No. 44.— 1893.] 



YAPAHUWA. 



107 



It is composed of three huge blocks of stone. The doorposts, or 

 jambs — each a single stone* — measure 11 ft. 6 in., exclusive of founda- 

 tions, and are in girth 1 ft. 6 in. by 1 ft. 4 in. The lintel is a single 

 stone, 8 ft. 6 in. long, but of greater bulk than the jambs. They are 

 beautifully fluted, and the carving is as sharp as when the mason laid 

 his chisel down. On either side are columns, whose capitals represent 

 the lotus flower depressed. These are sadly out of the perpendicular, 

 and if, indeed, they have not already fallen, I fear they soon will leave 

 the doorway standing by itself, for they are built, and not, as most of 

 the columns are, hewn out of a solid block.* 



The doorway opens into a moderately-sized hall, which 

 was lighted by two windows, one on either side of the door, 

 of rare and exquisite carving. 



One was perfect in 1850, but the other had fallen and its 

 fragments were scattered around. The remaining one 

 would doubtless have soon shared its fate, had not Mr. 

 O'Grady, then Government Agent of the North -Western 

 Province, removed it to Kurunegala, where, in the beautiful 

 grounds of his residence, itself the site of the royal city of 

 Hastisailapura, he erected it with other choice specimens 

 of stone carving as a monument to ancient art.j Thence it 

 was transported to Colombo, and now occupies a prominent 

 place among the archaeological exhibits at the Museum. 



The description which Mr. Bailey gives of this window, 

 accompanied by a sketch, is too deliciously graphic to be 

 omitted : — 



The name given to it (the window) by the natives exactly describes 

 it — " Sivoomsedurukaooloowa," " the perforated palace window." It 

 consists of one slab of stone measuring 4 ft. 7 in. by 3 ft. 3 in., and 7 in. 

 thick. This thickness, however, is only preserved along the mouldings 

 at its outer edges. Within the mouldings it has been reduced to an 

 uniform thickness of three inches. 



The surface of the slab of stone has been perforated into forty-five 

 rings or circles, which admitted the light into the entrance hall, some- 

 what in the fashion of the tracery work at the Taj at Agra. In each 

 circle is a sculptured figure, and scarely two figures are alike. 

 The circles of the lowest row contain grotesque Bachanalian figures, 

 which represent jolly, laughing fellows, and are executed with great 

 humour. Above them are natch girls, all slightly different in 

 attitude They occur again in four circles near the centre of the 



* Once a Week, I. e., p. 281. f Once a Week, I. c, p. 283. 



