JOURNAL 



OP THE 



ASIATIC SOCIETY. 



Pabx I.— HISTORY, LITERATURE, <fcc. 



No. II.— 18G6. 



Description of Ancient Remains of Buddhist Monasteries <n/d Temples, 

 and of other buildings, recently discovered in Benares ami its vici- 

 nity. — By the Rev, M. A. Siiekking, L. L. Jl 7 and Ciiakles Hornb, 



/>/., a. s. 



[Received 20th November, 1865.] 



In a former paper on the Buddhist Remains band at Bakarya 



Kund, Benares, which we had the pleasure ol* communicating to the 



Asiatic Society last year, it was shown how that at this spot extensive 

 traces still exist of ancient edifices, for the most part of the Gupta 

 period, consisting of remains of several Buddhist temples and of one 

 vihar or monastery. It is our purpose in the present paper, to give 

 the results of further investigations into the antiquities of this city. 



Fully satisfied, as we believe most persons are, that Benares is a 

 city of extreme antiquity, we have endeavoured to ascertain to what, 

 portions this epithet will apply. And by the term ' old' we mean not 

 a few hundred years merely, although a city six or seven hundred 

 years old is generally regarded as an ancient city. But we must re- 

 member that Benares lays claim to an antiquity of several thousands 

 of years, and undoubtedly it is referred to in various ancient Hindu 

 and Buddhist writings. Consequently, we are not satisfied with dis- 

 covering in it edifices erected half a dozen centuries ago, any more 

 than we should feel satisfied with discovering edifices of a similar date 

 in Jerusalem, or Damascus, or Rome. The terms ' ancient' and ' old' 

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