A History of Fine Art in India and Ceylon, from the Earliest Times to the Present Day c13.s6.4

c13.s6.4

The notable statue of an aged bearded man cut in the face of a boulder to the east of the Topāveva embankment at Polonnāruwa, popularly known as the image of King Parākrama Bāhu the Great, who reigned from A. D. 1153 to 1186, certainly is not what it is supposed to be. The figure, cut in gneiss (granite), and 11½ feet high, stands full face, fronting nearly south, in an easy attitude, with the right leg slightly bent. The costume is confined to a tall cap and simple loin-cloth held up by a band knotted in front. The hands support a model of a palm-leaf book (*ola*) held across the body. The expression of the face is grave, and the half-closed eyes look down upon the manuscript. A long rounded beard and drooping moustache add to the gravity of the countenance. These details are inconsistent with the popular attribution. Mr. Bell is of opinion that the book and the whole appearance and pose of the figure stamp it unmistakably as the portrait of a reverend religious teacher from the Indian continent. He suggests that the statue may represent an ascetic named Kapila, for whom Parākrama Bāhu built a richly adorned dwelling.¹