Mediaeval Sinhalese Art c10.s2.21

c10.s2.21

At the same time the Royal or other patron made grants of land to the temple, arranged Netra for the establishment of priests for its service, or set afoot further building operations for Maṅgalya their accommodation. Thus, in the Dambulla Vihāra tuḍapata of A.D. 1726, it is stated that King Senaratna restored and repaired the temple. “At the completion of the repairs, which took three years, the king, on the festival of painting of the eyes of the images of Buddha, proceeded to the temple accompanied by the three queens and three princes. After the festival was over the king stood on the semicircular step-stone of Mahārāja Vihāra and called on the priests there assembled to nominate a person fit to be appointed incumbent of this vihāra, sixty-five images of which, including the one in a reclining posture, had been painted and finished. The priests, in response to the call, stated that Kahavandala Tanhankara was fit to be incumbent, being also a lineal descendant of the priests who had officiated in the temple since the days of King Valagam-Bāhu, and a person who took much pains in effecting the repairs. The king being very much pleased, defined boundaries for the four villages aforesaid, viz., Sirasgamuva, Nalalkumbura, Giriyagamuva, and Pāḍeniya. . . . For the above . . . and their appurtenances, high and low lands, jungles, and ponds, he, the king, granted a Śrī Sannas in order that the rites and ceremonies in the Dambulla Vihāra might be continued to be performed duly, and that this vihāra benefice might permanently continue in the Śisyanu-paramparava* of Kahavandala Tanhankara. And further considering that a lasting sannas should be given to the said priest he also caused the figures of the sun and moon to be engraved on the stone lying to the south of the Dēvarāja Vihāra. After this, standing on the semicircular stone of the Mahārāja Vihāra, His Majesty directed Abasiṃha Mudiyanse to have dormitories built in the village Lenavela, and allowed him (for the expenditure) thirty amuṇu of seed paddy from Akuramboda, thirty pieces of iron, ten buffaloes from the fold of Dumbukolagama, ten oxen that were brought laden with sacks of sand from Kandalama, ten cows with calves from Bovatte, and ten she-buffaloes with calves from the gabaḍa village Kaduruvela” (Lawrie’s Gazetteer, p. 126).