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JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XVIIL 
the structure, and may be of later addition) at the centre of the 
inner paved maluwa is a small dagaba (28 ft. in diameter) surrounded 
by two concentric ranges of pillars (16 and 20 respectively, all 
broken) similar to those on the basement gang- way. To some degree 
these pillars recall the columns of " La^karama " Dagaba at Anuradha- 
pura. They sustained a roof to shelter worshippers inside the shrine 
and round its basement. 
The shrine is entered on the four cardinal sides by granite stairs,. 
7 ft. in width, of which the steps, balustrades, terminals, and moon- 
stones are freely ornamented with carved figures — dwarfs, makaras, 
lions, and Ndgd diodrapalas. 
Facing the doorways, on moulded dsana, were once four large sedent 
Buddhas, also in granite. 
In 1 903 the whole ruin (outer and inner malu) was freed of the 
earth debris and trees under which it lay half -buried. Around the 
dagaba (showing only as a low grass covered mound until exhumed) 
were unearthed the capitals and broken pillars, which once stood erect 
around it, besides fragments of the four massive images and the stone 
dsana belonging to them. Twelve subsidiary brick dsana for smaller 
images were also exposed against the dagaba base. 
Before the end of that season the circular retaining wall of the 
lower maluwa was reset temporarily, as far as practicable without 
proper tackle. After the shrine itself has been restored, this outermost 
revetment should be relaid from the foundations; for it has in places 
been pushed out of the true round by tree roots and the weathering 
of centuries. 
Last year (1904) with masons at work and proper plant, the 
permanent restoration of the upper basement of the " Wata-dd-ge'' 
was seriously taken in hand. 
Commencing at the northern stairs on the maluwa the resetting of 
the stonework has been carried simultaneously round the nortb^east 
and north-west quadrants. 
Of the four side stairways, the northern and eastern have been 
perfectly restored ; as well as the semi-circular pediment of the 
stylobate from the eastern stairs to within a few feet of those on the 
west, the point where the basement of the ruin was found to be most 
broken. 
The northern stairs were in very good order, considering the period 
that has elapsed since Polonnaruwa was abandoned. It was necessary 
only to lower, and replace, the balustrades after freeing the interstices 
between them and the steps of vegetation. The " moonstone " at the- 
foot of this flight of steps is an exquisite piece of stone carving. 
On the other hand, the eastern steps (including the moonstone) had 
sunk and were much awry. They had to be taken down from top to 
bottom, and disclosed a gaping hollow (due to years of percolation of 
rain water) running far back under the pavement of the upper plat- 
form. This must ere long have wrecked that side wholly. The hollow 
has been filled with concrete, and the stairs carefully relaid level, step 
by step from the moonstone " upwards. 
The resetting of the ruined stone pediment along the two quadrants 
so far touched (north-east and north-west), has been attended with 
more difficulty than was at first anticipated. Throughout, the two 
uppermost members (coping and dado of dwarfs) — and at several points 
more — of the revetment, which was loose even if not quite shifted] 
