Dr. B. Hamilton's Description ofJaina Temples in South Bihar. 5Q5 



to keep the temples clean and supply flowers to the pilgrims ; but none of 

 these attendants are of the sect of Jina, although they take the offerings. 



I had been informed by a convert to the doctrine of the Bauddhas, that 

 Gautama (buddha) died at a place called Pdxi'dpuri, north some miles 

 from Giriyac, where his funeral was performed by Rdjd mal, sovereign of 

 the country ; and we are informed by Mr. Colebrooke* that Mahavira, 

 the last Jina, died at Pdwdpuri at the court of Rdjd Hastipala. 



I expected from the name to have met at this place the ruins of an old 

 city, but was disappointed ; and I found that Pd'ud and Puri are two 

 villages, distant from each other about a mile. 



Puri, which is close adjacent to the Jain temples of Pokharpuri, contains 

 another place of worship belonging to that sect : but near it there is no trace 

 of any building of considerable antiquity, nor any thing that can be 

 referred to the time of Gautama or Mahavira, who were nearly contem- 

 porary. 



On going to the village of Pdwd, I however found that it was budt on a 

 heap of broken bricks and earth of considerable elevation, extending 

 from east to west about six hundred feet, and from north to south about 

 one hundred and fifty. At each end is an old tank; and on the western 

 extremity has been erected a small temple dedicated to the sun. 



The Jai?i temple at Pi<ri consists of two courts surrounded by brick walls, 

 the doors in which, as common in the Jain temples here, are so small, that 

 it is necessary to creep through them. This, I presume, has been contrived 

 on purpose to compel infidels to approach with the prostration considered 

 as due. In the centre of one court is a temple in excellent repair, and of 

 no great antiquity. The ascent to it is by a wretched stair, on each side 

 of which are two small places like ji bee-hive, each containing a lump of 

 earth covered with red lead and called Bhairava. The temple consists of 

 a centre, and four small mandirs or spires at the corners. In the centre are 

 three representations of the feet of Mahavira, who died at this place, and 

 one representation of the feet of each of his eleven disciples. In tlie 

 corner buildings are also the representations of the feet of various persons. 



The oldest inscription^ at Puri, much defaced, my copyist reads 

 samvat 1605 (A.D. 1518) : but the priest says that the characters which 

 my man reads l60, are the letters expressing paiya with the cypher 5 

 after them, and this he interprets 505 (A.D. 448). 



• As. Res. vol. ix. p. 312. 



