214 Report of the Archaeological Survey. [No. 4, 



nearly dried up, and at the time of my visit its bed was planted with 

 potatoes. But it is one of the oldest places of worship in Kanoj, and an 

 annual fair is still held on its bank in the month of Bhadur, (August- 

 September). Close beside it there is a modern temple of Mahadeva, 

 which is said to have replaced a ruined one of some antiquity. To the 

 south-west of Makarandnagar there are three mounds covered with 

 broken bricks and pottery ; and under a tree, on the south mound, are 

 collected a number of fragments of sculpture at a spot dedicated to 

 Maordri Devi. 



267. Most of the ancient monuments of Kanoj that are noticed by 

 the Chinese pilgrims are of course Buddhist ; but numerous as they 

 were, I am unable to do more than offer conjectures more or less pro- 

 bable regarding their sites, as Muhammadan spoliation has not left a 

 single place standing to give even a faint clue towards identification. 

 The position of one of the most remarkable of the monuments is 

 rendered more than usually doubtful by the conflicting evidence of the 

 two pilgrims. According to Fa Hian, the great Stupa of AsoJca, 200 feet 

 in height, which was built on the spot where Buddha had preached on 

 the instability of human existence, was situated at 6 or 7 li to the 

 west of the town, and on the north bank of the Granges. But accord- 

 ing to Hwen Thsang, this great Stupa was situated at 6 or 7 li to the 

 south-east of the capital, and on the south bank of the Granges. Now, as 

 the ground to the north of the Granges, as it existed during the first 

 centuries of the Christian era, was very low and therefore liable to 

 inundation, it seems highly improbable that any monument would 

 have been erected in such an insecure position. I conclude therefore 

 that Hwen Thsang's account is most likely right, but I failed in my 

 search for any remains of this vast monument in the position indicated, 

 that is, at rather more than one mile to the south-east of the capital, 

 and on the south bank of the Chota Ganga. 



268. To the north-west of the town Hwen Thsang places another 

 Stupa of Asoka, but as he gives no distance, the mere bearing is too 

 vague to enable us to fix upon the site with any probability. Perhaps 

 the small village of Kapatya, or Kapteswari, nearly opposite the burnt 

 dak bungalow, is the most probable site ; but although there are 

 the remains of brick buildings in its vicinity, there is nothing to 

 indicate the previous existence of any large Stupa. A smaller Stupa 



