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RISABHA DEVA surrounded each enclosure on the four sides. Beyond the lakes was a moat that encircled the entire area. It was filled with clear water, and studded with lovely lotuses. On the other side of the moat, which was crossed by the four roads, was a forest, exhibiting a mountainous scenic effect. This was dotted with wooded bowers and raised platforms in the midst of clear spaces. Bordering the forest was a wall, made of pure gold, and set with precious stones, which was decorated with paintings of animals and female figures. There were four big gates in this wall, one in each direction, which were decorated with costly festoons of pearls and precious beads. Within the gates there was a theatre on either side of the road where devas and deda-ladies reproduced scenes from the previous lives of the WORLD TEACHER. As you proceeded further along the road you came to the place where two huge vases were placed on the two sides. of the way, filled with fragrant incense, whose smoke rose, in thick columns, to the sky. From this place wooded avenues of the loveliest asoka (jonesia asoca), chanpalca (michelia champaca), mango and saptaparna* trees led towards the Hall of the
* The saptaparna is a kind of tree whose leaves range themselvs in clusters of seven, whence its naine, from sapta, seven and parņa, leaves.
