NO. 45.-1894.] ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE WANNl. 165 



The only traces (besides the tanks) of the Sinhalese that I 

 have known of as having been found in Melpattu South are 

 the upper half of an inscribed pillar* which I found on the 

 bund of Chinnapuvarasankulam, used as a Pillaiyar. This 

 part was about 2| ft. in height, and had been broken off 

 short at the bottom. It is square, with the top rounded off 

 in a neck and surmounted by a small cone with a claw-like 

 ornament at each of the four sides. 



On one face there is the Buddhist wheel, and there are 

 inscriptions on at least two sides. 



In Melpattu East there are ruins at Ariyamadu and at 

 Kanchuramoddai, adjoining villages, while between Kiilan- 

 kulam and Ruwanmaduwa to the south of it on the way to 

 Padawiya tank the jungle contains many ruins — pillars and 

 bricks scattered about. Those at Ariyamadu are about a 

 quarter of a mile from the village, and consist of pillars and 

 remnants of pillars, and an image of Buddha with head and 

 armsgone.t Near the tank at Kanchuramoddai there are 

 a dagaba and other remains of a Sinhalese monastery. f 



Ruwanmaduwa, on the south-eastern limit of the Vavuniya 

 District, was probably at one time the residence of one of 

 the petty Wanni kings, and the neighbourhood must ha-ve 

 been thickly populated. The ruins here consist of a 

 square brick-walled enclosure, containing numerous pillars, 

 stone mortars, and other dressed stones, but all very rough 

 work, The ground is covered with bricks and tiles. The 

 enclosure was, Mr. Fowler thinks, the king's residence. 

 There is a dagaba in very good preservation, about thirty 

 or forty feet high, and unopened. There are also the 

 remains of pansal and pilima-geval and a stone-inscribed 

 slab. At the entrance to one of the temples is a flight 

 of steps with two small upright stones and balusters, 

 shaped like elephants' trunks. The work is of a much 



* The other half of the pillar is said to be buried in the bund. I tried 

 s to get it dug out, but without success. (Diary of June 19, 1890.) 

 t Diary of May 26, 1884. 

 J Diary of July 15., 1887. 



E 2 



