Archeological Survey Report. vii 
(Hamilton), who describes it as in all probability not exceeding 100 
years in age. Hwen Thsang also describes an early renewal by King 
Purna Varmma after its destruction by King Sasangka, who dug up 
the ground on which it had stood, and moistened the earth with 
sugar-cane juice to prevent its renewal. 
13. Immediately to the east of the Pipal tree there is a massive 
brick temple, nearly 50 feet square at base and 160 feet in height, 
from the granite floor of the lower story to the top of its broken 
pinnacle. This is beyond all doubt the Vihar, from 160 to 170 feet 
in height, described by Hwen Thsang as standing to the east of the 
Bodhi tree. Its base was about 20 paces square. It was built of 
bluish bricks plastered with lime; it was ornamented with niches 
in stages, each niche holding a golden statue of Buddha, and was 
crowned with an amalaka fruit in gilt copper. The existing temple, 
both in size and appearance, corresponds so exactly with this 
description, that I feel quite satisfied it must be the identical temple 
that was seen by Hwen Thsang. The ruined temple, as it now stands, 
is 160 feet in height, with a base of rather less than 50 feet square. 
It is built entirely of dark red brick of a bluish tinge, and has for- 
merly been plastered all over. Lastly, the walls are ornamented 
externally with eight tiers, or rows, of niches, many of which still 
hold figures of Buddha. These figures are made of plastered brick, 
but they were no doubt formerly gilt, as is done with the plaster 
statues of the Burmese at the present day. There is, however, no 
trace of the copper gilt amalaka fruit. I have thus been particular 
in noting the points of correspondence between the two temples, 
because there seems to me to be a very strong probability that the 
existing temple was originally built by the celebrated Amara Sinha, 
the author of the Amara Kosha, as I will now proceed to show. 
14. On the site of this temple, according to Hwen Thsang, there 
was originally a small Vihar built by Asoka between 259 and 241 
B.C. Afterwards anew temple of very great size was built by a 
Brahman in compliance with the instructions of the god Mahadeva 
conveyed to him in a vision. Inside the temple was placed a statue 
of the ascetic Buddha as he appeared when seated in meditation 
under the Bodhi tree. The statue was 1] feet 5 inches in height, 
8 feet 8 inches in breadth across the knees, and 6 feet 2 inches across 
the shoulders. The figure was sitting cross-legged facing the east. 
