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



One of the two makara torana stones which form the 

 balustrade of the steps as at Madukanda is lying on the sur- 

 face turned over on its side, and the other is probably lying 

 buried somewhere near. On digging here the top step was 

 seen, and the whole are probably in situ. There is also a 

 large inscribed slab. In another place is a roughly-executed 

 figure of a bull, the head broken off but forthcoming, and a 

 figure representing a worshipper. These figures evidently 

 belonged to the Hindu temple which was built after the 

 Tamil invasion. 



There is also a large heap of bricks, apparently the remains 

 of a dagaba, and there are pillars on all sides.* 



The town or large village that was built on the low side of the 

 embankments, and traces of which are to be seen in the fragments of 

 pottery that line the beds of the smaller water-courses, is termed 

 Kurungama in the inscription. The Tamil name was Kuruntan-tir. 

 The later Tamil residents built a temple here, and they demolished 

 the vihare built by Sanghabodi and other buildings, and removed nearly 

 all the bricks and the stonework to it. It is not known when the 

 tank was breached and the town was abandoned ; all that can be said 

 is that there is nothing to indicate that the place has been inhabited 

 since the thirteenth or fourteenth century, f 



There are several of these high rocks with cave temples in 

 the District. The highest is Kumpakannanmalai, to the 

 south of Kurunturmalai, due north of Padawiya and about 

 two miles from Kaddutacldamalai. 



This rock was — 



Evidently utilized as a cave temple. The sockets and pillars are 

 visible, but no inscriptions. There are pillars standing on the slope of 

 the hill, and there is a built pokuna at the foot. The natives are 

 afraid to shoot at this pool, as they believe it to be haunted. There 

 is a cave under the rock which is a perfect sanctuary for bears, as they 

 cannot be ejected from it. It has three openings on different sides of 

 the rock. The height of the rock is about 300 ft. 



This rock was visited by Mr. Pole in 1847, who noticed— 



Interesting remains of an old temple' — bricks with devices and 

 Tamil letters, cut stone doors, &c, and found in the old stone path 



* Diaries of June 8, 1883, August 5, 1887, and September 13, 1889. 

 t Sessional Papers, 1886, p. 449. 



