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



Siva Devdles Nos. 4, 5, 6. — At the close of the season work was 

 started, and about half finished, at an isolated group of Hindu 

 De vales on the minor road to Alut-oya, outside the city walls. 

 There are three fanes in all : one in granite of the same class as 

 the Siva Devales Nos. 1 and 2 (dealt with in 1907 and 1906 

 respectively), but of less importance; the other two, which stand 

 side by side, built wholly of brick and mortar. 



So far only the granite Devale (No. 4), lying some 50 yards 

 to the east of the brick shrines, and the most southerly (No. 5) 

 of the latter pair, have been excavated. These differ but little 

 in plan from the congerie of Devales excavated in 1902 on the 

 Minneriya-Polonnaruwa road, which are not very far distant. 

 But the former are more ornate, and far better preserved. 



All three of these Hindu shrines were also probably sacred to 

 Siva, or to his son Ganesha, the elephant-head god. 



The remaining Devale (No. 6) of this group will be exploited 

 next year (1908). 



Rood to the distant Ruins. — The great drawback felt by visitors 

 to Polonnaruwa — next to the want of a resthouse — has been the 

 need of a driving road to the further ruins, among which Ranhot 

 Vehera, Jetawandrdma, Kiri Vehera, and the Gal Vihdre stand out 

 pre-eminent.* 



That defect no longer exists. The Archaeological Survey has, 

 during the past season, improved the minor road (by a necessary 

 deviation to avoid slab rock), and run a branch road for a third of 

 a mile direct thence to these more distant ruins. They are now 

 quite easy to reach without fatigue. 



Restoration and Conservation. 



" Thupdrdma." — The fallen portion of the back ( west) wall was 

 rebuilt so as to unite with the vaulted roof in 1906, and the wide 

 lateral cracks strongly filled in. 



Last season (1907) the longitudinal crack along the entire 

 soffit of the shrine's vaulted roof, and the gaping and extensive 

 cracks in the bearing walls and intrados of the arched passage 

 between vestibule and shrine which penetrated through to the 

 roof, were joined up. Three equally dangerous cracks in the 

 north wall face outside — near its west end, at the north-west 

 junction of vestibule and shrine, and in the tympanum above 

 the north doorway — have been cleaned and all refilled with brick 

 and cemented masonry. 



Like cracks on the east remain to be similarly treated in 1908, 

 before the flat roof and its massy square tower can be safely 

 touched with a view to final strengthening. 



The narrow staircase leading through the south wall of the 

 vestibule on to the roof was rebuilt in 1906. An iron railing has 

 since (1907) been fixed on the off side as essential to safety. 



Wata-dd-ge. — The close of the 1906 season saw this unique 

 " circular relic shrine" — without exception the finest monu- 

 ment of Buddhistic architecture in stone to be seen in the Island — 



* The " Demala-maha-seya" (so-called) is situated a mile or more 

 further north still. 



