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A. M. Broadley — The Buddhistic Remains of Bihar. [No. 3, 
large numbers of gray stone columns at the foot of the mounds above men- 
tioned, and the spot has evidently been once the site of a Vihara. 
Although live hills are stated both in poetry and history to have sur- 
rounded the ancient capital of Magadha, this can hardly be considered 
literally correct, and to maintain the old description, several peaks must be 
considered as forming part of the same mountain. Thus the rocky cliffs 
of Chhata, (or Chhakra,) must he deemed the eastern extremity of Baibhar, 
and the various parts of Sonargir must be considered as portions of one 
great hill. Sondrgir, the most extensive, though the least lofty, of all the 
hills, begins at the south-east corner of the valley, and runs due east from 
this point till it reaches the centre of the valley just above the plain of the 
Ranbhum. From this point three branches stretch eastwards ; the first 
inclining slightly towards the north, and forming the southern boundary 
of the valley of the five hills, the second runs due east and forms the 
western side of the ravine which leads into the Hisua-Nowada plains, and 
the third turns first south, then again almost due east, and finally termi- 
nates, as I have before described, in the rocks and torrents of Banganga. 
This was evidently the weakest point in the natural defences of the city ; 
for an enemy who had once gained the entrance of the valley, (which ap- 
pears to have been still further protected by a semi-circular wall outside it,) 
could easily pass up the gentle slope between the two last mentioned branch- 
es of the hill, and descend by an equally easy road on the northern side of 
the hill into the very heart of the valley. I ascended the hill on this side, 
and soon gained the summit, which, like that of Udayagir, is occupied by 
an enormous pile of rums, and a modem Jaina temple. Inside the pagoda 
is a large figure of Buddha, bearing the creed, and also a comparatively 
modern inscription on the unoccupied portions of the pedestal. Several 
columns are lying about, and also portions of cornice and other ornamental 
carving. This was once, evidently, the site of some great vihara or temple. 
Thirty paces south of the pagoda, one comes quite suddenly on the great wall, 
almost unbroken and entire. It is uniformly sixteen feet thick, but its 
height differs, at various places. It commences in the Ranbhum plain, and 
then runs in a direct line to the summit of the hill, a distance of 2300 feet. 
From this point an enormous embankment runs across the valley to the foot 
of Baibhar, and now bears the name of Jarasandha’s band. At the top of 
the mountain the wall turns to the east, following the crest of the central 
branch of Sonargir, which now takes an almost semi-circular form, to a dis- 
tance of 4100 feet. The wall at this point runs down the ravine, crosses it 
close to the source of the Banganga torrent, then ascends the slope of the 
southern branch of the hill, and passes first along its ridge and then down 
its western slope till it ends in the foot to the west of the stream, as nearly 
as possible 12,000 feet from its commencement in the Ranbhum plain. The 
