On a late official tour through my District and through a
part of Seven Korles, in company with the Government Agent
of this Province, we visited the Vihare of Gooroo Godde
at Giri Bawe in Magool Korle, about twenty-five miles
south of Anooradhapoora. This is one of the so-called rock
temples, which are abundantly scattered over the country.
The dwelling for the priests is as usual considerably elevated,
being built on a projecting knoll, and is in the form of a square enclosing a small open and sunken court, in which on each successive morning the village women stand, while one of the priests, concealed behind a curtain, reads aloud
portions of the sacred books. The temple itself is on a
higher platform, and is formed by running up a wall at the
front part of a wide shallow cave formed by a huge over hanging ledge of rock. The internal walls are ornamented
in the customary manner with crude vividly colored paintings, which portray the tortures to be endured in a future
state of existence by the wicked. A few mutilated but very
neatly carved Budhoos lying near the door way, and a half
ruined Dabgoba, completely the resemblance between this and the hundred structures of a similar character to be met
with here.
A flight of stairs rudely cut out of the solid rock leads to the summit of the peak, from whence one obtains an extensive view over a country flat and fertile in its general character, but diversified by numerous isolated granitic groups.
On a precipitous face of rock opposite the banna maddooa,
I found that a space about four feet square had been brought
to a smooth surface and then covered with a long inscription,
partly in Singhalese and partly in Pali. Not having time to copy the whole of this, the head priest obligingly caused it to be transcribed on an ola which he presented to me on
the spot. This ola I placed at different times in the hands
of two well informed natives, and having compared the translations made by them, beg to lay the perfected English
version before the Society.
It will be observed that the inscription is simply a grant
to the priests of this Vihare of certain villages and lands ( so
far as their produce is concerned) for the purpose of defraying
the ordinary expenses of the establishment.
It is dated in the year Saka, 1701, which I believe corresponds to 1779 A.D., and is stated to have been issued in accordance with the wishes of the King, Kirti Sri Rajah Singha,
who, according to the Maha Wanse, reigned from 1747 to 1781, a statement in so far according with the inscription. It is only necessary to add, that the arrangement of words
and clauses has been only so far altered as to make the
translation tolerably intelligible.
Rock Inscription.
Translation of a Grant, engraven on a rock at Gooroogodde
Wihare, in Magool Korle, Seven Korles.
"On this Thursday the 13th day after the full moon of the
month Wehsak in the year of the glorious king Saka 170L
"For* the purpose of performing the rites and offerings in the Wihare Galle Wihare of Giribawe beyond Mee Oya
in the Maha Meddhe Pattoo of Magool Korle.
"This being suggested by the Wanny Modliar of Giribawe and by Pilimatalawe Wejeyasoondere Rajakaroona
Sehnahdipatti Raja Mantsee who performs the offices of
Maha Dissawe of Putlam Mooneesseram Ahnewoolenden
including the Seven Korles, and Maha Adigar, and by the
Minister's son who performs the duties of Halloowewaddene
Nileme (
1 ) the son of the said Sehnahdipatti.
" This being suggested, the Supreme Lord of Lanka, Kirti
Sri .Raja Singha, who is endowed with every regal power and
adorned with gems of virtue, celebrated for might in his own
and foreign dominions, presiding like the God Sakra and
conducting like Budha himself, having ascended the throne
of the wealthy city Sukandanum hereby sacrifices to the
Weiragalle Dagobah ( Dagobawahanse ) the pyramid at Weiragalle, on the east of this side of Gooroogodde Bawe,
on the south from this side of Yantan Pallewallewatia
Weigaragalle and Pempooroogalle, on the west from this side of the village Belliagame Weiregalle Lookahattigamme Bahwome, on the north from this side of the tank
of Wadooresse and the stone post of the water reservoir of
Giribawe, all the houses, trees, gardens high lands and low
lands (
2 ) situated within these four limits, to be possessed,
as to all the produce thereof, by Dharma Raheeti Oonanse
of Giribawe, his disciples and their successors from generation to generation on condition of performing the Budhist
sacrifices. "May the kings, ministers, and other persons who come
into this world hereafter, without disturbing or encroaching endeavor to obtain glory and nirwane by increasing the
offerings more and more. "Should any one dispossess ( the priests ) of grass, timber,
flowers or fruit, he will be born a great Preta." ( 3
)
Notice of various Rock Inscriptions in the North- Western
Province. By A. O. Bkodie, Esq.
Having at various times, when traversing the jungles of this Province, met with inscriptions engraven on rocks, I have made copies of several, and beg herewith to lay them before the Society, in the hope that some member may be able to decipher or translate them. I am afraid that the majority will be found to possess no interest whatever, and that some of them can scarcely be termed ancient. In most cases these inscriptions are much defaced; and though I have bestowed a considerable degree of trouble in tracing the characters, I should have felt averse to trouble the Society with such mutilated copies, were it not for the simple fact that I am utterly ignorant of the languages in which they are written, and may therefore hope that of each enough has
been preserved to make it intelligible. I now proceed to
Rock Inscriptions,
mention the place at which each inscription is to be found,
adding such information regarding the locality or traditions current in the neighbourhood as may seem interesting, or may give a clew to the translator.
