No. 62. 1909.] KANDYAN NAVANDANN6. 



249 



In the mandape, after the usual invocation of the Three 

 Gems and of the Divatdwo, paddy is spread on the floor. Of 

 this is drawn a figure (ata mangala), composed of two squares, 

 one above the other, so placed that the sides of the upper are 

 parallel to the diagonals of the lower, thus : — 



At the eight corners are placed pieces of cloth. The whole 

 is covered with a mat, on which rice is spread and divided into 

 eighty squares by intersecting lines. In the midst is set the 

 Brahma kale, which is filled with the nine kinds of gems 

 (nava ratna) and rice, and is covered with a cloth of five colours 

 (pancha-warnna redda) with a coconut flower on the top, and 

 tied round with a waist chain (hawadiya). Around the 

 Brahma kaU are set eighty small chatties (kalagedi), inside of 

 which are gold fanams and paddy, each being covered with 

 two cloths and surrounded by coconuts, jaggery, betel stands 

 (ilattattu), &c. These typify the nine planets. At the eight 

 corners of the ata mangala are coconuts, in which dehi kanu 

 (" lime posts ") are fixed with a thread passing from one to 

 another (kanyd nula). The whole is called Brahma garbhaya. 



Inside the vihare, another ata mangala is prepared of paddy, 

 but instead of the Brahma kale, for the Indra Hie is used a 

 kalagediya filled with rice, gold fanams, and the nine gems. 

 A ruk-gaha and a necklace are set thereon, and the whole 

 covered with a panchawarnna cloth, while nine kalagedi are 

 placed around, as also a lamp (pdna), nine betel stands, and nine 

 baskets of curry stuffs (sarakku watti). The whole surrounded 

 by a kanyd nula is called Vishnu garbhaya. Gana Deviyo 

 is worshipped. At the eight corners of the atamangala and 

 near the Indra Hie are pideni made of plantain sheaths on 

 which are set rice and sweetmeats. These pideni also represent 

 the nine planets. Outside the door of the mandape are two 

 dwdrapdla pideni, and in front one called ksheshtrapdla. 

 Outside the vihare and the mandape" is a khadgapdla pideniya 

 raised six feet high on a messa on pillars : on one side of this 



