North Indian Inscriptions

PART B

erected a statue of a Bodhisattva in the first years of Kanishka’s reign. According to the legend of the Nidānakathā (J. I, 77 f.) the Buddha, after his enlightenment, built for himself, between the Bodhi tree and the Animisachetiya, a chaṅkama of jewels running from west to east on which he walked up and down for a period of seven days^[1]. The place was known as Ratanachaṅkamachetiya. Fa-hien (Legge p. 88 f.) mentions this Chaitya in his description of Gayā. Hüan-tsang (Beal II, p. 122; Watters II, p. 119 f.) says that in later times a wall of bricks, more than three feet high, was erected at the walk. This wall has been preserved till today. Cunningham (Mahābodhi, p. 8 ff.) has found on the northern side of the Bodhi-temple a plain wall of bricks, 53 feet long, 3 feet six inches broad, and somewhat more than three feet high. On each side were the fragments of 11 bases meant for the fixing of octagonal pillars. So the brick construction once must have been roofed.

   statue of a Bodhisattva in the first years of Kanishka’s reign. According to the legend of the Nidānakathā (J. I, 77 f.) the Buddha, after his enlightenment, built for himself, between the Bodhi tree and the Animisachetiya, a chaṅkama of jewels running from west to east on which he walked up and down for a period of seven days[1]. The place was known as Ratanachaṅkamachetiya. Fa-hien (Legge p. 88 f.) mentions this Chaitya in his description of Gayā. Hüan-tsang (Beal II, p. 122; Watters II, p. 119 f.) says that in later times a wall of bricks, more than three feet high, was erected at the walk. This wall has been preserved till today. Cunningham (Mahābodhi, p. 8 ff.) has found on the northern side of the Bodhi-temple a plain wall of bricks, 53 feet long, 3 feet six inches broad, and somewhat more than three feet high. On each side were the fragments of 11 bases meant for the fixing of octagonal pillars. So the brick construction once must have

B 78 (765); PLATES XXIII, XLVII

INSCRIPTION on a pillar of the South-Western quadrant, now in the Indian Museum, Calcutta (M 10). Edited by Cunningham, StBh. (1879), p. 25 f.; 83; 135 f., No. 54 and Pl. XXVIII and LIV; Hultzsch, ɀDMG. Vol. XL (1886), p. 68, No. 68, and Pl.; IA. Vol. XXI (1892), p. 233, No. 68; Barua-Sinha, BI. (1926), p. 99, No. 224; Barua, Barh. Vol. II (1934), p. 76 ff., and Vol. III (1937), Pl. LXIX (83); Lüders, Bhārh. (1941), p. 35.

TEXT:
Tikoṭiko chakama

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^[1]Also when visiting Kapilavastu, the Buddha creates by magic a chaṅkama in the air on which he performs the yamakapāṭihāriya. See the relief on the Northern gate of the Stupa of Sañchi.