2/6 Notes On the Vikaras and Chaityas of Behar. [March, 



inner inclosnre half the width and considerably less in length ; the court 

 yard thus formed appears to have been filled for ages with Chaityas or 

 Budha temples of every dimension, from 10 inches to perhaps 40 or 50 

 feet, and to have been built one upon the other, the first being buried 

 or terraced over to receive those of later date. There are great varieties 

 both in form, size and materials, some of granite, others of basalt, pot- 

 stone or chlorite, also of plain ground bricks. 



There have been several rows of large images (and I should think 

 of temples, covering them) of the Gyani Budhas, also of female figures ; 

 all have the creed " Ye Dhurma hetu," &c. engraved on them ; some of 

 the sculptures are very beautiful and perfect, and of colossal size ; the 

 whole country is strewed with images and fragments : excavation and 

 search in this mound would enable us to fill our own and other museums, 

 and no doubt lead to some rational conclusion as to the progress of Bud- 

 dhism up to its annihilation, for whilst digging out a miniature Chaitya 

 I found the plynth of one with an inscription (No. 3 of my late notice 

 of Inscriptions) which proves it to belong to one of the Pal Rajahs of 

 Bengal who were known to be heretics. Buchanan and other travellers 

 have noticed these innumerable small temples or models (figs. ) heaped 

 under every fig-tree throughout the district, the like also occur (though 

 belonging to the Jains), at Agrahat in Cuttack, but for what purpose 

 they were intended no one had ventured to conjecture ; chance however, 

 at this place, has discovered the secret. The inscription abovenamed as 

 well as other brief sentences I have found, show them to have been 

 funeral monuments,our learned fellow-member Mr. Hodgeson of Nepaul 

 has kindly communicated much valuable information to me, which has 

 served to confirm my views ; he mentions that in the valley of Nepaul 

 these numerous small Chaityas, surrounding a larger, is by no means 

 uncommon. If again we look to Rangoon, we find the same to exist, but 

 I shall advert more particularly to this subject in a separate paper and 

 give some illustrations. 



Quitting Koorkihar to return towards Gyah, and after travelling three 

 miles to the south-west, the hamlet of Poonaha is met with, situated 

 between two rocky eminences, and having a large tank to the north ; to 

 the south of the village is a handsome Budhist temple, the most perfect 

 of any I have met with ; indeed the only one save that of Bodh Gyah 

 which is of comparatively modern date, it possessed the most striking 



