No. 44.— 1893.] 



KURUNEGALA. 



These temples evidently stood in the courtyard of the 

 royal city, but none of the descriptions given in the Vistaraya; 

 or Mahdwansa apply to the vihare now standing at the foot 

 of Eta-gala or to that on Ibbd-gala, the building of which 

 tradition assigns to pious King Devanampiyatissa, and in 

 whose precincts there is a copy of the Sripdda, said to have 

 been made to accommodate a princess who could not under- 

 take the pilgrimage to Adam's Peak to worship at the- 

 original ; nor do they apply to those at Wandura-gala, 

 Vilbawa, Urupakada, or Maraluwawa. 



While the Vistaraya refers to the heterodox dewales, the 

 Mahdwansa makes mention of the orthodox vihares which 

 raised their sacred fanes within the enceinte of the city — a 

 system which prevails to the present day, by which those 

 edifices are built in close contiguity, and within the same 

 enclosure.* 



The greater portion of the modern town was evidently the 

 site of the royal palaces, which doubtless stood on the 

 Maligdwa grounds and the Kachcheri premises, the sleeping 

 palace of the king being only twelve fathoms from 

 Kuruweniyagala ; and the upper and lower courts, Uda and 

 Pahalawahala, being identical with the modern Udawalpola 

 and Pallewalpola ; while the site of the majority of the 

 temples might fairly be assigned to the modern Polattapitiya ; 

 but alas !— 



Where holy ground begins, unhallowed end 

 Is marked by no distinguishable line : 

 The turf unites, the pathways intertwine. 



Judging by the lay of the land, it is quite possible that 

 the waters of the Kurunegala tank submerged all the marsh 

 lying between the Dambulla road and high ground above the 

 modern tennis courts in the Mdligdiva premises. There was 

 a high bank along the line now taken up by Sharpe Road and a 

 portion of Rajapihilla Road, which probably in days gone by 

 formed the basis of an embankment or stone wall. 



* Oriental 3Jonachism, Chap. XXIX. 



