Mediaeval Sinhalese Art c14.24

c14.24

Some of the verses devoted to practical advice are shrewd and even obvious, as the warning not to build on a site which is wet even in dry weather (v. 243); the recommendation to grow such fruits as jak, coconut, mango, and sugar-cane about the house (v. 266). The work, in fact, appears to contain a practical nucleus of sound advice, now much corrupted, misunderstood and overlaid by meaningless superstition. It is, nevertheless, of interest as revealing some of the ideas associated by the architect with his work, and giving details of methods of construction and social customs of which mention might not be readily found elsewhere. A summary now follows: