Page Text
________________ The Glory that was Vaisali 149 The nature and dates of the three Periods of the defensive wall, evidenced in the excavation of (1958-59), were confirmed in 1959-60. A fragmentary gold necklace was found in the mudfilling of Period II. Two mounds lying in a north-south-row near the pillar of Asoka at Kolhua, 3 miles to the north of the fort, respectively measuring 183 and 179 ft. in basal dimeter and 25 and 23 ft. in height, were taken up for excavation. Both proved to be mud Stupas. At the centre of the northern mound, at a depth of 16 ft. from the top, were found a few copper utensils, viz,. a spouted pot, a shallow basin with two handles, an incense-burner and a large spoon, along with a blackware dish having four circles with dotted borders and nandi-padas within and a red-ware bowi of medium fabric. One of the copper pots-contained relics, presumably of a Buddhist saint. The southern Stupa was badly disturbed. While the Northern Black Polished Ware was absent, pottery associated with the Ware was found both in the core of the Stupas and below The site of Chakramdasa, 2 miles to the northwest of the fort, revealed, as a result of the excavation, two periods of occupation below a badly disturbed deposit with mixed up objects of diverse ages. Period I was represented by the dish, bowl, basin, lipped bowl and trough in coarse black-and-red and red-wares. The Northern Black Polished ware associated with grey and red-wares, made its appearance in Period II, the other objects of the period being a few bone pins. Two Stupas adjoining the pillar of Asoka were excavated, and one of them had interesting pre-Christian relics. The sealing of Agnimitra reading as "Agimita-va-mi-ya-ye-agna karasa" amidst tree and railing and Ujjayini symbols, found in one of the post-rampart layers is a pointer to the date of the erection of the rampart, as of Sunga period. Agnimitra is the Sunga Agnimitra. Within the fort was a net-work of structures and Period III structures yielded Gupta sealings reading as "Vasva-vedasa, Dhanavatasa, Nagasya, Sibi, Avilanghasa, and Vasudatasa." Other interesting sealings have the following legends" श्रेष्ठि सार्थवाह प्रथम कुलि (क) निगमः मूलसेनस, देवसेन[स], etc. To sum up the results of Dr. Altekar's excavations at Vaisali, we are proud to find that the Stupa excavated at Vaisali by Dr. Altekar had
| SR No. | 012088 |
| Book Title | Vaishali Abhinandan Granth |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Yogendra Mishra |
| Publisher | Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology and Ahimsa |
| Publication Year | 1985 |
| Total Pages | 592 |
| Language | Hindi, English |
| Classification | Smruti_Granth |
| File Size | 17 MB |