XX Archeological Survey Report. 
49. A second cave is described by Hwen Thsang as the Vulture’s 
Cave or Hill of the Vulture’s Cave. This name was derived from the 
story of Ananda’s adventure with the demon Mara in the shape of a 
vulture. The demon suddenly stopped before the cave, and terrified 
Ananda, when Buddha passing his hand through the rock laid hold 
of Ananda’s arm, and at once removed his fear. The cleft in the 
rock, said to have been made by Buddha’s hand, was seen by Fa-Hian 
early in the 5th century. Major Kittoe thought that the Gidha 
Dwar cave was the Vulture’s Cave of the Chinese pilgrims, but its 
distance of 44 miles from the old capital of Rdagriha is too great, as 
both Fa-Hian and Hwen Thsang place the Vulture’s Cave at 15 i 
from old Rajagriha, that is, at only 2} miles from it. This cave 
besides answers exactly to that described by Hwen Thsang under the 
name of Indra-Sila-Guha, and the two caves were certainly distinct. 
I made every enquiry for another cave, but could only hear of one very 
close to that of Gidha Dwar, which was quite inaccessible. But 
taking the distance and direction from old Rajagriha, the Vulture’s 
Cave must have been in the lofty precipitous hill now ealled Saila- 
girt, or the “ Rocky Mountain.” Gidha Dwar is the name of a 
narrow pass where the two parallel ranges of hills before described 
close together within two miles of Giryek, and the Gidha Dwar Cave 
is immediately above the pass. 
VII.—Raseir. 
50. Whatever doubts may exist regarding the identification of 
Kurkihar and Giryek, there can fortunately be none respecting R@gir, 
as the representative of the ancient Ra@agriha. The name is still 
preserved in the modern Ad@gir, and I found it repeated in numerous 
inscriptions in the temples on the Baibhar and Vipula Mountains. 
The old city of Rajagriha is described by Fa-Hian as situated in a 
valley between five hills, at 4 Jz (or two-thirds af a mile) to the south 
of the new town of Rajagriha. ‘Ihe same position and about the 
same distance are given by Hwen Thsang, who likewise mentions the 
hot springs which exist to this day. 
51. The old city of Rajagriha is called Kusdgdrapura, or the city 
of the Kusagrass, by Hwen Thsang, who further describes it as the 
“town surrounded by mountains.” This last is almost a translation 
of Giri-vraga, or the city of “many hills,” which is the old name 
of the capital of Jarasandha, preserved both in the Rdmdyana and 
