Dn. Hamilton's Description of the Ruins of Buddha Gay a. 45 



1,006 ill its greatest dimensions, and is called the rdjasfhdn or palace. 

 On the east, north, and west faces, are traces of a ditch ; and on the west 

 and south are remains of an outer wall or rampart, with the appearance of 

 tliere having been a ditch between it and the palace : but by far the greater 

 part of the building seems to have been a large castle or palace, which 

 probably contained many small courts, although these have been entirely 

 obliterated by the operation of time. Except where there are traces of a 

 double wall and ditch, the whole is now an uniform terrace, consisting 

 chiefly, as is said, of bricks, but covered with soil. Nor is there any 

 reason to suppose that the kings of Magadha ever lived here since the time 

 of Dharma Asoka or his immediate successors. On this ruin has lately, 

 but at different periods, been erected a building containing two temples, 

 with an adjoining habitation. One of the temples contains the hideous 

 Jaganndl'h, and was built by the father of the present occupant : the other 

 is a temple of Rama, built by Ganga Bat, who died a year or two ago. 



Immediately soutli from the palace, and separated from it by a road, 

 was the temple, which has left a ruin about 800 feet from east to west, and 

 about 480 feet from north to soutli. This also seems to have consisted of 

 various courts, now mostly reduced to irregular heaps of brick and stone ; 

 for immense quantities of materials have been removed. The largest heap 

 now remaining is at the north-east corner, where there is a very large 

 terrace, on which are two modern small temples. The one farthest east is 

 called Fdgiswart, and was erected by one of the Mahaiitas of the great 

 convent of Sannydsis. The image placed in it was dug from the ruins ; 

 and in its new name no attention has been paid even to sex, as it repre- 

 sents an armed male, while Vdgiswari is the goddess of eloquence. The 

 history of the other temple, called that of Tdrddevi, is similar. The 

 image which has been selected, in place of having the form of Tdrd, one 

 of the most hideous of the female destructive powers, represents a mild- 

 looking prince standing on a throne supported by seven Buddhas* At the 

 east end of this terrace, in order to procure materials for building, there is 

 now forming a great excavation. The workmen have laid open a chamber of 

 brick, a cube of about twenty feet, without window, door, or stair, which 

 could only have been intended for a tomb. Although the followers of 

 Gautama in Ava burn the dead, yet the bones and ashes are always, I 



• A drawing of this image is deposited at the East-India Company's Museum (No. 92). 



