Dr. Hjmiltox's Description of the Ruins of Buddha Gay a. 47 



One of them seems clearly to me a funeral monument.* The dead body 

 is laid over the head of the Muni or Buddha, through whose favour he 

 may be supposed to have reached the upper regions, and is accompanied 

 by two mourners. The inscription is not thoroughly understood by my 

 people, and some of the letters are defaced. It commences \\\t\\ the form 

 of dedication usual among the Buddhas, but all that follows is interpreted 

 in quite a different manner by each of three pandits whom I consulted. 



The other small chamber is the tomb of the first Mahanta of the convent 

 of sannydsis. 



Between these buildings and the porch of the great shrine is lying a 

 stone, containing the impression of a Buddha's feet, and by the convert 

 called Buddhapad ; but there can be little doubt that this is the Vishnupad 

 alluded to in the first volume of the Asiatic Researches. It has evidently 

 been taken from the ruins, several similar having been carried thence to 

 the convent ; and round it many images have been heaped. By this mark 

 of the deity's presence is lying a stone, which contains an inscription of 

 considerable length.t Several of the images collected here have inscrip- 

 tions. The most remarkable imaged is one called Sabitri (a goddess), but 

 which seems to be a male votary of the Buddhas, having a Muni seated on 

 his crown, for he resembles a prince. The inscriptions mention no per- 

 son's name, but invoke the Buddhas. 



On a male figure§ at the same place, now called Saraswaii (a goddess), 

 is the usual pious sentence of the Buddhists. 



The great shrine, or Mandir, is a slender quadrangular pyramid of great 

 height ; but its summit is broken, and a part hangs over in a very singular 

 manner. This spire is, on three sides, surrounded by a terrace about twen- 

 ty-five or thirty feet high, and the extreme dimensions of which are seven- 

 ty-eight feet wide by ninety-eight long, and one end of this terrace towards 

 the east has covered the porch ; but that has fallen, and brought down tlie 

 part of the terrace by which it was covered. 



A stair from each side of the porch led up to the terrace, on which there 

 was a fine walk round the temple, leading to the second story of the 

 shrine in front, and to a large area behind, on which is planted a cele- 

 brated p'lppal tree (Ficus religiosa). As this is still an object of worship, 



• E. I. C's. Mas. No. 62. t II^'''- >^'o- H-^- 



X Ibid. No. 91. § Il)i(l. No. 99. 



