the suppression of licentious pictures, and, to some extent, the general giving of abuse. Still, I think that public morality loudly demands active and even stringent measures on the part of the Government; and I am satisfied that they would meet with the approval of all right-minded natives. On the Púrnimá, or last day of the month, the people burn the Holiká, or piles of wood, in their respective wards, the expense being raised by subscription. No regular melá is held in any one place; but in every ward there is much festivity and merry-making. Many wear coloured clothes, and discharge red water on passers-by.

38. The Dharaddí Melá, held at Daśáśamedh and Chausathí, on the first day of the waning moon in Chait. On this day the people cast upon each other the ashes of the Holiká pile burnt on the previous day, and then wash themselves, and change their coloured clothes. Crowds of people, with obscene shows, come in the evening, from opposite directions, to the Daśáśamedh Ghát, where multitudes of natives of all ranks, some on the banks, and others in boats on the river, assemble to witness the immoral spectacle. On returning from the ghát, the people visit the shrine of Chausathi Deví or goddess.

For

39. The Búrwa-Mangal Melá, held on the river Ganges, the Tuesday after the Holi Festival. merly it was customary for Hindus to visit the temple of Durga on the first Tuesday following the Holí; but Raja Cheit Singh added to this melá what is called the Búrwá Mangal. Mangal. On this occasion, a very considerable portion of the inhabitants of the city spend

the night on the river, in large boats, some of which are beautifully decorated, where dancing and singing go on for hours. The scene is exceedingly picturesque; and its effect is much heightened by the brilliant lights on the large boats. The festival continues till the evening of Wednesday, and was originally called Buddhuwá Mangal (Budh, Wednesday), but is now corrupted into Búrwa Mangal.

40. The Dangal Melá, held at the temple of Jagannáth and at Rámnagar, on the Thursday following the Búrwa Mangal. This, too, is a singing and dancing festival. Singing parties proceed to the temple, accompanied by crowds of listeners; and boats, laden with people, attended by singing and dancing girls, row about the river, proceeding as far as Rámnagar. This melá is of recent date.

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CHAPTER XVIII.

THE Buddhist Ruins at Sárnáth-Their Antiquity.-Summary of the Narratives of Fa Hian and Hiouen Thsang, respecting the buildings formerly existing at Sárnáth and in its neighbourhood.-Points of agreement in the Narratives.-Modern Explorers of the Ruins.-Extent and Nature of the Remains.-The Great Tower-Description of it by Major-General Cunningham, and Account of his Excavations. -Age of Buddhist Topes or Towers.-Remains of a Buddhist Monastery-Mr. Thomas's Account of them.-Discovery of large numbers of Statues and Bass-reliefs.-Excavated Chamber.--Foundation of an Ancient Tower-Major-General Cunningham's Description of it.—The Chaukandí Tower.-The I'sipattana Hall, or Abode of Buddhist Devotees.-Remains of Vihára or Temple-monastery.-Small Building, containing Sixty Sculptures. The Seal Chaityas.-The Buddhist Formula.-S'ákya Muni, the historical Buddha-His visit to Benares. Spread of Buddhism from Benares.-Decline of Buddhism in India.-Destruction of Buddhist Structures at Sárnáth, by fire.-Fall of Buddhism.

THESE ruins have, for years, excited much interest in the public mind, both on account of their antiquity and of their connexion with the Buddhist religion. The latest of them date, perhaps, from about the sixth or seventh century of the present era; while the earliest may belong to a period several hundred years prior to that. Indeed, it is a historical fact, which admits of no question, that there were buildings in existence on this spot in the first ages of Buddhism; and, although we can hardly suppose that remains of any

of them are still to be found, nevertheless, it is not improbable that portions of edifices erected previously to the Christian era, such as foundations, walls, and sculptured stones, in a more or less fragmentary state,— are amongst the relics which have been preserved down to our own times.

The

Two Chinese pilgrims, Fa Hian and Hiouen Thsang, have thrown considerable light on the condition of Sárnáth during the later period of Buddhism. former visited India in the beginning of the fifth century, A.D.; and the latter, towards the middle of the seventh. These keen and sagacious observers have left records of their travels in India, of the utmost importance to the historian and antiquarian. Their narratives are, for the most part, plain matter-of-fact productions, free from the haze and uncertainty of Hindu writings; and, wherever they have been tested by extraneous evidence, have been found to be, to a large extent, singularly correct. As great interest attaches to the accounts which they furnish respecting Sárnáth and Benares at those epochs, I have given them entire, in appendices to this work. That of Fa Hian I have extracted from "The Pilgrimage of Fa Hian," translated by Mr. J. W. Laidlay, from the French edition of the "Foe Koue Ki" of MM. Remusat, Klaproth, and Landresse. This is very brief; but the narrative of Hiouen Thsang, on the contrary, is in detail. This I have myself translated from the "Mémoires de Hiouen Thsang," the French version of the original Chinese work, executed by the celebrated Sinologist M. Stanislas Julien.

Before describing the Buddhist ruins at Sárnáth, I will give a short summary of the buildings existing at the two periods referred to, according to the representations of those distinguished travellers. Fa Hian says, that, "to the north-west of the town (Benares), at the distance of ten li (less than two miles), you come to the temple situated in the Deer-park of the Immortal." He also makes mention of a chapel, which, perhaps, was a small shrine; and of four towers, erected on spots celebrated in the life of Buddha, one being that where he delivered his first discourse on the new religion of Buddhism he was then founding. He states, in addition, that there were two seng kia lan, or monasteries, inhabited by ecclesiastics.'

Hiouen Thsang, first of all, furnishes a brief account of the kingdom of Varánasí, or Benares, as it existed in his day, which was, he says, four thousand li, or about six hundred and sixty-seven miles, in circumference. It possessed thirty Buddhist monasteries, to which three thousand religious persons, or monks, were attached; and a hundred Hindu temples, with ten thousand heretics, priests, devotees, and others connected with them. The greater portion of the population adhered to the Hindu doctrines. In the capital were twenty Hindu temples; so that the rest must have been scattered over the province: but what proportion of the Buddhist monasteries were there likewise, he does not mention. Towers, with many stories, and magnificent chapels, beautifully carved and richly painted, he saw in the city; and, also, a brazen statue of the 1 See Appendix A.