1889.] Gaurdds Bysack — Buddhistic Monastery at Bhotebdgdn. 141 



Gir Gosain, famous for his piety and the confidence be enjoyed of the 

 Tibetan authorities. He died in 1795 and was buried as a saint near 

 bis Math. 



The dates give a clue for research into the histories, official reports 

 and other records of the time, whereby a solution of the questions 

 raised has been arrived at, and many interesting incidents connected 

 therewith have come to light. 



The Teshu Lama, sovereign of Tesbu Lumbo and the guardian of 

 the infant Delai Lama of Lhassa, at the entreaty of Debjudhar, chief of 

 Bhutan who had invaded Kuchh Behar and was defeated by a British 

 force, addressed an intercessory letter to Warren Hastings in 1773 and 

 intrusted it to Puran Gir Gosain as his envoy. 



This Sanyasi, towards the end of March 1774, delivered his cre- 

 dentials to the first Governor- General and laid before him the Lama's 

 presents, which included " talents of gold and silver, bulses of gold dust 

 and bags of genuine musk." 



The keen-sighted statesman with a desire to oblige the Lama in the 

 interest of Tibeto-Bengal trade, complied with his request and sent, 

 under the guidance of Puran, the well-known Bogle Mission to the court 

 of Teshu Lumbo, where the Lama expressed his desire to have a place 

 in the neighbour-hood of Calcutta, and on the banks of the Ganges, to 

 which he might send his people to pray. He wished to build a monastery 

 there, leaving its details to be settled by Puran Gir. The reason 

 assigned by the Lama was that although in the different periods of his 

 reviviscence, he had chosen many regions for places of his birth, yet 

 Bengal was the only country in which he had been born twice, for which 

 he had a predilection for it beyond any other, and was desirous of 

 making it a place of his abode. 



Warren Hastings accordingly got a piece of land purchased and 

 assigned to the Teshu Lama. The Bhotmandir was founded on this 

 site, and its construction was commenced under the direction of Mr. 

 Bogle, who had been previously entrusted by the Lama with a consider- 

 able remittance in money. As soon as it was completed, it was filled 

 with the idols which, together with their precious adornments, the Lama 

 had taken care to send down. 



The public services which the now-foi'gotten Puran Gir Gosain had 

 rendered both to the British and the Tibetan Government in the last cen- 

 tury were most remarkable. His work began when as a youno> Sanyasi 

 of twenty-five years of age, he came down as the Lama's envoy to meet 

 the Governor-General of India; ho next accompanied and guided Mr. 

 Bogle as the head of the first British Mission to Tibet, and interested 

 himself in the cause of Tibeto-Bengal trade ; he joined the Lama in his 



