The relics of Kásyapa were also found in No. 2 Tope at Sánchi with the same inscription recording his mission to the Hemawanta, but omitting the patronymic. 8. No. 4 Relic-casket is similar to Nos. 2 and 3. The inscription engraved on the top of the lid is Sapurisasa Kosikiputasa. (Relics) of the emancipated KOSIKIPUTRA.” Another portion of Kosiki's relics was found in No. 2 Tope at Sánchi. 9. No 5 Relic-casket is of black steatite, and is shaped somewhat like a pear. The outside is ornamented by a succession of triangles, alternately plain and crossed. The inscription occupies the plain triangles on the lower half of the casket. Sapurisa(sa) Álabagirasa. (Relics) of the emancipated ÁLABAGIRA.” Allahappo or Aláni was one of the eight cities. which obtained a portion of Buddha's relics, and perhaps the name of Alabagira may have been derived from the city. Relics of Apagira were found in No. 2 Tope at Sánchi; and I suspect that the two names are the same; the letter J, having been inadvertently omitted in the Sánchi inscription. 10. The erection of this Tope, which contained the relics of no less than four of the Buddhist teachers whose ashes had already been discovered in No. 2 Tope at Sánchi, must evidently be referred to the same period, towards the end of the third century before our era, by which time all the eminent missionaries employed by Asoka for the propagation of his religion must have closed their earthly career. OTHER TOPES AT SONÁRI. 11. The remaining Topes at Sonári are all of small dimensions.* The most perfect were Nos. 3, 5, and 8; but even these had been opened before, and on the removal of a little rubbish in No. 3, the broken chamber was discovered quite empty. Nos. 4, 6, and 7, were mere circular foundations. No. 3 has a diameter of 15 feet, with a present height of 6 feet. The bottom of the chamber is 3 feet above the ground. No. 5 is a nearly perfect little Tope. It is 14 feet 4 inches in diameter at base with a height of 9 feet. The upper diameter is 10 feet 4 inches. The terrace is 2 feet in breadth, and 14 foot in height. Its whole height could not have been more than 124 feet. No. 8 is very much ruined. It has a diameter of 12 feet, with a terrace 3 feet broad and 3 feet high. * See Plate V. CHAPTER XXIV. TOPES OF SATDHÁRA. 1. The group of Topes known as the Satdhára Topes are situated on the left bank of the Besali River just below the junction of the Ghora-pachár River.* Sat-dhára means literally the "hundred streams,” and the place most probably received its name from the number of streams which meet at this point. The hill on which the Topes stand here forms a perpendicular cliff, beneath which flows the Besali River through a deep rocky glen. The view up the river is one of the most beautiful I have seen in India. Above are the Topes, those mysterious piles which have baffled the great destroyer Time for upwards of two thousand years. Beneath are the clear emerald waters of the Besali; on one side darkly shadowed by the overhanging trees and frowning cliffs; on the other side sparkling bright in the noon-day sun. The selection of this lovely spot shows that the Buddhist Bhikshu was not without a lively appreciation of the *See Plates I. and V. beauties of that nature which he worshipped under the name of Dharma. 2. The Topes are situated about two miles to the W.S.W. of the small village of Firozpur, and about three miles from the village of Sonári. The largest of the Topes is now a vast ruinous mound of brickwork that has once been faced with stone like the great Tope at Sánchi, which it almost rivals in size.* The base of the dome is 101 feet in diameter; but its present height is only 30 feet. The terrace is 9 feet wide with a height of 12 feet above the ground. The total height therefore is 42 feet as it now stands; but as the hemisphere was an essential part of every Tope, the height could not have been less than the radius, or 50 feet; and was most probably somewhat more. The Tope was crowned by a Buddhist railing, of which several pillars still remain lying together upon the terrace. Some pillars of the square pedestal also remain; and there can be no doubt that this Tope was once completed with the chatta pinnacle, which has already been described in the account of the Sánchi Topes. 3. The circular railing which surrounded the top consisted of pillars 2 feet 4 inches in height with a section of 9 inches face, and 7 inches side. There were only two rails, each 10 inches deep, and 34 inches thick. The whole was surmounted by an architrave or coping, 10 inches high and 9 inches thick. The square railing of the pedestal had pillars of the * See Plate XXV., fig. 3. Y 1 . same section; but as there were three rails the pillars were 3 feet 5 inches in height. They were ornamented with the usual medallions of full and half lotus flowers. 4. A perpendicular shaft was sunk to a depth of 10 feet, but without any discovery. As the great brick Tope at Sánchi had not yielded any relics, and as we were pressed for time, we gave up the farther opening of this Tope. My own opinion regarding these large Topes is that the relics were always placed near the top so as to be readily accessible for the purpose of showing them to the people on stated festivals. Now as the great Satdhára Tope has certainly lost at least ten feet of its height, and probably more, it seemed to me very unlikely that any relics would be found in it: but, had time permitted, I should have carried down the shaft to the level of the ground. 5. Around this Tope there are three of those remarkable solid masses of building, of which one has already been described in my account of the Great Tope at Sonari. The first, which is half engaged in the northern wall of the court-yard, is 55 feet long from east to west, and 48 feet broad, with an average height of from 16 to 18 feet. The second, which is immediately outside the western wall of the courtyard, is 80 feet long from north to south, and nearly 60 feet broad. The third is in a more perfect state. It stands due west from the second, and on the very edge of the cliff overhanging the river; the wall on |