44 Dr. Hamilton's Description of the Rtiins of Buddha Gay a. 



that event. It was agreed by both of the parties that came from Ava, 

 that Gautama resided at Buddha Gaya, and that, at his desire, a temple 

 was built by Dharma Asoka, king of Pddaripuk, who held his court at 

 the place. The visitant who came last, according to the Mahanta, placed 

 this event, or the commencement of the Kali-yug, about 2,100 years 

 before the year 1811, while the convert gave 5,000 years for the era. 

 This latter date was evidently in conformity with the opinions prevailing 

 now in India, the convert being unwilling to cede in antiquity to the pre- 

 tensions of the Brahmans. The computations of Ceylon and Siam place 

 Gautama in the sixth century before the birth of Christ, which I take to 

 be his real era ; for the Mahanta said that he could not speak with pre- 

 cision concerning the date which his visitors from Ava gave, as he had 

 omitted to take it in writing. It is said by the convert, that the temple is 

 not dedicated to Gautama but to Mahunnmi, or the earliest lawgiver of 

 the present earth : and he said that the messengers from Ava merely 

 venerated the place on account of its having been tlie residence of Gau- 

 tama, considering the influence of Mahdmuni to be extinct. 



That a temple may have been built here in the time of Gautama, and 

 that it may have been dedicated to Mahdmimi, and that perhaps some of 

 its remains may be found among the ruins, is highly probable ; but tliat 

 the present edifice is so ancient, is more than doubtful. I think it, how- 

 ever, probable that, from that time, the temple did not go entirely to ruin 

 until the overthrow of the Pal Rajas, and was repaired, or perhaps in a 

 great measure rebuilt, from time to time, as it went to decay, being the 

 chief seat of the religion which seems for many ages to Iiave predominated 

 in this country ; on which account it was called Mahdbuddha by the mes- 

 sengers from Ava. The tradition, already mentioned, of a temple having 

 been built by Amarasingha, in the tenth century of the Christian era, seems 

 to me exceedingly probable, if referred to the great building which is now 

 in the last stage of decay compatible with any thing like a preservation of 

 original form. 



I now proceed to mention the present appearance of the ruins, which 

 are situated a few hundred yards west from the Nitajun river, on a plain 

 of great extent. They consist of two parts, situated north and south 

 from each other.* That to the north is the largest, being 1,482 feet by 



* A plan of the ruins is deposited in the East-India Company's Museum (No. 77). 



