No. 62. — 1909.] stone .architecture. 



329 



We know from historical records that he had them erected 

 in great num bers on a gigantic scale. Two graced the approaches 

 to the Great Stupa of Sanchi. The northern pillar which supported 

 a statue, probably of the Buddha, was about 45 feet high ; the 

 southern pillar, which was crowned by four lions standing back 

 to back, was about 40 feet high. Both pillars are composed of 

 highly polished fine sandstone. The monolithic shaft of the 

 southern pillar was 32 feet in height. Of the other As6ka pillars 

 of similar design, two only stand in a condition practically 

 perfect. 



Slide 15. One of them is at Lauriya-Nandangarh in the Cham- 

 param district, of which you see here a good illustration. 



Slide 16. In general design this pillar resembles the other one 

 in situ at Bakhira, but is less massive, having only a polished shaft 

 of 32 feet 9| inches long, which diminishes in diameter towards the 

 top. The abacus is circular, and is decorated on the edge with 

 a relief representation of a row of hafisas or swans. The swans 

 are sometimes represented carrying lotus buds in their beaks. 



This hansa ornamentation is a common feature in specimens of 

 stone carvings in Ceylon. 



Between the eleventh and thirteenth year of his reign, As6ka 

 sent out missionaries to preach the doctrine of Gautama Buddha. 



According to the Ceylon chronicles, one of these missionaries 

 was Mahinda, a son of As6ka, by a lady of Vedissagiri or 

 Vessanagara, probably the ruined city of Besnagar near Bhilsa, 

 in Central India. He, with his sister Sanghamitta and several 

 other followers, succeeded in converting the then re gning 

 monarch of Ceylon, Devanampiya Tissa, and in establishing 

 Buddhism as th state religion. 



Like As6ka, this king, Devanampiya Tissa, also erected a stone 

 pillar, probably with an inscription, on the site of the Maha-thupa 

 or Ruvanveli Dagaba, but no trace of it now remains. 



Slide 11. He built also the cave temple Vessagiri, so called 

 probably in remembrance of Mahinda's birthplace Vessanagara, 

 as well as the original Isurumuniya temple, carved out of the 

 natural rock. 



Slide 18. This is the appearance of the latter in 1879, before 

 the place was disfigured by repairs. 



Slide 19. A Ceylon specimen of a monolithic pillar. It is of 

 course not so old as the As6ka pillars, but still you see how chaste 

 the carvings on its capital are. 



Amongst the other stone monuments of old Indian school, the 

 caves of Udayagiri in Orissa are most interesting. 



Slide 20. The sculptures found there, especially those in the 

 two-storeyed Raj-Hanika Nur caves, are considered to be little 

 influenced by foreign elements. 



Griinwedel thinks that they form, so to speak, the primitive 

 basis from which issued the purified and refined forms of later times. 



The caves of Barabar hills near Gaya were excavated by order 

 of Asoka for the use of the Ajevaha ascetics. 



