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II. Description of the Ruins of Buddha Gdya. By Dr. Francis 

 Buchanan Hamilton, M.R.A.S. 



(Extracted from his Report of a Survey of South Bihar.) 

 Read May 5, 1827. 



Buddha Gdya was probably, at one time, the centre of religion in India, 

 and the residence of a powerful king. I am informed by the mahanta of 

 the Sannydsis, who now possesses the great convent at the place, that when 

 his predecessor Chetan Gin came, which may be perhaps one hundred and 

 twenty years ago, it was entirely overrun with bushes and trees ; and the 

 sect of Buddha, in its vicinity, may be considered as completely extinct. 

 A ievf persons, indeed, come occasionally from distant countries to visit its 

 ancient monuments. Last year (1811) a man of some rank, with several 

 attendants, came from a country called Tamsa-dwiji-mahd-amarapura-paigu, 

 sent by Mahd-dharma-rdjd, in the sixty-seventh year of his age, a Csha- 

 triya of the family of the sun. This is, no doubt, the king of the Burnias ; 

 and hence we infer that the old man, since the year 1795, when I visited 

 his capital, has been induced to set up the doctrine afresh. In the year 

 1795 the priests of Buddha were seriously alarmed at the influence which 

 the Brdhmans had then acquired. 



Some years before, the king of Ava sent two messengers, who, in speak- 

 ing Hindustani, called themselves Vazirs, by which I know they meant offi- 

 cers of government. They were in search of the holy places rendered re- 

 markable by the actions of Gautama, and took with them the water of 

 many sacred streams and pools, to form a bath for their master. 



Both these people had books, by the assistance of which they pretended 

 to trace the holy places and to detail their history. 



It would appear that the Sannydsis have, in some degree, been infected 

 with the superstition of the place, and confounded by its numerous images, 

 which have struck them with awe. The first mahanta resided in the ruin 

 of the temple ; and his successors have purposely erected several small 

 buildings, both near the old temple and in their convent, where they have 



