NO. 48.— 1897.] ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY, SIGIRIYA. 99 



Mdpd-gala, trended thence in a south-westerly direction for 

 a league or more. The " vil bemma" or outer rampart, of 

 the city to the east of the Rock was also traced, cleared, and 

 mapped,* as well as the lesser rocks, boulders, &c, on that side. 



Further, the forest brushwood has been thinned out for a 

 quarter of a mile or so west of the modern village of Sigiriya, 

 immediately south of the paddy fields and minor road 

 from Inamalawa. Within this area, besides a flattish outcrop 

 of rock, lie the "Mdpd-gala " rocks — twin hummocks joined 

 on to the great Sigiri Rock by the short bund of the present 

 insignificant tank, and split in two by a narrow gorge. The 

 close connection of these subsidiary rocks with Stgiri-gala 

 was (as anticipated in my last Rep.ort) at once apparent as 

 soon as the underwood and grass had been cut and burnt. 



Upon, and about, the two main rocks and the numerous 

 boulders and levelled interspaces off their slopes, are traces 

 of walls and cross-walls in stone, with here and there a 

 brick-strewn site. A single cave on the east side is still 

 utilized by the villagers for a humble dewdle. 



Near Mdpd-gala we fortunately lighted on an inscribed 

 pillar, albeit in pieces, of interest historically; for it prolongs 

 considerably the period up to which it is certain that 

 Sigiriya continued the site of a monastic establishment. 



Upon the death of Kasyapa I. and the fall of his citadel 

 in the fifth century, his younger brother and conqueror, 

 Moggallana, gave, according to the Mahdwansa — f 



The Dalha and the Datha-Kondanna Vihares at the Sihagiri Rock 

 to the Sagalika and Dhammaruchi brethren ; and having converted the 

 fortress itself into a vihare he gave it to Mahanama, % the elder of the 

 Dighasanda Vihare. 



Moggallana's son, " the famous Kumara Dhatusena," says 



the same chronicle, " made improvements to the vihare that 



his father had built." § 



* At present under chena encroachment, which, is engaging the atten- 

 tion of the Assistant Government Agent, Matale. 

 f Mahdwansa, XXXIX., 41, 42. § 3fa7idwansa, XLI., 1, 2. 

 X His great-uncle, the author of the first 36 chapters of the Mahawansa. 



