1865.] Notes on Boodh Gya. 281 
be accounted for by the very small quantity of stone used in or about 
the building. 
From what has been before stated I am led to assign a far greater 
antiquity to the great tope at Boodh Gya than has been hitherto 
generally done. 
I am of opinion that the temple existed from before the Christian 
era, when the railing stood around it—say from 200 B. C.; but that 
it has often been repaired, and once thoroughly renewed by Amara 
Sinha, most probably about 500 A. D. 
I, however, hold that the shell of the building has remained as at 
first constructed, with alterations to be hereafter pointed out. If 
this be the case, it would, together with perhaps the remains of some 
Boodhist Monasteries, be one of the oldest buildings we have in India. 
The general external form differs considerably from ordinary Hindu 
Vimanas, being much more perpendicular; but the system under which 
it was built allows of great variety of outline. 
The tope is exteriorly about 50 feet square at the base, with an 
original interior diameter of 20 ft. The walls are about 8 ft. thick to 
a height of perhaps 60 feet, and the rest is made up by a masonry 
terrace rising from 25 to 30 feet. 
The thickness of the upper part, i. e. from the springing of the 
curve to the crown, varies from 7 feet to much less at the top. 
There has been an opening left at the top* apparently about 6 ft. 
square, which is at present covered in with beams of Saul wood, and 
upon this is built a tope-like pinnacle which in its entirety probably 
reached to 25 feet, including the thickness of the pucka roof over 
the beams. 
The square basement walls have been stated to 
Ceilings. rise about 60 ft., whilst the interior height of the 
curved part may also be from 60 to 70 feet. The 
whole interior I believe to have been originally 
without intermediate ceilings. 
This curved part is built on the system called in 
Bengal “Lehra”’ i. e. of over-lapping bricks. In 
this instance I counted 52 of these laps, each pro- 
jecting from 3 to 4} inches. 
13” 

* Query, whether this was so originally ? 

