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307 
Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 
of a jhil. This is still loftier being fifty feet in height. Both of 
these ruined topes should be opened. I am quite satisfied that these 
topes stand on the site of the celebrated Kusinagara. I surveyed 
the ground carefully. The Hirana Nadi (or Chota Gandak) once 
flowed close past the topes, and I found the village of Anirudha with 
a ruined mound immediately to the south of the topes. Anirudha 
was a cousin of Buddha, and the senior disciple present at his death, 
who conducted all the proceedings up to the arrival of Maliakasyapa. 
The plain between the topes is covered with low earthen tumuli from 
three to five or six feet in height. I opened three of them, but 
without any result, although they were said to be the tombs of 
gipsies! 
Khiikhundo is a very remarkable place. There are about twent} r - 
five ruined mounds scattered over about one square mile, to the west 
of the village. The statues now existing about the ruins are Brah- 
minical, chiefly of Vishnu. There is a small Jain temple, and there 
are several Jain figures scattered about. I opened one of the mounds 
and came upon the floor of a temple, with the Yoni, or receptacle of 
the Lingam , still standing in its original position. The temples have 
been overthrown by the trees which were planted close to them. 
These mounds would, I believe, repay the trouble of excavation. 
But the work could not be satisfactorily done under one month. 
At Kahaon I found, close beside the pillar, the ruins of two small 
temples, one of which was still standing when Buchanan visited the 
place. The villagers informed me that it was overthrown by a Bi- 
pal tree, which I fully believe, from the appearance of the ruin which 
was lying in one mass, just as if it had sunk slowly down. 
At Hathyada, I found a pillar and stone elephant and tank of the 
time of Govinda Chandra of Kanoj, S. 1201. 
At Bhitari, I made a copy of the inscription on the pillar, which 
is in a worse condition than when I first saw it, in January 1836, 
and one portion of the inscription has peeled off. I made an excava¬ 
tion at its base, and found a brick stamped with the name of Sri 
Kumar a Gupta. On making enquiry, I found that bricks thus in¬ 
scribed are frequently found amongst the ruins, and 1 soon obtained 
four more broken bricks with portions of the same inscription. This 
discovery shows that Bhitari must have been a favourite place of 
Kumara Gupta. All the mounds have been covered with Musal- 
man tombs. There is an old stone bridge with painted arches built 
