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



leading to the top. Near the top there are large flat stones- 

 and a plain semicircular moonstone, 4 ft, in diameter. 

 Another stone near the moonstone, of about the same size, 

 has the surface cut as if some steps had fitted into it.* 



There are ruins also in the village — a large flat stone 

 surrounded by upright pillars. 



There are extensive ruins at Mannakandal, between 

 Odduchkuddan and Putukkudiyiruppu, turning off the 

 minor road between the 8th and 9th mileposts, which I 

 went to see in June, 1890. I can find no record of their 

 having been visited or described before, so at the risk of 

 being tedious I give a description of them. 



I turned off on the western side of the road between the 8th 

 and 9th mileposts. There is the bund of a large abandoned 

 tank abutting on the road and running at right angles to it. 

 It is covered with jungle, and had never been explored, but 

 there can be no doubt that an important tank existed here.f 



The ruins are situated on some rising ground, which 

 is quite flat at the top, and appear to have been enclosed by 

 a wall ; close together there are the ruins of seven temples 

 of the usual type, parallel rows of rectangular pillars, and 

 of different sizes. The largest was built on a platform 

 faced with brick, the outline of which is still remaining.. 

 The space enclosed within the pillars is, as in the case of all 

 the others, heaped up with debris, bricks, tiles, and earth, 

 and very likely if this were cleared the usual images of 

 Buddha would be found lying underneath in the pilima-ge. 

 I determined to see whether I could find the entrance steps to 

 this larger temple. Taking the side facing east (the building 

 was of rectangular shape, with the long sides on the east and 

 west) I noticed the top of a stone appearing above the surface. 

 Getting the earth cleared away I found it was one of the 

 balustrades of the steps, of the usual elephant-trunk shape. 



* Diary of September 15, 1890. 



f It has since been explored. It is now called Puliyankulam. It has a 

 stone sluice, anl with the connected tank appears to have formed a large 

 irrigation scheme. 



