards of thirty large sheets of tracings, which have since been copied and forwarded to the Colonial Office in London.

During the spare hours of his residence amongst the ruins, my son made a considerable number of notes regarding the architectural objects on the site of the ancient city. These he did not live to complete, having met his death at the hands of a Kandyan whilst on Survey work in a remote district. From the rough memoranda found amongst his papers, I have edited those relating to relic shrines, in the hope that they may possess sufficient interest for perusal.

The oldest dâgaba at Anurâdhapura is the Thupârâma built by King Devânam Piya Tissa, B.C. 307, supposed to have enshrined the left collar-bone of the Buddha. As it was invariably the practice to place all such relics in gold caskets studded with jewels of value, before they were deposited in the edifices erected for their reception, it is more than probable that no portion of this reputed relic now remains, as all VOL. XX.-[NEW SERIES.]

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dâgabas were pillaged by Malabar invaders during the fourth and fifth centuries.

This dâgaba is said to have been partially restored during the early portion of the British period, when the "Tee" and spire surmounting the bell of the structure were renewed. The ornamental moulded base, the diameter of which is 59 feet, is of fine white sandstone, and forms a portion of the original structure, though much defaced by carelessly executed repairs.

The diameter of the bell is 33 feet, and the richly ornamented spire is tipped with a large crystal of a delicate pink hue, carved with a broad base terminating in a point. The crystal is about a foot in length and eight inches in diameter at its base. It was usually the practice in Ceylon in those early days to surmount lofty buildings with a spire terminating in a pointed crystal, which was believed to protect the structure from injury by lightning.

The Thupârâma Dâgaba, 62 feet in height, stands on a circular platform, the brick walls supporting which being of great thickness, and on the outside embellished with fine mouldings and pilasters of similar materials, though there can be no doubt that the entire exterior, including the parapet which once encircled it, was originally covered with plaster and possibly decorated with paintings. This platform is paved with slabs of granite, but these were evidently taken from some other building, a number of them being morticed to receive door-posts, and variously carved for other purposes. On this platform are four concentric rows of graceful octagonal columns. The first of these are situated close to the base of the dâgaba, the second row about two feet from the first, the third about five feet from the second, and the fourth row, the columns and capitals of which were carved from a single stone, were arranged round the margin of the platform. The capitals of the first two rows of pillars are ornamented along their upper edges with grotesque squatting figures, with arms upraised as though supporting a weight resting on their heads. The third row are ornamented with the figures of eagles having outstretched wings, and the

fourth and outer row bear carvings of fringes and tassels of very graceful design. The height of the inner row of columns is twenty-four feet, of the second twenty-two feet, and of the outer rows fourteen feet. Between the third and fourth rows of columns there was evidently a wall, no longer in existence, but of which the stone foundations, slightly raised above the pavement, may very easily be traced. These columns were ranged round the dâgaba in quadrants, forming a rather broad passage to each of the cardinal points of the structure, where there was probably an altar-like slab (called a Malâsana, or flower-stand) close to the base, where those who came to mark their faith in Buddhism laid their offerings of flowers. No remains of these flower altars are now to be seen, except a bold moulding of stone above the level of the pavement, which no doubt received the frame of the altar; that such did originally exist is the more probable from the fact that the remains, more or less ruinous, of similar altars exist at the Lankârâma Dâgaba, which, though smaller, was evidently built after the model of the Thupârâma.

At the east and west ends of the building are flights of stone stairs reaching to the platform, fourteen feet above the surrounding ground, the steps having been ornamented with richly-carved stone wing-walls, now prostrate on the ground, but once surmounted by flat stone slabs elaborately carved with human figures, bearing vessels containing the sacred lotus-flower. Opposite the landing of these steps, and in a line with the foundation of the wall which once surrounded the dâgaba, may be seen a double step carved out of a single block of granite, morticed above to receive the stone door frame which once formed the entrance. The object of these beautifully-carved pillars and wall was beyond a doubt to sustain a magnificent conical roof, which would have covered the whole of the dâgaba. Columns, wall both inside and out, altars, and in short every portion of the building, were no doubt originally painted in rich and glowing colours. That it was so is proved by recent excavations very carefully made; thin coatings of very fine plaster being found

covering the stone and brickwork with traces of bright colours.

On the platform to the south-west may be seen the remains of a chapel, near which are three finely-ornamented stone doorways, evidently removed from the wall which once surrounded the dâgaba. At some distance to the east are the ruined walls of a keep or guard-house, such as are attached to all Buddhist edifices of any importance. Within the enclosure of this building, and near the north wall, are the remains of a tomb, originally constructed in the form of a dâgaba, standing on a square platform reached by four stone steps ornamented with carved stone wing-walls. All that is now to be seen of this structure are the stone steps, the wing-walls out of position, and a shapeless heap of bricks. This tomb is said to be that of the Queen Anulâ, but some assert that it contained the remains of Sanghamittâ, a nun, and sister of Mahinda, who introduced Buddhism into Ceylon.

Next in point of antiquity is the Miris-wattiya Dâgaba, built by King Dutu Gæmunu in the year 157 B.C., to commemorate the recovery of his kingdom from the Tamil usurper Elâla. Very little was known of this structure until about ten years ago, when some extensive excavations on its western side brought to light what may be considered the most beautiful specimen of ancient architecture in Anurâdhapura. This consisted of one of the 'wings' of the dâgaba, that is of an elaborately-carved stone structure standing slightly in advance of the main building, and having three distinct faces, that in the centre projecting beyond those on the two sides, but united to them by continuity of carved ornamental work, as on the other faces. The wing is united to the dâgaba by a backing of brickwork running into the stonework of the lower rim of the structure or 'pâsâda,' a raised processional path along which Buddhist devotees proceeded during the performance of religious ceremonies. This dâgaba has two pâsâdas or terraces, one above the other, of which only the upper one could have been used for processional purposes, as the backs of the wings extended into

the lower pâsâda, blocking any passage through it at each of the cardinal points where the four wings are placed. In the other large dâgabas there are three pâsâdas in each, all of which could be used for processional purposes, as the wings ran only partially into the lower one. The ornamentation of these wings having been cleared from the débris of the superstructure, are found to be more perfect than in other dagabas, showing the stonework to its full height, and sufficient of the brickwork to explain the method of its construction and the object of the building.

The base of the wing is a moulding consisting of a plain square surmounted by a quadrant of a circle, above which there is a fine moulded string, from which rises the plinth or plain face of the structure two feet in height, terminating with a finely-carved capping. On this is a row of elephants, remarkably well executed: the central elephant and those at the outer and inner angle of the projecting front have their trunks raised over their heads, the others have their trunks coiled on one side away from the centre. Between each pair of elephants on the recessed back-ground is a disc carved so as to represent a front view of an opening lotus-flower. Above the elephants and a few inches from the face of the recess is a bold moulding, then a plain band receding slightly from the front, about ten inches in width, surmounted by a projecting moulded beading, another plain band of the same width, a moulded beading above differing in pattern from the one below. Next comes a bracket line of heads of some nondescript animal, from the jaws of which protrude an upturned tongue reaching slightly above the level of the head. The breadth of this row of heads is the same as that of the elephants-eleven inches, and between each pair similar lotus-bud discs are to be seen. Another beaded string is found above this, then two more plain bands with. strings above them, then a carved frieze, more quaint than beautiful, representing a procession of animals headed by men marching from left to right. This frieze is rather more than twelve inches broad, and the height of the animals varies from eight to eleven inches: amongst them may be