THE SACRED BO-TREE. C33 



A.D. 223. King Abha Sen " built a stone ledge around the Bo- 

 tree." {Mahawanso, ch. xxxvi. p. 228.) " Such 

 was his zeal for the true religion, that he caused 

 a pavement of marble to be made around the Bo- 

 gaha-tree." {RajaratnacaH, p. 61.) 



A.D. 231. "On the demise of Abha Sri Naaga, the son of 

 his brother reigned two years in Lanka. This 

 monarch repaired the wall around the great Bo- 

 tree." {Mahawanso, ch. xxxvi. p. 228.) 



A.D. 240. King Grothaabhaya, "at the place of the Bo-gaha, 

 caused to be erected three houses of stone, in 

 each of which he placed a figure of Buddha sit- 

 ting." {Rajaratnacari, p. 65.) "At the great Bo- 

 tree he added a stone ledge or cornice to its 

 parapet wall, a porch at its southern entrance, 

 and at its four corners he placed hexagonal stone 

 pillars. Having had three stone images of Bud- 

 dha made, he placed them at the three entrances, 

 as well as a stone altar at the southern entrance." 

 (^Mahaivanso, ch. xxxvi. p. 232.) 



A.D. 253. "On the demise of his father, Detoo Tissa suc- 

 ceeded to the monarchy. He built three portal 

 arches at the great Bo-tree." {MaJtaiuanso, ch. 

 xxxvi. p. 233.) 



A.D. 275. Even the schismatic Maha Sen respected the sanc- 

 tity of the Bo-tree, and during his period of hos- 

 tility to the priesthood, he "built a hall for the 

 reception of an image of Buddha at tlie Bo-tree, 

 and a delightful edifice for relics, as well as a qua- 

 drangular hall." {Mahawanso, ch. xxxvii. p. 235.) 

 And at a subsequent period, after his reconcilia- 

 tion to the church, " the Raja, having had two 

 brazen images cast, placed them in the hall of the 

 great Bo-tree." {Ibid., p. 236.) 



A.D. 301. His son Sri Meghawarna, having prepared a statue 

 of Mahindo to be placed on jNIihintala, conve3'ed 

 it in a solemn procession through the city of 

 Anarajapoora, " and kept it for three months 

 in the precincts of the Bo-tree." {Mahaiuanso, ch. 

 xxxvii. p. 241.) 



A.D. 329. The same king "celebrated a festival at the Bo- 

 tree in the twenty-eighth yeai- of his reign." (Ibid., 

 p. 242.) 



