No. 44.— 1893.] 



YAPAHUWA. 



Ill 



On the rises of some of the steps were found Tamil figures 

 roughly cut in the stone, from which Mr. Williams infers 

 that the workmen were brought from India. 



The walling to the right of the main entrance had entirely 

 disappeared, but as in the case of the balustrade, the existing 

 wall on the opposite side afforded an accurate model for 

 rebuilding. 



A monolithic pillar, 13 ft. by 2 ft. 6 in. by 2 ft., stands at each angle 

 of these two halls. Two of these columns had to be lifted up from a 

 depth of some 30 ft. to 40 ft. 



which was a matter of difficulty owing to limited tackle. 



The lintel of the main doorway had to be lifted up nearly 13 in. to 

 allow of the jambs being raised and set plumb ; the jambs, exclusive 

 of foundation, are 11 ft. 6 in. by 1 ft. 6 in. by 1 ft. 4 in., and the lintel 

 8 ft. 6 in. long and nearly twice the thickness of the jambs. 



All the platforms upon which these halls rested had to be rebuilt, 

 from the wonderfully carved dado that runs quite round the building ; 

 in fact, the whole top work had sunk inwards, and was both out of 

 level and out of the perpendicular 



Two very beautiful monolithic columns remain unfixed. 



The place they should occupy is pointed out and fixed on 



the ground plan accompanying the report. 



One is broken into three pieces ; holes have been drilled in the 

 broken pieces for doweling them together. 



Two other most elaborately carved columns, whose place 

 is indicated on the plan, were discovered much broken. 

 None of these were fixed owing to the necessity of some 

 support, and from a slight uncertainty about their position. 

 The ground on both sides of the building was full of broken 

 tiles, proving the existence of a former roof. 



One column was found quite by itself at the back of the 

 palace, but its position could not be determined. 



A very beautiful stone was found over 4 ft. below the surface some 

 way to the right of the main gateway, pointing to the suspicion that 

 it was on its way to the Wihara below. The stone is cut into the 

 form of a lotus, resting upon a similar inverted flower of much larger 

 dimensions. It was possibly used for placing offerings on. 



Daladd sanctuary there, a part of the palace precints, he concludes, afford 

 an existing illustration of this combination of temple and palace. — Tapro- 

 banian, February, 1887, p. 8. 



