1865.] Notes on Boodh Gya. 281 



be accounted for by the very small quantity of stone used in or about 

 the building. 



From what has been before stated I am led to assign a far greater 

 antiquity to the great tope at Boodh Gya than has been hitherto 

 generally done. 



I am of opinion that the temple existed from before the Christian 

 era, when the railing stood around it— say from 200 B. C. ; but that 

 it has often been repaired, and once thoroughly renewed by Amara 

 Sinha, most probably about 500 A. D. 



I, however, hold that the shell of the building has remained as at 

 first constructed, with alterations to be hereafter pointed out. If 

 this be the case, it would, together with perhaps the remains of some 

 Boodhist Monasteries, be one of the oldest buildings we have in India. 



The general external form differs considerably from ordinary Hindu 

 Vimanas, being much more perpendicular ; but the system under which 

 it was built allows of great variety of outline. 



The tope is exteriorly about 50 feet square at the base, with an 

 original interior diameter of 20 ft. The walls are about 8 ft. thick to 

 a height of perhaps 60 feet, and the rest is made up by a masonry 

 terrace rising from 25 to 30 feet. 



The thickness of the upper part, i. e. from the springing of the 

 curve to the crown, varies from 7 feet to much less at the top. 



There has been an opening left at the top* apparently about 6 ft. 

 square, which is at present covered in with beams of Saul wood, and 

 upon this is built a tope-like pinnacle which in its entirety probably 

 reached to 25 feet, including the thickness of the pucka roof over 

 the beams. 



The square basement walls have been stated to 

 Ceilings. r i se about 60 ft., whilst the interior height of the 



„ curved part may also be from 60 to 70 feet. The 

 whole interior I believe to have been originally 

 without intermediate ceilings. 



This curved part is built on the system called in 

 Bengal " Lehra " i. e. of over-lapping bricks. In 

 s this instance I counted 52 of these laps, each pro- 

 jecting from 3 to 4| inches. 

 # Queiy, whether this was so originally ? 



