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________________ 360 Homage to Vaisali "Babu P. C. Mukherjl is very probably right in locating the site of the Kutagara to the north-east of the Asoka pillar, 'where the field is comparatively high, and where some years ago the local zamlodar excavated hundreds of cartloads of bricks which he carried to Bakhira to build bis house'. The scene of the Council of Vaisali according to Fa-hien's guides, must have been close to the Kutagara, and the stupa over the half body of Adanda should be looked for in the same group of ruins. "The stupa of the "thou sand sons', or 'bows and weapons laid down,' and the adjoining stupa making the spot where Buddha, according to Fa-hien, foretold his death, which were about 1,000 yards west of the Kutagara, must be represented by the 'two high conical mounds half a mile to the west of the pillar' known locally either as 'Bhim Sen's baskets' (palla), or as "Raja Bisal's battery" (morca). These two stupas, according to the testimony both of Cunningham and Babu P. C. Mukherji are constructed of earth without bricks, and are used as a quarry by the Luniyas, or saltpetre-makers. They are, no doubt, of very early date. "It is interesting to observe that in two cases the distinct statements of the two Chinese pilgrims differ so i rreconcilably that they can be explained only by the assumption that their guides showed them different sites under the same names. Fa-hien places the garden of Amrapali where we should expect to find it, a little to the south of the city, and he adds that it was situated to the west of the road from Pafaliputra. He does not mention any stupa or monument as marking the site. Hiuen Tsiang was shown a stupa on the alleged site of the garden, which he places a short distance to the south of the 'stupa of the last look', and consequently to the west of the city. "A more important discrepancy concerns the locality of the famous Council of Vaisali, which Hiuen Tsiang places about 2 miles to the south-east of the city. He says that the site was marked by a 'great stupa,' of which careful exploration will probably disclose remains, although. Cunoingham's hasty researches failed to find them. I have not the slightest doubt that Hiuen Tsiang saw the 'great stupa', and that his guides told bim that it marked the locality where the Council was held. "Fa-hien, with much greater probability, locates the Council stupa close to the Kutagara, or 'double-galleried vihara wbere Buddha dwelt,' and 3 or 4 li east from the stupa of "bows and weapons laid down", or the "stupa of the 1,000 sons," as it is called by Hiuen Tsiang. The site of the Council ball was, therefore, according to the information given to the earlier pilgrim, close to the Asoka pillar, which was probably erected
| 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 |