1847-] Note on an Image of Budha found at Skerghatti, fyc, 79 



might he able, with the help of his Burmese savans, to throw some 

 light upon the meaning of this curious representation, as well as of 

 others I hope to furnish. 



The workmanship of the figure is superior to the ordinary run ; its 

 material is black chlorite. The measurement is 15 in. x 9 in. and has 

 been worshipped for years past as Bhyruh by the ignorant people of 

 this town ; but this occurs everywhere, as remarked upon by Buchanan. 



I have given the inscription in a line by itself with the Deva Nagri 

 context immediately above it for comparison ;* it is the same, excepting 

 perhaps orthographical errors, as given in page 133, Vol. IV. of the 

 Journal, and occurs on almost every image in this district, and in 

 various types, down to No. 2, of the Allahabad column, called the Gupta 

 by Prinsep. 



I hope soon to have it in my power to offer the Society further speci- 

 mens of fragments of Budhist sculpture met with in such abundance in 

 this district, and should you think them of sufficient interest, I would 

 not object to draw them on transfer paper ready for printing and pub- 

 lishing in the Journal. 



I beg to announce to the Society that having lately had a few days' 

 leisure I have visited several of the spots held sacred in the vicinity 

 of Gaya, and have made several curious discoveries which may prove of 

 interest to those who make the former usages and religion of this em- 

 pire a study. 



It would take much more space than I can afford or would attempt to 

 fill, in a letter which is intended as a simple announcement, to describe 

 what I have seen, and explain the conjectures it has led to, so as to be 

 well understood — suffice it to say, I have found what I consider to be 

 remains of the famous Chaitya, or temple raised by Asoka at Budha 

 Gaya ; they consist of a number of columns on which are very rude though 

 interesting sculptures in bass relief in medallions. I have sketched all 

 that seem worth recording ; the subjects are chiefly the worship of the 

 Bo tree, the lotus, the shrine or Chaitya, a goat, a female figure with 

 the head of an ass, &c. There are also winged lions, oxen and horses, 

 and a centaur. The simple bull is oft repeated, and a cow and calf — 

 but this last appears to be of a later date. It is remarkable that these 

 pillars are of the same stone as that of the Asoka columns of Dehli, 



* As there is no room to insert this in the plate we here subjoin the Deva-nagari 

 transcription.— Eds. 



^T^t *rrr ^n?: i 



