Constance Frederica Gordon Cumming (1837-1924)

An ancient Buddhist shrine, the temple of Lankatilaka was erected in 1344 by King Buwanekabahu IV. When Gordon Cumming visited the site she wrote: ' ... it is most beautifully situated on the crown of a great mass of red rock, which rises ... from the deep circular valley, all devoted to rice-fields, which at the time of my visit were flooded, like innumerable blue curving lakes ... the exterior is so picturesque that I gladly devoted all my time to secure a large sketch of the whole scene from across the valley.' (Ibid, p.274).