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Maduwa

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

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the place in which the Bana, or sacred books of the Buddhists, are publicly read. It is usually a temporary structure, the roof having several breaks or compartments, gradually decreasing in size as they approach the top, in the form of a pagoda, or of a pyramid composed of several platforms. There is one of these structures in the precincts of nearly all the wiharas (q.v.). In the centre of the interior area is an elevated platform for the convenience of the priests, and the people sit around it upon mats spread on the ground. The platform is sometimes occupied by several priests at the same time, one of whom reads a portion of the sacred books, in a tone between singing and reading. The Maduwa is also used for other purposes. In it there is a labyrinth made of withs ornamented with the cocoanut leaf; and the people amuse themselves by finding their way through its intricate mazes. In some instances lines are drawn upon the ground in an open space, and these lines are regarded as the limits of the regions assigned to particular daemons. Dancers approach these lines and defy the daemons, receiving the applause of the people for their boldness.