Mediaeval Sinhalese Art c15.17

c15.17

The change of slope is also frequently seen in walled buildings lacking a verandah, and is then the result of special construction of the main roof; into which the verandah roof is, as it were, absorbed (Pl. VII., 1, 2). We seem to have the following pedigree;—lean-to verandah of a cave-temple; lean-to verandah of constructional vihāra; verandah raised to roof level (Pl. VII., 7) retaining difference of slope; adoption of same form in main roof even when verandah is absent (Pl. VII., 1, 2); and to that an historically speaking secondary lean-to verandah may be added (Pl. VII., 5). The principles are easily applied in the further elaborated case of buildings of two or more stories, such as dēvāles, and a few vihāras (Daḷadā Māligāva, etc.)