Material: Stone / unspecified

This inscription is engraved on the four faces of a stone pillar, which Senarath Paranavitana reported in the 1930s to be lying within the premises of the Buddhist temple at Malagaṇē in the Girātalān Kōraḷē of the Kuruṇǟgala District. He also noted that the pillar been removed to this position some fifty years previously from Nuvarakälē, an extensive ancient site about three miles to the north-east of Malagaṇē, for use in the construction of a shrine, which had since been demolished. The inscription was first highlighted for scholarship in Archaeological Survey of Ceylon Annual Report for 1910–11 (Appendix F, p. 119, no. 105). It is dated in the tenth year of a king style Abhā Maharad but the identity of this monarch is uncertain. The inscription describes how Abhā Maharad brought Rohaṇa and Malaya under his dominion, achievements which are attributed – using almost exactly the same words – to king Udaya I (r. 901–912 A.D.) in the Tim̆biriväva pillar inscription (IN03067). Abhā Maharad may be a variation on Udǟ Abhā Salamevan and Udaya Abhaya, titles which are applied in other inscriptions to Udaya I. The king of the present inscription is also described as a relative of an earlier monarch named Abhā Sirisaṅgbo, a title which is applied to Sena II (r. 866–901) in the Ällēväva pillar inscription. This may support the identification of Abhā Maharad with Udaya I, since he was the younger brother and successor of Sena II. However, the word which expresses the exact nature of the relationship between Abhā Maharad and Abhā Sirisaṅgbo is unfortunately no longer legible and was interpreted as ‘son’ rather than ‘brother’ in an eye-copy of the inscription made under H. C. P. Bell’s direction for the Archaeological Survey in 1910–11. If this reading of the word is correct, the king in question could perhaps be Kassapa V (r. 929–939), both of who was a son of Sena II and used the viruda title of Abhā Salamevan, although he is not known to have subjugated Rohaṇa or Malaya. In terms of the palaeography, the inscription does feature some letter forms which appear to be slightly later in date than those used in known inscriptions of Udaya I. The text records immunities granted to a religious foundation called Saṅgradūn Pirivena in the monastery of Mirisipiṭi at Muhunnaru. This pirivena appears to have been named after Saṅghā, the queen of Sena II, who is referred to as Saṅgā-radū in the Pūjāvalī, and it is reasonable to assumed that Muhunnaru was the ancient name of the site where the pillar originally stood.

This inscription is engraved on the four faces of a rough stone pillar, which Senarath Paranavitana reported in the 1930s to be lying near the village called Viyaulpata (possibly Wayaulpota) in the Ināmaḷuva Kōraḷē of the Mātalē District. Since the stone of the pillar has not be dressed, its edges are not straight. The inscription runs vertically along the height of the pillar but, due to the uneven shape and rough surface of the pillar, the lines of the text are irregular and not of equal length. The record is dated in the first year of a king styled Sirisaṁboy and contains an edict issued by the heir-apparent (mahāpā) of the time, named Minhindal (Mahinda), granting certain immunities to a monastic dwelling called Sāṅguṇā-panhala. The viruda title ‘Sirisaṁbo’ or ‘Sirisaṁboy’ was borne by several kings of the ninth century, to which period this inscription has to be assigned on palaeographic grounds. The only Sirisaṁbo of this century whose mahāpā was called Mahinda was Sena II. Hence we can confidently assign the inscription to his reign, which began around 846 or possibly 866 and continued for thirty-four years. The inscribed pillar was set up and its edict proclaimed by two officers named Kaṇṇā (Kṛṣṇa) and Rāvaṇā, who are described as members of the body-guard, presumably meaning the mahāpā’s body-guard. These two officials, before setting up the pillar, are said to have assembled together the notables in the vicinity, probably from the monastic establishment mentioned in the inscription. This was doubtless done to give publicity to the royal order, so that the privileges granted by it might be respected by those concerned.

Magul Maha Viharaya, Lahugala

This fragmentary inscription is engraved on three sides of a broken stone pillar found among the ruins of an ancient monastery situated in the Pānama Pattu of the Batticaloa District, about a mile to the south of the eighth mile-stone on the road from Potuvil to Vällavāya. The ancient name of this monastery was Rūṇu-maha-vehera; it is now known as Magul-maha-vihāra. The upper half of the pillar has been broken off and lost, resulting in the loss of large parts of the inscription. The record can be dated, on palaeographic grounds, to the fourteenth century. The extant portion of the inscription records that Rūṇu-maha-vehera, the ancient monastery at the site, was completely renovated by Vihāra-mahā-devī, the consort of the two brother kings named Parākramabāhu, after it had fallen into ruin and that she endowed it with lands for its maintenance. It seems that the inscription originally included a detailed account of the successful campaign fought by the brother kings after the Coḷa army but the inscription is mutilated just at the point where the reference to this historical event begins. The pillar was apparently set up after the demise of these kings, since the inscription tells us in the past tense that Vihāra-mahā-devī ‘was the chief consort of the two brother kings’. Since these brothers are described as ruling over Rohaṇa in another inscription found at Magul-maha-vihāra (IN03188), it seems likely that they were local princes whose authority was confined to this region, rather than paramount sovereigns of Sri Lanka.

Magul Maha Viharaya, Lahugala

This inscription is engraved on a stone slab found to the left of the flight of steps at the entrance to a ruined structure on the site of an ancient monastery situated in the Pānama Pattu of the Batticaloa District, about a mile to the south of the eighth mile-stone on the road from Potuvil to Vällavāya. The ancient name of this monastery was Rūṇu-maha-vehera; it is now known as Magul-maha-vihāra. The present inscription can be dated, on palaeographic grounds, to the fourteenth century. It is written as a palimpsest over a long tenth-century inscription which has thus been obliterated, save for thirteen lines at the end. The later inscription records that Rūṇu-maha-vehera, the ancient monastery at the site, was completely renovated by Vihāra-mahā-devī, the consort of the two brother kings named Pärakumbā, after it had fallen into ruin and that she endowed it with lands for its maintenance. Since these brothers are described in this inscription as ruling over Rohaṇa, it seems likely that they were local princes whose authority was confined to this region, rather than paramount sovereigns of Sri Lanka.

This inscription is engraved on the smaller of the two stone canoes found in the vicinity of the ‘Stone Canopy’ (Burrows’ Pavilion) in the area of the Abhayagiri Vihāra at Anurādharpura. It consists of three lines and can be dated on the basis of the palaeography to the latter half of the eighth century or the beginning of the ninth century. The purpose of the inscription is to state that the stone canoe was the gift of a novice (sāmaṇera) named Gonnā.