| |||||
|
in Dr. Muir's " Sanskrit Texts." vol. ii., p. 362, it is said that " when the Kali age has begun, Buddha's son, Anjana, will be born among the Kikatas. in order to delude the Asuras," that is, according to the commentator, in the district of Gayá, so that when Gautama was born the country of Gayá was occupied by aboriginal tribes, such as Cheros, Kikatas, and Mundas. and, according to Buchanan, "the Cheros probably accepted the doctrines of Gautama, while the lower orders—the Kols —rejected them ; and while the Cheros became Aryanized the Kols adhered to the life of freedom and impurity in which they are still found." In the winter of 1876 the late King of Barmah deputed 3 officers to superintend the repairs of the temple of Buddha Gayá. The men arrived in January, 1877. With the permission of the Mahant in charge of the temple they cleared a large space round it, built an enclosing wall, renewed the retaining walls of the terrace, re-plastered the interior of the temple, and took steps for preserving the Bodhi tree. In the course of their work they brought to light a great number of images, and other objects of antiquarian interest. Some of these they built into the new wall, and others they left scattered about the place. The Lieutenant-Governor requested Rájendra-lálá Mitra to visit the place, to give the Barmese such guidance as might prevent serious injury being done to the temple. He went in the autumn of 1877, and has published an elaborate report. He states that one of the earliest papers of the Associated Society of Bengal was a translation, by Sir C. Wilkins, of an inscription found at Buddha Gayá. Buchanan Hamilton visited the place in 1809, and in 1830 published a paper in vol. ii. " Trans, of the As, Soc. in Great Britain," respecting the legends he had collected from the Mahants. In 1832 Mr. Hawthorne,. Judge of Gayá, sent James * This tree has disappeared. Cunningham says: " During these 10 years, 18(51—71, one of the principal branches has disappeared, and tlio rotten stem must soon follow." |
Prinsep copies of inscriptions. In 1846 Major
Markham Kittoe was appointed archaeological surveyor, and went first
to Gayá. On his death his papers were dispersed, and no use made of them.
Cunningham's first visit was in 1861, his second in 1871. His report, at
p. 79 of vol. iii., " Archaeological Surveys," may be
consulted.Rájendralálá Mitra begins by stating that the 4 most sacred
places of Buddhism are Kapilavastu, the birthplace of Buddha ; Buddha
Gayá, his hermitage ; Banáras. where he first preached ; and Kusi, the
place of his Nirvana. Buddha Gayá stands in N. lat. 24° 41' 45", E. long.
85° 2f 4". The river Lilájan, which washes the E. boundary of the place,
is, in the rains, about 1/2 a m. broad ; at other times a silver streamlet
80 yds. in breadth. The word in Sanskrit is Nai-ranjaná, "the immaculate."
A m. from Buddha Gayá, near the Mara Hill it joins the Mohaná, and is
called the Phálgu. In Government records the place has two names—Buddha
Gayá proper, with an area of 2,152 acres; and Mastipúr Tarádi, with 647
acres. Tarádi has its name from a temple to Tára Devi. This area is a
fertile plain, broken by one large and several small mounds. The large
mound is divided by a village road. In the centre of the 8. part stands
the great temple. The N. part was called the Rájastán or " palace." It is
now called Garh or "fort." There are traces of a double wall and ditch.
Here was probably a large monastery. The present monastery is on the left
bank of the Lilájan, in the midst of a garden of 20 acres, surrounded by a
high wall. In some parts it has 4 stories, but round the quadrangle only
3. The ground floor is faced by a verandah, built on sculptured
monolithic pillars, and on one side on wooden pillars. The present
Mahant has a fine collection of Sanskrit MSS. The " Lalita Vistára,"
edited by Rá-jendra, is the chief authority as to Buddha Gayá, and the
Gátha part of it is composed immediately after Shákya's death, and there
the place is called Uruvilva. It was the fief of
a | ||||