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JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XIII. 



window, and in a row near the top. The row of circles above the 

 natch girls contains figures of animals, which are repeated vertically 

 along the mouldings on each side of the window and continued in a 

 horizontal row, the third from the top ; in short, they form the outer 

 ridge of a square pattern, comprising the twenty-five centremost circles 

 of the window. The figures of these animals, it will be noted, vary 

 considerably. Eight have the elephant's trunk, and are evidently 

 intended to represent the " gaja-sinha." It is remarkable that this is, 

 so far as I know — and there are very few ruins in Ceylon that I have 

 not thoroughly examined — the only example in which the fabulous 

 animal is represented in any but a couchant attitude. Seven appear 

 to be the same animal without the trunk, in which case (since the 

 "gaja-sinha" is the "elephant-lion "), the characteristic of the former 

 being removed, the latter should remain ; but I am bound to say the 

 resemblance to a lion in these seven circles is the very faintest. But 

 the centre circle of the third row from the bottom contains a pair of 

 perfect lions rampant. The nine circles remaining of the twenty-five 

 before mentioned form again a distinct square pattern within the other, 

 of which four lotus flowers, or stars, mark the angles. The row of 

 circles at the top of the window contain figures of the " hansa," the 

 "royal," rather than the "sacred," bird, of which Tennent has given so 

 many curious particulars, and which in Ceylon as well as in Burma 

 was one of the emblems of the national banner. If this be intended 

 for the " hansa," as I believe it to be, it certainly differs from the 

 usual representation of it, and much more nearly resembles the Burmese 

 figure as given by Tennent (Vol, I., p. 485, first edition). It is very 

 unlike the bird as it appears in the sculptures at Anuradhapoora ("Vol. 

 II., p 619), and the clay figure of it in the palace at Kandy (Vol. L, p. 

 487) ; it is equally unlike one of the oldest " hansas " I have seen — a 

 beautifully moulded relief on a brick from the very ancient NagaWihare 

 at Maagampattoo, mentioned in the Mahawanm and founded by Maha 

 Naaga, brother of Devenipia Tissa, 306 B.C., the founder of the ancient 

 city of Maagama. 



The peculiar beauty of the window consists rather in the general 

 effect produced by the arrangement of the figures with which it is so 

 profusely decorated, than in the ornamentation itself. Seen from a 

 little distance the details are lost, and the window appears to be of 

 beautiful tracery work and of regular pattern. It is only when closely 

 examined that the quaint designs I have endeavoured to describe are 

 observed. . . . It is much to be regretted that the rough texture 

 of the stone should be so unworthy of the skill of the sculptor. Had 

 it been executed in white marble, or even in the magnesian limestone 

 which abounds in Ceylon, the effect would have been infinitely more 

 lovely.* 



* Once a H eeh, I. c, pp. 281-83. The sketch is reproduced from the 

 engravings in Mr. Bailey's Paper. 



