No. 63.— 1910.] 
TANTRI-MALAI. 
95 
Mr. Ridout and I visited the ruins, some of which he measured.* 
They have several times been described. I had never been here 
before, and I must confess to disappointment. — Diary ^ September 
24, 1891. 
R. W. Ievers, 
Government Agent, North-Central 
Province. 
VIII. 
The ruins at Tantri-malai are well worth visiting. The sedent 
Buddha with a guardian on either side and lions below are a beauti- 
ful piece of carving, and should be photographed. The recumbent 
Buddha has been much damaged about the face and right arm. 
The nice little square stone room on top of the rock, said to 
be a Pot-gula''' is very curious, and in good preservation. I 
have never seen a similar one. It looks modern from a distance. 
I have ordered the bund of the tank to be restored, and then 
there will be water at Tantri-malai, which will be a boon to 
travellers. — Letter, July 24, 1896. 
E. M. Byrde, 
Government Agent, North-Central 
Province. 
IX. 
At Tantri-malai. f North-east monsoon breaks : heavy rain every 
afternoon. Engaged during the fine mornings in excavating the 
lower part and sinhdsana of the sedent Buddha {ot-pilimaya) , 
clearing the colossal prone image {seta pilimaya), both rock carved. 
Took measurements, notes, and photographs. 
Tantri-malai is an enormous reach of flattish rock, stretching 
far and wide. Near the edge of a gal-wala is a single line inscrip- 
tion — the only record yet discovered here. The stone-carved 
images recall, and may be contemporary with, the " Gal Vihare " 
at Polonnaruwa. 
The main points of interest are : — 
(i.) *' Pot-gula"" (so-called), and Cave beneath, 
(ii.) Sedent image on ornamented dsanaya with malcara torana 
behind, all rock carved, 
(iii.) Dagaba. 
iv.) Recumbent image of Buddha, hewn from the rock. 
*Mr. Ridout's drawing of the " Pot-gula " is reproduced on Plate 
A.— B., Ed. Sec. 
t Notices of Tantri-malai occur in the Official Diaries of Messrs. 
S. Haughton (1883); W. J. S. Boake (1886); G. W. Fowler (1886); 
C. A. Murray (1889) ; J. P. Lewis (1890) ; R. W. levers (1891). 
