23 
1891. j H, Cousens —Report on the Boria or Lakha Medi Stupa. 
ment was, the Buddhist determined to build the present stupa, and the 
fragments of the old dagoba, which had to a certain extent become 
sanctified by its use as a relic receptacle, were buried in the mound. 
I should thus not be surprised, if the bulk of this original structure be 
found at the ground level, being thrown in to help to get the required 
height for the relic coffer. 
It has been decided to carry on the excavation to the rock ; and I 
estimate that there are 35 to 40 feet of brick work between the position 
of the coffer and the foundation. I have advised that a well be continued 
down through the centre, a sloping approach being made to it from the 
east along the present cutting. Then, if necessary, the cutting east 
and west might be carried straight through the mound down to the 
foundation. If nothing is found, then it will be needless to demolish 
the mound in the chance of finding anything in the two halves. If, on 
the contrary, my suppositions are correct, and the remains of some struc¬ 
tural dagoba be found scattered throagh the mound then nothing is 
left for it but to clear away the whole. 
At a point in the mound at about 4 feet from the coffer, and on the 
same level, was found a handful of broken chips. These were the 
fragments of a pot of exactly the same material as the stone pot con¬ 
taining the relics, and on piecing some of the fragments around the lip 
of the cover of the latter they were found to lie evenly to it and to have 
exactly the same curve. I have already mentioned the little trouble we 
had in getting the stone-pot out of the well, which was a good deel deeper 
than it, there being hardly enough room round about it to get the 
fingers in. The inference I draw from this is, that the original bowl, of 
which the present lid was its cover, is now represented by these fragments. 
The accident probably happened thus. After enclosing the copper box 
within the stone pot, the latter was being let down into the well, when, 
from the small diameter of the latter the priest’s fingers slipped from the 
bowl to the lid. The bowl fell into the well and got broken while the 
lid remained in his fingers. The fragments were then taken out and 
cast aside, and a new bowl obtained which did not quite fit the lid. The 
immense pressure of the mass of brick work above reduced the fragments 
to chips as we find them. But the amount of these is quite sufficient 
to build up a complete bowl as large as the whole one. 
It is curious that no heads of images have as yet been found. 
I have not been able to revisit the stupa since my first visit, but 
have been informed that nothing of any consequence was found upon 
further excavation. 
