Text: "This giant inscription which assumes the shape of a palm-leaf manuscript in stone has been a work of King Nissankamalla (1187-1196) and it is the largest stone inscription so far discovered. The inscription itself says that this large stone block was transported from Mihintale, some hundred kilometers away from Polonnaruva. It describes the genealogy, heroic and altruistic deeds of King Nissankamalla. The letters of the inscription were gilded with molten iron. There may have been a roof over the inscription for its protection. The figure of a woman on the side face of the stone on whom two elephants are sprinkling water has been identified as the Goddess Gajalakshmi" [literally, "Lakshmi of the elephants," here in her aspect as Goddess of Prosperity, also known and beloved as goddess of the lotus in many parts of India.] The Galpota is 27.5 feet long and 4.5 feet wide. The script in Medieval Sinhala (with medieval Sinhala and Sanskrit) comprises 72 lines of text with 4300 letters or more. The upper surface is divided into three partitions or pages.
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