110 A. Cunningham — Tlic ArchcGolorjical Survey o/ 1873-74, [May, 



west-north-west of Uchahara, I obtained a short record of the last named 

 prince inscribed on a stone pillar. 



But the most interesting remains are at JBJiaraliut, six miles to the 

 north-east of Uchahara, nine miles to the^ south-east of the Sutna Railway- 

 station, and 120 miles to the south-west of Allahabad. In our maps the 

 place is called JBTiaraodj and I believe that it may be identified with the 

 Bardaotis, of Ptolemy. It is the site of an old city, which only sixty years 

 ago was covered with a dense jungle. In the midst of this jungle stood a 

 large brick stupa, 68 feet in diameter, surrounded by a stone railing, 88 feet 

 in diameter and nine feet in height. The whole of the stupa has been 

 carried away to build the houses of the present village ; but rather more 

 than half of the stone railing still remains, although it has been prostrated 

 by the weight of the rubbish thrown against it when the stupa was excavat- 

 ed. When I first saw the place only three of the railing pillars near the 

 eastern gate were visible above the ground, but a shallow excavation soon 

 brought to light some pillars of the south gate, from which I obtained the 

 measurement of one quadrant of the circle, I was thus able to determine the 

 diameter of the enclosure; the whole of which was afterwards excavated, partly 

 by myself and partly by my assistant Mr. Beglar. In many places the accu- 

 mulation of rubbish rose to eight feet in height, and as the stone pillars 

 were lying flat underneath this heap, the amount of excavation was neces- 

 sarily rather great ; but the whole work did not occupy more than six weeks, 

 and all that now exists of this fine railing is now exposed to view. 



This colonnade of the Bharahut stupa is of the same age and style as 

 that of the great Sanchi stupa near Bhilsa. But the Sanchi railing is quite 

 plain, while the Bharahut railing is profusely sculptured, — every pillar and 

 every rail as well as the whole coping being sculptured on both faces, with 

 an inscription on nearly every stone. From the characters of these inscrip- 

 tions, as in the similar case of the Sanchi stupa, the erection of the railing 

 must be assigned to the age of Asoka, or about B. C. 250. 



The inscriptions are mostly records of the gifts of pillars and rails, like 

 those of the Sanchi and other stupas. But there is also a considerable 

 number of descriptive records, or placards, placed either above or below many 

 of the sculptures. These last are extremely valuable, as they will enable us 

 to identify nearly all the principal figures and scenes that are represented 

 in these ancient bas-raliefs. 



Amongst the numerous sculptures at Bharahut there are no naked 

 figures as at Sanchi and at Mathura, but all are well clad, and especially the 

 women, whose heads are generally covered with richly-figured cloths, which 

 may be either muslins, or perhaps brocades or shawls. Most of the figures, 

 both male and female, are also profusely adorned with gold and jewelled 

 ornaments, in many of which one of the most significant Buddhist symbols 



