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eaten away by time and weather, so that it has the look of the bent top of a night-cap, which spoils the appearance of the edifice. Among the unsightly cottages through which you pass to the temple, many stones will be seen, taken from it in years gone by. Mr. Begler, an Armenian gentleman, who has been superintending the repairs, resides in a small house to the S.W. According to him the temple is at present 160 ft. high, and if the Kalas was completed as at first, the height would be from 170 ft. to 180 ft. Mr. Begler supposes it was shaped like a volute, and had 9 twists and a finial. The base of the tower is at bottom an oblong, at the top a sq. of 47 ft. The present tower rises over the Sanctuary and its vestibule, and is all that remains of the temple. It is of brick, but the original tower was of stone. Stone pillars from 8 ft. to 10 ft. high were found beneath the lowest floor of this temple. One now stands in Mr, Begler's garden, and consists of a sq. base and the figure of a Yakshiní, which was found lying at some distance from it. The head-dress of this female figure is exactly the same as that of figures exhumed by Dr. Schlie-mann at Troy. This pillar was one of a row of 11, of which 10 remain buried under the foundations of the temple ; and there are 11 others quite similar, now in situ, outside what is called Buddha's Promenade, which was once covered by a roof supported by them. Thíre were 2 rows of pillars, and the outer row was not at first discovered, being buried in the earth. Buddha's Promenade is on the N. side of the temple, and consists of a masonry plinth 50 ft. long, 4 ft. high, and 3 ft. 6 in. broad, with the stumps of the 11 pillars above mentioned. The wall of the tower is 14 ft. thick. The chamber of the sanctum is 20 ft. long from E. to W., and 13 ft. broad from N. to S. The entrance was at the E., and Buddha's throne faced it. His figure, according to Hiouen Tsang, was of perfumed .paste, and was destroyed centuries ago, perhaps by the Muslims. The Barmese made a figure of plaster, |
destroyed it and made another of the same
material, which Mr. Begler destroyed, and now there is
none. Opposite the entrance
was a Bo or Buddha tree, that is, a pippal or Ficus
religiosa. To the left of the entrance is the place
where the founder of the present College of Mahants, about 250 years ago,
performed Tapasya, that is, sat surrounded by 4 fires, with the sun
overhead. The ashes remain, and the present Mahant
stipulated with Mr. Begler that they should not be
disturbed. Mr. Begler, therefore, built over them a
hollow pillar, with a diameter of 4 1/2
ft., and 4 ft. high, rising from a sq. base. Nearly in line
with this are 3 masonry tombs of Mahants. It is
known that Ashoka
surrounded the temple with
a stone railing. As much of this railing as could be
found is being restored to the position which it is supposed on the N. and
S. sides to have occupied. It is being set up at a
distance of 10 ft from the wall of the temple, which it encircles, except
on the E. side, where no remains of it are found. On the W.
side it is 25 ft. from the wall of the temple. The railing has
4 bars of stone, supported by pillars at intervals of 8
ft. The top rail is ornamented with carvings of mermaids,
or females with the tails of fish, inserting their arms into
the mouths of Makárahs, that is, imaginary crocodiles, with large
ears like those of elephants, and long hind-legs. Below this
top bar are 3 others, also of stone, ornamented with carvings of
lotus-flowers. The pillars are adorned with carvings of
various groups, such as a woman and child, a
man, with a woman who has the head of a horse, Centaurs, and so
on. Sculptors of the present day in India, at all events near
Gayá, are not skilful enough to reproduce these figures. Mr. Ferguson says
("Hist, of Arch.," p. 85) : "The Buddha Gayá rail
is a rectangle, measuring 131 ft. by 98 ft., and is very much
ruined. Its* dimensions were, indeed, only obtained by
excavation. The pillars are apparently only oft. 11 in. in height, and are
generally ornamented with a semi-disc top
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