Mediaeval Sinhalese Art c19.54.3

c19.54.3

likewise flowers and branches also. “Then in the beautiful cave that is on the top of that selfsame rock he made a fair, large and excellent image-house pleasant to the sight, and many works in stone that were wrought to perfection. In it he made a large, beautiful, and life-like sitting image of Buddha, pleasant to behold, and on both sides thereof two fine upright statues. He also caused to be made there the images of Maitri Bodhisatva and of Uppalavaṇṇa, and many images of Buddha, and hundreds also of Arhats. Likewise also there were figures of the twentyfour Buddhas (before Gautama) and as many Bodhi trees, sāvisi-vivaraṇa, pictures of the sixteen principal shrines, of demons and other evil spirits, of the five different venerable convocations, and divers other paintings of exquisite beauty. In that very place he placed relics of Buddha, and built thereon a Cetiya, and adorned it with a pinnacle of gold. And on the top of the image-house in that excellent rock basin he caused a delightful picture to be made of the Sage, seated amidst his five hundred disciples, with Sāriputta at their head. And even in the different courts (of the vihāra) he built walls and open halls, and divers gates also, and rows of steps and other excellent works. He repaired many old works, also built many new ones; and completed all in a beautiful manner.