NO. 53. — 1902.] ANNUAL REPORT. 



79 



Polonnaruwa. 



As in the previous year, operations were conducted at Polonnaruwa 

 in 1901 under the personal supervision of the Archaeological Commis- 

 sioner from May to September inclusive : 



(1) The ruins excavated in 1900 (" Council Chamber," "Audience 

 Hall," &c.) standing on the promontory at Topa-vewa, which had 

 become overgrown, were first cleanly weeded. 



(2) Attention was next turned to the excavation of the " Irrigation 

 Work lying immediately below the tank," at which point digging had 

 ceased the year before. This has proved to be a pokuna, or large 

 pond, with rock bottom, supplied from Topa-vewa by a sluice. The 

 tank water was passed by three conduits (nalal), diagonally into a narrow 

 brick "well" (bisokotuwa) ; and thence, through a second similar "silt 

 trap," under the tank bund to the pond, along and over a paved spill, 

 neatly finished. At the north side of this pokuna is an ornamented 

 shower bath built of cut stone, fed from a spout above, whieh is 

 apparently led through a circular walled room at a higher level from a 

 " water tower." The sides of the pokuna on the north and south are 

 formed by high ground and rock ; on the east the water was retained 

 by a stout wall, in brick and mortar, bellying outwards. 



Beyond this convex wall is a small pond, rectangular in shape, con- 

 nected with the pokuna by a single inlet, and discharging similarly 

 into a channel (now obliterated), which probably carried the surplus 

 water into low land to the south-east by a sluice (still traceable) 

 under the south embankment of the promontory. 



The level area through which this channel flowed, between the 

 ruined buildings standing on the tank bund and the western wall of the 

 citadel, is traditionally known as "the King's Garden." Excavation 

 has, here, distinctly tended to confirm tradition. 



The spoil resulting from the heavy earth- cutting (at places 25 feet 

 deep) at the pokuna and bisokotu was advantageously used in forming 

 a banked up cross road, much needed to unite the Government build- 

 ings near the tank bund with the new driving road from Minneriya. 



(3) The " pillared building close to the Irrigation Bungalow on the 

 tank bund" was also excavated. It is shown to be a vihare, with 

 moulded brick basement, fronting east. A well-carved stone Buddha 

 (headless and limbless) was exhumed inside the shrine. 



(4) The new road from Minneriya under construction last year 

 between the 25th and 26th miles, and about a mile from Topa-vewa, 

 exposed some pillared ruins. It seemed desirable, by dealing with this 

 group promptly, to anticipate not improbable illicit digging by way- 

 farers and others. During September the labour force was moved to 

 this site. The decision was amply repaid by results. The quadrangle 

 of a Hindu devale containing three or four shrines was followed out by 

 trenching. The chief kovil (a mound of fallen debris, but once domed 

 like others at Polonnaruwa) yielded, inter alia, a finely-carved stone 

 nandi (bull) and a lingam and yoni, unbroken, in situ. 



On the rock hummock adjoining the devale premises was discovered 

 a long Sinhalese inscription of forty-five lines, in good preservation. 

 The record belongs to " Siri Sangabo Nissanka Malla Kalinga 

 Parakrama Bahu." 



There are more ruins around this rock, not improbably forming 

 part of the entourage of the devale, which must have been of some 

 note. 



