1864.] On the 'Ruins of Buddha Gay a. 187 



As regards the argument founded on the exact agreement in size as 

 well as in material and ornamentation between the existing temple 

 and that described by Hiouen Thsang, it establishes only the fact of 

 the present temple having existed in the beginning of the 7th century, 

 but does not bar the probability of its also having existed many 

 centuries before the advent of that traveller. 



Both Hiouen Thsang and the writer of the Burmese inscription of 

 Col. Burney, state that the temple was originally built by As'oka, and 

 we see no reason to doubt their assertion. Bearing in mind how lavish 

 As'oka was in his expenditure for the erection of towers and monu- 

 ments in all parts of India, it is but natural to suppose that he had 

 selected the spot where the founder of his religion attained to per- 

 fection as the most appropriate place for the largest and loftiest of his 

 monuments. That such a monument should have lasted for six hundred 

 years when Buddhism was still on the ascendant, so as to be visible in 

 the time of Fa Hian, is not in the least improbable. No doubt the 

 structure had had several repairs, and it is to these probably that the 

 Burmese inscription, and Hiouen Thsang refer when they allude to the 

 legend of the dream and the consequent "rebuilding" of the monu- 

 ment, but they do not controvert the position of its having been in 

 the first instance erected by As'oka. 



1 I 



P. S. Since writing the above I have read Montgomery Martin's 

 notice of the temple at Buddha Gaya (Eastern India, I. p. 23) and 

 Buchanan Hamilton's description of the ruins at that place (Transact. 

 Bl. As. Soc. II. p. 41). Both allude to the tradition about Asoka's 

 having erected the temple, and express doubts regarding the authenti- 

 city of Amara's inscription. Hamilton describes a two-storied room 

 near the temple which I did not see. 



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