346 An ancient Buddhist Monastery at Pu-gán. [No. 4. 



Remarles upon an ancient Buddhist Monastery at Pu-gán, on tlie 

 Irrawaddy. — By Lt.-Col. A. Phayre, Commissioner of Begu. 



The ruins of the ancient city of Pu-gán are situated, as is well 

 known, on the left bank of the river Irrawaddy, about three hundred 

 and fifty miles above Rangoon. 



In the southern portion of the ruined city, I discovered the remains 

 of an ancient monastery. This was the first building of the kind 

 that I had met with in Burmah, and it is probably in better preserv- 

 ation than any of the ancient Viharas built for Buddhist monks. 

 The nature of the masonry, as compared with that of Pagodas at 

 Pu-gán, the date of building which is known, leads me to believe 

 that the monastery in question was built five or six hundred years 

 ago. The building is constructed entirely of brick. 



It is somewhat dilapidated. Still enough remains to show dis- 

 tinctly the nature of the building and its several divisions. The 

 ground plan is shown in the sketch accompanying, and a rough front 

 elevation is added. There was evidently no upper story. 



The building consisted of a square of about 80 feet, the outer 

 wall up to the top of its battlemented parapet being about 18 feet 

 above the ground. Each comer had a pilaster supporting a deep 

 cornice which ran all round the outer wall. The outer wall had been 

 plastered, but this protection has now nearly disappeared. The 

 córner pilasters rested on basement mouldings, which appear to have 

 been placed nearly two feet above the ground; the chief entrance 

 was on the eastern face of the building, and here there was a projec- 

 tion of about 15 feet from the main wall, forming a part of the outer 

 room or vestibule. There was a corresponding projection on the 

 opposite face where there was an elevated domed structure, for the 

 reception of an image of G-autama. This was apparently, from what 

 remains, some twelve or fourteen feet higher than the outer wall. 

 O ver the entrance door on the eastern side, there had been an orna- 

 mental canopy of flamboyant rays in plaster, such as is seen over 

 most of the doors and windows of the temples of Pu-gán. This ; 



