( 25 ) 



slab in a corner of the verandah bearing a short Sinhalese inscrip- 

 tion with representations of sun (an orb) and the moon (a crescent) 

 is called the Ehunug'alla Slab* ; it records a benefaction to a 

 monastery. Close to this stone is an ancient carved wooden door 

 from Dewanagala in the Kegaila District. The solid wings of this 

 door and the left jamb of its frame were found among the lumber 

 underneath the vihare. There are ten plain panels enclosed by 

 framework in high relief carved in a foliage scroll. The carving 

 of the jamb is described as follows : " Between an outer beading 

 and inner splayed edige of lotus petals runs a long narrow panel 

 with gracefully intertwined double scroll of creeper, separating 

 four figures all different from each other. A space half moulded, 

 half panelled, in flower design, intervenes between it and the base 

 panel, in which is placed beside a tree an elephant with head and 

 right forefoot raised and curled trunk."t 



The door, which was presented by F. H. Price, Esq., in 1890, was 

 reconstructed at the Colombo Museum. The cross beam on the 

 top with the drooping lotus capitals was brought from the Pinna- 

 wala Vihare. J 



Next to the wooden door are two carved wooden pillars mounted 

 as door posts. They belonged to a set of seven balcony pillars 

 found under the eaves of the porch of the Kumbukgama Vihare. § 



Opposite to the wooden door are casts of two Peacock Pillars 

 from Anuradhapura. At the other end of the verandah there is 

 a large wooden rice trough or paddy pounder, in which the paddy 

 which has previously been trodden out of the corn by bullocks is 

 beaten and husked. Next to this is an old carved rice mortar from 

 Ratnapura, like those in constant use at the present day, in which 

 the rice is pounded into flour. 



BUDDHA SHED. 



In the palm-thatched shed in the grounds behind the Museum 

 further important stone antiquities are exhibited. Chief among 

 these is the large sedent Buddha found by Mr. Bell in the 

 jungle near the Nuwarawewa tank at Anuradhapura.|| "This 

 Buddha," wrote Mr. Bell in 1890, " is admittedly the finest yet 

 brought to light at Anuradhapura. The wonderful sharpness 



* H. C. P. Bell. Report, Kegaila District, 1892, p. 76, with figure on plate 

 facing p. 72. 



t Id., p. 49. 



X H. C. P. Bell, uj} cit., p. 38. 



§ Id., p. 22, with figure on plate. 



II H. C. P. Bell. First Report on Archaeological Survey of Anuradhapura. 

 Sessional Papers, 1890, p. i [742]. It is known as the Toluwila Buddiiu, from 

 the hamlet of Toluwila. which adjoina the Nuwarawewa buud at the spot where 

 the otatue was found, 



E 10J-U4 



