Jainism in Bihar

Author(s): P C Roy Choudhary
Publisher: P C Roy Choudhary Patna

Page 85

CHAPTER VIII BUCHANAN'S REFERENCES TO JAIN SHRINES
We have an excellent chronicle of Bihar in the accounts of Bucbanan written about, a ceotury and balf before. He was a keen observer and his interests were wide.
Francis Bucbanan who came to be known as Hamilton afterwards bad visited various part of Patna and Gaya districts in 1811-12. Buchanan's journals have been published in 1923 by Mr. V. H. Jackson of Indian Educational Service. In the course of his tours Buchanan had visited a number of Jain relics in Patna and Gaya districts. Some of these places were later visited by Beglar of the Archeological Survey of India. It is, however, a pity that inspite of the existence of the many Jain relics being noticed there were hardly any steps taken to maintain them properly.
Buchanan writes in a very homely manner and fre gives minor details which are rather interesting at this distance of age. Buchapao's travels give a fair picture of the Jain shrines be visited although he was more of a traveller than an antiquarian.
A few references will be made to some of the places visited by Buchanan where he found Jain remains. It is an anomaly that even some of the Jain sites tbat Buchanan saw cannot be identified properly only after a century and half. At page 12 of the Journal of Buchanan edited by Mr. Jackson will be found a reference to Buchanan's visit to Keoyadol (Kauadol). Kauadol is at Barabar hills near Gaya. Buchanan found a number of figures "of a very great antiquity". He thought that several of them were Jain images. As a matter of fact Barabar caves and the other
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