able, however, that at Satdhára we found one solitary trace of the real builders of these Topes, in the name of Buddha Bitha, or "Buddha's Topes," which is the name still current amongst the people for these massive and mysterious piles. CHAPTER XXV. TOPES AT BHOJPUR: 1. THE Buddhist remains at this place were first visited by my brother, who gave a brief notice of them under the name of "the Pipaliya-Bijoli Topes."* The former name is so common in this part of the country, that it is the usual practice to add the name of Bijoli to distinguish it from the other Pipaliyas. In the same way Sánchi is invariably called SánchiKánakhera, to distinguish it from two other places of the same name. As Bhojpur has long been a deserted village, my brother probably never heard of its name. The ruined houses of Bhojpur, however, still remain on the hill between the Topes, and I have adopted this name in preference to the others, as it may possibly have had some connection with the monastic establishment in the midst of which it is situated. 2. The Topes of Bhojpurt stand on the southern end of a low range of hills, 6 miles to the S.S.E. of Bhilsa, and 7 miles to the E.S.E. of Sánchi. * Journal Asiatic Society of Bengal, xvi. 752. + See Plates VI. and XXVI. Το the S.S.W. stands the celebrated Fort of Raysen, which offered so gallant a resistance to the treacherous Shir Shah. On the west the great Sánchi Tope, and on the east the Andher Topes are all distinctly visible. 3. The Topes are situated on the south-east corner of the hill, on four successive stages, rising one above the other, and separated by rocky ledges, which here and there have been formed into rude steps. The principal Topes stand on the uppermost stage, and are very nearly in a straight line from north to south. On the same stage, to the east, are the ruined houses of Bhojpur, and to the west are the remains of a large square solid building, 96 feet long by 84 feet broad. The ruins of a second building known by two names, either as Siddh-ka-makán, the "Saint's house;" or, as Mádhu-Deo-ka-mandar, the "Temple of Mádhava Deva," that is, Krishna, are 113 feet long from east to west, and 82 feet broad, and upwards of 20 feet in height. The walls slope considerably, and are supported by square towers of small projection at the corners. The entrance is in the north-east corner, from which a flight of steps leads to the top of the terrace, which is covered with grass. At the western end there is a small ruined temple,t of which the * Seventeen feet high on north and east sides, and twenty-eight feet high on the other sides. The walls have a slope of one inch for every cubit of height. + Amongst Sir Charles D'Oyly's lithographed sketches on the new road from Calcutta to Gya, there is one of an old temple at Budh-Gya or (Bodhi Gya), which stands upon a solid terrace, the same as this at Bhojpur. doorway and a few pillars are still standing. The enshrined figure of Buddha is squatted in the usual manner, with the soles of the feet turned up, the right hand lying over the knee, and the left placed in the lap. To the right and left of the head there are representations of Topes and other ornaments. Below, there is the following inscription in characters of the seventh or eighth century, similar to that which I extracted from the Sárnáth Tope near Benares. Yé Dharmmá hetu prabhava, hetun teshán Tathágato Hyavadat teshán cha yo nirodha, evam vádi Mahasramánas. "Of all things springing from cause, that cause hath the TATHAGATA explained. The cause of their extinction the great ascetic hath also declared." Dharma is personified Nature, or all existing things. Tathagata and Maha Srámana are names of Buddha. Besides this figure of Buddha, there are some small broken images, of which one is recognizable as Surya, or the Sun, with his seven-horsed chariot represented on the pedestal. UPPERMOST STAGE OF TOPES. No. 1 TOPE, A.-BHOJPUR. 4. There is a considerable breach on the south side of this Tope; but the hemisphere of dry stones is otherwise nearly perfect, excepting the upper surface, which is wanting in all the Topes. The diameter of the hemisphere is 66 feet 2 inches, and the height of the cylindrical plinth above the terrace is 4 feet. The terrace itself is 11 feet in breadth and 5 feet in height. The height above the terrace is 24 feet 8 inches." A shaft was sunk to a depth of 13 feet without any discovery being made; and as we were pressed for time, we were reluctantly obliged to leave the excavation unfinished. I feel confident, however, that the complete excavation of this Tope will lead to some important discovery, perhaps more interesting than any that has yet been made. The Tope is situated in an enclosure 252 feet long by 214 feet broad. No. 2 TOPE, B.-BHOJPUR. 5. This is one of the most perfect of all the Topes around Bhilsa. The top is, of course, gone, but the double flight of steps to the west is still complete, and the traveller may mount the terrace and perambulate the Tope. It stands just 200 feet to the south of the great Tope, and is surrounded by an enclosure 240 feet long, and 210 feet broad. The base of the hemisphere is 39 feet in diameter, and its present height, including the cylindrical plinth of 4 feet, is 14 feet. The terrace is 6 feet broad and 7 feet high. It is reached by a double flight of steps, 41 feet in breadth, which meet at a landing, 7 feet square, on the outside of the terrace. The whole is built of dry stones, without any mortar or mud. See Plate XXVI. |