No. I. This long inscription is engrave on a stone block about ten inches square in section, and standing five feet above ground; in fact, just one of those short pillars of which thousands are to be met with in the forests of the District, and which from time immemorial have been used as supports for Vihares, Dewales, Banna-Maddooas, and other religious edifices. The letters are small and tolerably boldly cut; they are however rudely formed and unequal in size. I think that the want of skill in the workman must account for many of those variations from the common Singhalese characters which will be observed in the copy; thus in very many cases where a <sn or other letter with an upward loop occurs, a line is to be observed produced at a tangent to the curve. I hardly think this stroke to be intentional, but to have simply arisen from the chissel of the workmen slipping for- ward instead of following the proper curve. Some other unusual marks may be explained in the same manner. A few of the characters, however, if indeed they be letters, are quite different from any to be found in the Singhalese alphabet. The pillar on which this inscription is engraved is at Pooliankoolum, a small village about ten miles N. N. E. of Chilaw, and six miles east of the main road. It stands in the jungle, close to the remains of an ancient Dehwale built by Ganniwelle Bahu, who reigned at Anooradhapoora, and of a more recent Dehwale.
The native tradition is to the effect that the pillar was erected to commemorate the seizure
of a local chieftain by Ganniwelle Bahu, king of Mahdampe.
Various places in the vicinity have names referring to the same event: such are Mandelane Kumarenkatoowe, &c. Nos. II. III. IV. are engraved on three rocks at Parmakkande Vihare, which lies about seventeen miles from Putlam
Rock Inscriptions,
and two to the north of the road leading from the latter village to Kurnegalle. The Vihare is one of the so-called rock temples, being built under a projecting ledge of granite which forms part of the roof. The dwellings of the priests, the Bannamaddooas, are at the foot of a natural talus or debris, the former being built in the usual manner, forming a square
with a small open and sunk court in the center. These inscriptions are in the character most commonly observed in rock inscriptions in this District, and are unfortunately quite
unintelligible to the priests.
No. II. Is carved high up the overhanging rock previously mentioned; the letters are large and deeply cut. The granite has however unfortunately scaled off in some places, and has
probably to some extent mutilated the inscription.
No. III. Is on a small projecting knoll close to the entrance of the priests' dwellings, and seemed to be all but unknown to the natives, till I caused it to be cleared from the earth in which it was well nigh buried.
No. IY. Is on a smooth face of a rock above a deep natural hollow, serving as a reservoir of water, about one hundred yards west of the last. With regard to the first mentioned of these inscriptions, the natives believe it to have been cut either by the immediate predecessor of the present head priest, who is himself an aged man, or else at a time one generation more remote. Of the other two they can say nothing.
No. V. This I copied from a small loose block lying in the jungle, about fourteen miles south of Putlam, and two from the main road. The block has unfortunately at one time been used by the natives for sharpening cayties, &c, a circumstance which explains its present condition. A few scattered stone pillars in the vicinity prove that in some former age there was a Vihare in the neighbourhood. I am not aware, however, that the natives have any traditions
•
Rock Inscriptions.
regarding the edifice. Of this inscription an account was in 1832 transmitted by Simon Casie Chitty, Esquire, to the
Ceylon Literary Society. At that time the stone was probably less dilapidated than at present, and it would be well to obtain the copy then made. I have unfortunately not been able to ascertain where it was deposited when the Society was broken up.
No. VI. This inscription I lately found when visiting the
Rock temple of Ehelegame near Nahnerie near the boundary
between the Meddhe Pattoo of Kambemoole and Hattalis
Pahai Corles. It is engraved on a slab placed in the centre of a platform, surrounded by dwellings for the priests, Vihares,
&c. ; the surface of the stone has weathered considerably and
has, I am afraid, obliterated one line completely. In the jungle
around this temple there are very many pillars, ruined Dagobas, &c. ; shewing that at one time Ehelegame must have
been a place of considerable importance.
No. VII. This inscription was lately pointed out to me
when passing through the village of Palligame, about ten
miles from Kurnegalle, and close to the Kandy road. There
I found extensive remains of ecclesiastical buildings, some
being of much more ancient date than others. There are nu- merous neatly carved stones strewn about, and several wells cut to a considerable depth. The natives, as usual, believe
that large sums of treasure are concealed near these ruins,
and pointed out a rude figure of a man or demon which they
suppose to bear some reference to the hidden wealth.
A great portion of the rock appears to have been at some
time or other covered with inscriptions: of these a great
portion is now lost. I could only trace with tolerable certainty so much as is here given. The spot itself bears the
local name of Viharre Godde.
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