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



Assistant Librarian of the Museum (now employed in the 

 British Museum), visited the library in 1889 and reported 

 as follows :— 



Before making inquiries for the manuscripts we went about the 

 temple premises inspecting the several buildings, accompanied by the 

 Chief Priest, who acted as our guide. Whilst walking about we talked 

 of the history of Dambadeniya, and especially of the famous scholar 

 who nourished there of old. In this way we gradually directed the 

 conversation to the several ancient libraries of Ceylon, such as that 

 founded by Parakrama Bahu, and to manuscripts in general. By the 

 time we returned to the temple we had obtained permission from the 

 Chief Priest to examine the library with the object of borrowing 

 such manuscripts as we might wish to have copied. 



There was no catalogue of the manuscripts, nor any sign of arrange- 

 ment. These were in three different places : some in an almirah in a 

 room on the ground-floor, some scattered on a table in another room 

 near by, and others in a dirty old box in a loft, where they were 

 allowed to rot. The Chief Priest told us that there had been another 

 box full of manuscripts, which had been destroyed by white ants. 

 I warned him that that would be the fate of the rest of the books if 

 better care was not taken of them.* 



After going through the collection of books some were 

 borrowed for the Museum Library, among them " Kalundd- 

 patuna " (Sinhalese verse), a legend connected with the 

 accession of Pandita Parakrama Bahu III. of Dambadeniya. 



The information given in this little poem, as well as in the 

 Edjavaliya, discovered by me in the Wanni District, and in the 

 Mahdwansa, will, I think, settle the vexed question as to the site of 

 the ancient Siriwardhanapura founded byPandita Parakrama Bahu III. 

 in the thirteenth century. These works show that Upham, Pridham, 

 Knighton, Tennent, and others who followed them are more or less 

 wrong in ascribing the founding of the modern Kandy to King 

 Pandita Parakrama Bahu III. 5 " 5 



Approach to, and Description of, Temple Premises. 



The temple is approached by a mdivata which branches off 

 from near the ambalam to the left. A quarter of a mile along 



* Administration Reports, Colombo Museum, 1889, p. I 18. See as to 

 Siriwardhanapura the foot-note at the commencement of this Paper. 

 Dr. Copleston was materially assisted in arriving at the conclusions 

 therein referred to by Mr. Wickremasinha's researches. 



