1866.] Buddhist Monasteries and Temples. 83 



merited capitals. The western wall is strengthened externally by 

 three rounded buttresses, which are of the Pathan dynasty, like those 

 found at Jaunpore, and were built at the same time. They did not 

 exist in the Buddhist period, and were added as much for ornament 

 as strength. All the mosques about old Delhi have them. 



There is no doubt in our minds that the A'd-Bisheshwar temple 

 stood on this site, and was destroyed by the Mohammedans, who, as 

 usual, transferred its stones to their own mosque. The neighbouring 

 temple bearing this name, the Hindus built, with the kind permission 

 of their friends, the Mohammedans, of course, for the purpose of 

 perpetuating the worship and the honour of their old idol, A'd-Bish- 

 eshwar. Yet, while allowing that the edifice standing on the site of 

 the present mosque when the Mohammedans took possession of it, 

 was the temple of Ad-Bisheshwar, we are nevertheless equally certain 

 that the primitive building was of a Buddhist character. We were 

 inclined at one time to imagine that, from its proximity to the 

 Buddhist Vihar No. V., it must have been a part of that monastery, 

 but two reasons have led us to abandon that idea. One is, that a 

 separate terrace of extensive dimensions was appropriated to this 

 structure, whatever it was, and that between this terrace and that of 

 No. V., the ground is depressed corresponding to the depression of all 

 the neighbouring soil ; and the second is, that the style of architecture 

 of the ancient . buildings upon or around the two terraces, differs 

 exceedingly. We are led to conjecture, therefore, that the original 

 structure was a Buddhist monastery, but later in date by several 

 hundred years than the first monastery erected on the terrace No. V. 

 It was of course a quadrangle, encompassing the four sides of the 

 terrace. Nothing remains of it except the massive transverse wall 

 with the buttress, and the lower portion of the retaining wall. The 

 mosque has been erected perhaps on the site of the principal cloister 

 of the monastery, its second division occupying the position of a 

 smaller cloister. The amount of stone material expended on the 

 present comparatively small building is preposterously great, and in 

 itself is a proof that an edifice of much larger dimensions formerly 

 stood here. 



