________________ (XX) discovered a beautiful soapstone casket, three-fourths empty and one fourth filled with earth and ashes. Along with the ashes, it contains a thin gold leaf, a conch, a glass bead and a copper punchmarked coin. The archaeological and circumstantial evidence thus appears overwbelmingly to prove that the earliest stupa discovered here is contemporaneous with the Nirvana of the Buddha, and its casket most probably contains part of his relics brought here from Kushinagar. The site of the excavation by the State Government as the bricks of the relics might be removed by the pious. I also inaugurated the Vikas Mela at Vaishali. where a number of stalls were put up by the State Governmept demonstrating, scientific methods about poultry farming, fisheries, Fiye-Year Plan publicity, etc. These could have been made more effective. Later I inaugurated the Vaishali Mahotsava and Cultural Programme. About 60,000 people assembled at the place. Shri Laliteshwar Prasad Shahi, Deputy Minister for Information, Industries and Community Development, Bihar, delivered the address of welcome and Dr. S. Mookerjee, Director, Nava Nalanda Mahavibara, delivered the presidential address. During the fourteen years, since its beginning, this festival seems to have caught the imagination of the people; it should, however, be organised to suit the tastes of the vast assemblage. Learned discourses are quite out of place--even mine, I confess, was not the right thing for the occasion. Historical tableaux and good programmes of music, dance and drama would attract even a larger number. I am taking up the matter with the Vaishali Sangha.
