have been imbedded in masonry. The shaft of this pillar is said to have been taken to Gaya by a former Magistrate. Accordingly in Sâhebganj, or the new city of Gaya, there is a sand-stone pillar 2 feet 43 inches in diameter, and upwards of 16 feet in height, which was set up as a central point in Sâhebganj, as recorded in a Persian inscription by Charles Bâdom Saheb (Boddam) in A. D. 1789.

The tope and pillar of Bakror were visited by Hwen Thsang, who relates a story regarding the capture by a certain king of an "Elephant of Perfume" (gandha-hasti).* In a former existence, as a Bodhisatwa, Buddha was said to have been the son of this Elephant, and a stupa and pillar had accordingly been erected in commemoration of the tradition. There was also a sacred tank, which is, perhaps, represented by a small walled tank generally called Márttand Pokhar or Suraj Kúnd, that is, the "Tank of the Sun." It is also called Buddhakúnd; but this name was applied by some to a large unwalled tank about 800 feet square, immediately to the north of the small tank. An annual fair is held at the Suraj Kûnd, when thousands of pilgrims assemble to bathe in its holy waters. They sit in the water in rows, and repeat, after their attendant Brahmans, the names of all the holy places around Gaya. The ancient name of Bakror is said to have been Ajayapura.

IV. PUNAWA.

The village of Punâwâ is situated 14 miles to the eastward of Gaya, between two hills of grey granite. To the north there is a fine old square tank called Budhokar Tál, and to the east another tank called Karamár Tál. The principal object is a pillared temple of Triloknáth. As it stands at present, this temple is a modern work made up of different sized pillars of various patterns, some with and others without capitals, so as to bring them to the required height. Pilasters have even been made use of as whole pillars, with the old rough engaged backs left exposed. One of the doorways of hard blue stone is richly sculptured. In the centre is a figure of the ascetic Buddha, with a three-pointed crown over his head, and on each side of him nine figures with joined hands

* Julien's Hwen Thsang, III., 1.

kneeling towards him. The other doorways are of granite, and, though very plain, are evidently of the same age as the more highly ornamented one.*

Several statues and granite pillars of different sizes are scattered about the foot of the hills, Portions of the usual Buddhist formula, " Ye Dharmma," &c., are found upon some of the statues. There are no dates in any of these inscriptions, but the style of their letters fixes their date at about A. D. 1000. To the north-west, on a mound 60 feet square, there are five broken pillars and a broken statue of the three-headed goddess Vajra-Varahi, one of the principal objects of worship amongst the later Buddhists. Two of her heads are human, but the third is that of a hog, and on the pedestal there are seven hogs. The ruined temple on this mound is called Nárting.

V. KURKIHAR.

About three miles to the north-east of Punâwâ is the large village of Kurkihâr. It is not to be found in any of our maps, not even in No. 103 sheet of the Indian Atlas, although it is perhaps the largest place between the cities of Gaya and Bihar. The remains at Kurkihâr consist of several ruined mounds, in which numerous statues and small votive topes of dark blue stone have been found. The principal mass of ruin, about 600 feet square, lies immediately to the south of the village.* A second less extensive mound lies to the south-west; and there is a small mound, only 120 feet square, to the north of the village. The last mound is called Sugatgarh, or the "house of Sugata," one of the well known titles of Buddha. In the principal mass of ruin, the late Major Kittoe dug up a great number of statues and votive topes; and a recent excavation on the west side showed the solid brick-work of a Buddhist stupa. In the north-west corner of this excavation the relic chamber had been reached, and I was privately informed that a small figure and some other remains had been discovered inside. But the head man of the village stoutly denied that anything had been found, and all the villagers then denied the discovery also.

* See Plate XII.