No. 36. — 1888.] MEDAMAHANUWARA. 



317 



The other is a smaller one, standing on the site of an older 

 and more venerable tree which fell down four years ago, 

 and was honoured with cremation. A charred fragment of 

 the deceased tree may still be seen. Communicating between 

 the two trees are the remains of some stone steps, the ground 

 declining towards the bed of the Guru-oya. There are no 

 inscriptions. One stone only bore some floral carving of stiff 

 geometrical designs, and was doubtless intended to receive 

 offerings of flowers. Formerly, and up to within the last 

 thirty or forty years, the garden was a great resort of 

 pilgrims. Now the shrine is deserted, and there is but an 

 occasional pilgrim on "poya" days. All the surroundings of 

 the place bear an air of semi -abandonment and neglect. 

 The glory has departed, but the sacred trees continue to 

 flourish, and their worship still lives on, the one sign of 

 care and attention recently bestowed being a rude attempt to 

 restore the wall of the terrace where stood the older tree. 



Madamewatta is lower down the stream on the right bank. 

 It was formerly the place of residence of the priests of the 

 Vihare, and contained besides a small cave dedicated to the 

 goddess Pattini, and a small Dewale dedicated to Katara- 

 gama Deviyo. It has been completely abandoned, and is 

 now overgrown with jungle and lantana. 



I visited the cave ; the entrance is extremely narrow. 

 With some difficulty, for cobras are supposed to keep a 

 jealous guard, I persuaded a Kandyan attendant to enter the 

 cave. His description gave it a glamour of magnitude and 

 mystery that determined me to explore its wonders for 

 myself. After the entrance had been enlarged a little by a 

 crowbar I succeeded, by assuming a horizontal attitude, in 

 squeezing myself in. I then found myself inside a cavern 

 with fissures running in several directions, but so small that 

 I could scarcely stand upright, whilst to explore the fissures 

 required a mode of progression similar to that of the ficti- 

 tious guardians of the place. While in this uncomfortable 

 attitude a bat, startled by the intrusion, flew against the lighted 

 candle, and left me in the dark. The cave contains nothing 



H 2 



