Archaological Survey Report. Ixxvii 
Hirana a considerable rivulet, which has a course of about 15 miles, 
and makes it a feeder of the little Gandak (Hastern India, Vol. 2, p. 
316) ; but there is some confusion in his description of this river. 
The changes of name would however appear to have been as numerous 
as the changes of channel; for in the time of Hwen Thsang this 
stream was called the Ajitavati, its more ancient name having been 
Hiranyavati, while the present name is Chota Ganduk, and the 
eastern inundation branch is called Khaniia. There is now no trace 
of Hwen Thsane’s Ajitavati, but the name of Hiranyavati is still 
preserved in the Hirana of my Padraona informant. 
185. At the time of Hwen Thsang’s visit, the walls of Kusinagara 
were in ruins, and the place was almost deserted ; but the brick found- 
ations of the old capital occupied a cireuit of about 12 12, that is, of 
about two miles. After a long and attentive comparison of all our 
available information, I have come to the conclusion that the famous 
city of Kusinagara must have occupied the site of the mound and 
village of Anrudhwa. The ruined mound, which is about 500 feet 
square, I would identify as the site of the palace of the Mallian 
Kings, which was in the midst of the city, and to the city itself I 
would assign an extent of about 1,000 feet on all sides of the palace, 
This would give a square area of 2,500 feet, or nearly half a mile on 
each side, with a circuit of 10,000 feet or nearly 2 miles as recorded 
by Hwen Thsang. I will now compare the existing remains with 
the account of the Chinese pilgrim, and with the details given in the 
Pali annals of Ceylon, as translated by Turnour. 
186. The spot where Buddha died is fixed by Hwen Thsang at 3 
or 4 d2 (rather more than half a mile) to the north-west of the city, 
in a forest of sal trees, at a short distance from the western bank of 
the Ajitavati river. The distance and direction correspond exactly 
with the site of the great mound now called the fort of Mdthd Kuiar. 
On this spot was erected a great brick vihdr or temple monastery, in 
which was enshrined a statue of Buddha in a recumbent posture as 
he appeared when about to enter Mirvdna. This vihdr I would 
identify with the extensive mass of ruin marked K in my survey of 
the site at the western end of the mound. Beside the vihar there 
was-a stupa, 200 feet in height, built by Asoka, and a stone pillar, 
on which was recorded the history of the Mirvdna, or death of Buddha. 
This stupa I would identify with the foundation or lower part of the 
