NO. 43. —1892.] SIRIVADDHANAPURA. 



207 



from the city of Jambuddoni to the city of Sirivaddhana, the length 

 and breadth whereof was about eight yojanas* and one usabha, (the 

 highway was) made even like the face of a drum, and was covered 

 throughout with sand, exceeding fine and soft. And the divers flags 

 and banners which ornamented the sides thereof were so great in number 

 that they seemed to hide the rays of the sun ; and rows of plantain 

 trees were placed along the length thereof, with divers vessels for water, 

 of exceeding beautiful workmanship, filled with ornamental flowers. 

 And within this vast space the chief of men caused royal arches to be 

 raised, one at every space of five cubits, at every space of ten cubits a 

 cloth-arch, and at every space of hundred cubits a stately house of 

 great size, consisting of three stories and lofty spires, and containing 

 images of the supreme Buddha, — all finished with paintings of exceed- 

 ing great beauty. 



Afterwards he ornamented the vihara with many painted arches 

 round the circuit of the vihara wall, of great size and beauty, — arches 

 that looked contemptuously on the beautiful bow of the chief of the 

 gods ;f with white parasols that looked like the moon in her fullest 

 splendour, and beautiful flags of five colours and divers shapes, like 

 beautiful dancers dancing in the firmament of heaven ; with rows of 

 splendid halls glittering with, jewels, like beautiful rows of mansions 

 that were come down from the world of gods ; with numerous images 

 of Brahmas dancing in rows with parasols in their hands, that were 

 moved by instruments ; with moving images of gods of divers forms 

 that went to and fro with their joined hands raised in adoration ; 

 with moving figures of horses prancing hither and thither with the 

 beauty of waves, rising and falling one after the other in the great 

 sea ; with moving likenesses of great elephants, clothed in the trap- 

 pings of elephants, making men doubt whether they were not rain- 

 clouds that had descended to the earth ;• — with these and divers other 

 shows of this kind which delight the world, and are used at feasts, 

 did he make the vihara exceeding attractive. 



Then again the king commanded all the priests and novitiates and 

 the lay devotees also, male and female, who were dwellers in the island 

 of Lanka, to wait for the procession in great crowds without the vihara 

 and around it, at the space of a league from each other, raising shouts 

 of applause and uttering the praises of the supreme Buddha, and hold- 

 ing in their hands offerings, flowers, and such like things that were 

 needful at feasts in honour of Buddha ; and (he likewise commanded) 

 all others, men and women who knew the value of the three sacred 

 gems, to adorn themselves in their best apparel (and to tarry for 

 the procession) with things that were fit for offerings. And the 



* According to Guilders the yojana is about equal to twelve miles. But 

 see Abhidana padippika v, 196. 

 Indra's bow. 



