231 
1872.] A. M. Broadley— The Buddhistic Remains of Bihar. 
translation of M. Remusat’s Chi-Fah-Hiyan, pp. 201-279, and the Rev. 
S. Beal’s original translation of the same writer, pp. 111-119. 
According to the first named work, Hwen Thsang travelled to Rajagri- 
ha from Nalanda, but the second states that he arrived first at the ancient 
town of Bimbisfira via Bodh Gaya and Kukkutapada ; but both translations of 
the earlier pilgrim agree in taking him to the capital by the former route. 
Nalanda was the largest and most important Buddhist monastery in 
India, and is identical with the modem village of Bargaon situated about 
six or seven miles to the north or north-west of liajagriha. It is now the 
scene of a mass of the most interesting ruins, which have been fully described 
by me in a separate pamphlet.* Since the time that account was printed, 
fresh excavations have been made, and I trust one day to present to the 
public a still more complete account of these important Buddhistic remains. 
I shall now proceed to follow in the first place the footsteps of F ah- 
Hiyan. 
He writes Going west from Nalanda one yojana, we arrive at the new 
Rajgir.” This undoubtedly corresponds with the large circuit of fortifica- 
tions (still bearing the same name) at the foot of the Baibhar and Vipula 
hills, situated six miles or thereabouts to the south of the Bargaon ruins. 
I, therefore, think the direction given by the translators must be a mistake. 
Fah-Hian continues : ‘ This was the town king Ajasat built. There are 
two Sangharamas in it. Leaving the town by the west gate and proceeding 
300 paces, (we arrive at) the tower which king Ajasat: raised over the share 
of Buddha’s relics which he obtained. Its height is very imposing.’ 
The walls of the town and its gates are distinctly traceable at the dis- 
tance of about half a mile from the foot of the mountain and directly facing 
the northern entrance of the Valley of the Five Hills. Its form is somewhat 
difficult to describe, and authors have varied in their attempts to do so, but 
after careful inspection from all points of view, and, what is still better, after 
studying its form from two of the hills above, I am of opinion it cannot be 
correctly called a pentagon, but is rather a quadrilateral, having, as mea- 
sured from the top of the ramparts, three equal sides, viz., the north, west, 
and south, each measuring 1,900 feet, and one unequal viz., the east, measur- 
ing 1,200 feet. The wall appears to have had a uniform thickness of about 
11 feet, and is composed of masses of stone about four feet square, the faces 
of which are made uniform and placed one upon the other in close contiguity, 
without any mortar or cement whatever. Starting from the north-east 
corner, where a stone bastion still exists in tolerable entirety', the wall re- 
mains unbroken for 200 feet, at the end of which distance a second bastion 
appears to have existed and similar traces are seen at the 300th foot. The 
remains of the wall now almost entirely disappear, but at the distance of 
* Ruins of the Nalanda Monastery, hy A. M. Broadley. Calcutta, 1S72. 
