THUPARAME DAGOBA. 187 



height was twenty-four feet the inner row, twenty- 

 two, nineteen, and fourteen, respectively, the other 

 three rows, had capitals decorated with grotesque 

 figures in every conceivable position, excepting the 

 third row which had eagles with outstretched wings 

 instead. The proportions of the columns, as well as 

 that of their individual distance from the centre, in- 

 creasing towards the outer ring, and the gap left 

 opposite the two approaches in the same ratio, are very 

 perfect, and could not possibly have been improved 

 upon, even by the Greeks. 



There are many indications that the Thuparame 

 dagoba had been richly decorated throughout. All 

 the brick- work was originally covered with fine plaster 

 and ornamented with mouldings and figures ; moreover, 

 the whole of the interior, roof, pillars, and altars had 

 probably been elaborately gilded and coloured, as is 

 pretty clearly proved by recent excavations of similar 

 structures most carefully made at Anarajapore and 

 elsewhere. The walls on each side of the stairs had 

 been covered with carved stone, portions of Mdiich are 

 still extant, representing figures bearing vases con- 

 taining the sacred lotus, reminding one of the wall- 

 ornamentation of those mag-nificent monuments of 

 Upper Egypt and Assyria, in both of which the same 

 flower held such a prominent position. Raised portions 



