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



171 



overhanging ledge, of rock which was formerly enclosed by 

 a brick wall in front. Mr. Fowler states that there is an 

 exactly similar cave temple not far from Galkandamaduwa, 

 the southernmost limit of the Vavuniya District, and that 

 the image is of the same stone, and, like this one, has lost 

 the head and right arm.* 



But the most extensive ruins in the whole Province are 

 those at Kurunturmalai, or Piyangala, at the south end of the 

 embankment of the Kurunturkulam tank in Karikkaddu- 

 mulai South. Mr. Parker thinks that — 



This is the spot that is said to have been visited by Buddha on his 

 second journey to Ceylon. f 



A flight of stone steps led from the end of the bund to the summit 

 of the hill. The top of the hill is flat, and of elliptical or oval shape. 

 Round the side facing the bund, and possibly round all the summit, a 

 retaining wall of squared blocks of the hard altered gneiss has been 

 built to a height of 7 ft. or 8 ft. at a batter of & to 1. 



There are several ruins on the hill, and at the back of the northern 

 part of the bund ; but they are all dilapidated, more through wilful 

 defacement by the later Tamil occupants than by the action of time. 



About half way between the southern end of the bund 

 and the southernmost bund is the site of an ancient temple, 

 with a stone image of a five -headed cobra.J 



Behind the bund there are the ruins of at least three 

 temples or buildings of importance, such as at Madukanda, 

 Mahakachchatkodi, Iratperiyakulam, &c, having three paral- 

 lel rows of squared stone pillars ; in one case there had been 

 at least three of these rows. At one place there were standing 

 two doratupala stones covered with carved figures of 

 guardian goddesses, exactly like those at Madukanda, but 

 they were more than half buried, and the space between 

 them, where there is evidently a flight of steps, is completely 

 buried, with a tree growing in the middle. § 



* Diary of June 17, 1886. See also Mr. Haughton's diary of June 12, 1883. 

 t Sessional Papers, 1886, page 449. 

 % Diary of June 12, 1888. 



§ Stones were removed from Kurunturmalai in 1858 to build the Mulli- 

 vaikkal temple, I believe. 



