________________ 65 Homage to Vaisali We have also to identify the Vibara in the great forest occupied once by the Buddha and the different places whese stupas were once built to commemorate the places where Sariputta had obtained enlightenment, where the second Buddhist council was held, and from where the Buddha took his last glance of Vaigali. Some indications are given of these places by the Chinese pilgrims, but they have yet to be definitely identified and confirmed by excavations. The Vibara of the Buddha was to the north of Raja Vigala-ka-gadha. I am inclined to think that it was located near the modern village of Bhagawanpur, which is to the north of the Gadha. The name of the village may have been connected with the Buddba who was always addressed as Bhagavan. DUTY OF VAISALIANS I have so far referred to the great necessity of carrying on extensive excavations of Vaisali. I must now draw the attention of the viilagers living near about Vaisali to their duties and responsibilities in this connection. They must treat even the smallest and the most insignificant antiquity of the place as a sacred national trust to be preserved with greatest care and solicitude. I regret to state that they have so far failed to discharge their duty. The walls of the old city-houses that were exposed by the excavations of Bloch in 1903-4 had all disappeared by the time excavations were started 10 years later by Spooner. The same fate was shared by most of the brick walls unearthed by this scholar, It appears that the modern villagers round about Vaisali seem to think that every excavation is started by the Government to afford them a golden opportunity to get bricks free of cost for a number of months. This is most unfortunate. Apart from the bricks exposed by the excavations, the villagers will come across a number of minor antiquities exposed to view after the rainy season, like coins, beads, seals, sealings etc. These also should be carefully collected with a view to depositing them in the local museum. This museum can grow richer if the villagers co-operate in the above task. Vaisali was a provincial capital under the Guptas and it is, therefore, quite likely that hoards of Gupta gold coins may be found here. Unfortunatoly when such hoards are discovered, they are usually melted down and priceless historical material is thereby destroyed for ever. I would assure all the villagers that the Government of Bibar and the University of Patna will be always ready to purcbase gold, silver and copper coins found at Vaisali at the same price which they are likely to get from the goldsmiths, who purchase thein to melt them down. A report has reached me that sometime ago some golden inscribed plates were found at Vaigali, which were sold away for Rs. 14,000 to be melted
