A REPORT ON A TOUR OF EXPLORATION OF THE ANTIQUITIES IN THE TARAI, NEPAL: THE REGION OF KAPILAVASTU; DURING FEBRUARY AND MARCH, 1899. [Hardcover]

About the Book:-The author has made a noble attempt to unravel the truth on a report on a tour of exploration of the antiquities of Kapilvastu, Terai of Nepal during February-March, 1899 and describes the followings. Above the plinth the plan is reticulated into a Saptaratha, receding A third temple, Saptaratha in rectangles one behind the other. On the west of the octagonal temple the enclosure wall extends to 18 feet and then turns southward, where about 67 feet was traced. On the south of the northern temple were other structures, of which even the plinths are gone. And 22 feet on the east of the octagonal temple is a portion of brick wall. Between the largest temple and the western boundary wall is another mass of masonry; and in the south are other brick-works, all of which should have been skillfully traced for the purpose of accurate drawing. The multitude of carved bricks, in innumerable patterns that are scattered about the place proved that the superstructures were highly ornamented; and the few stones carved in ornamental designs must have belonged to a temple, which was undoubtedly built in that material. Dr. Fuhrer identifies the largest temple as that of Abhayadevi, the goddess of the Bakyas, where the infant Bodhisattva was brought wrong identification again. on his way from Lumbini to Kapilavastu. But the name Abhaya is not found in Lalita Fistdra, where Siva and other gods of the Brahmanical pantheon are mentioned. And Hiuen Tsiang records him as Isvara, that is, Mahadeva, the great god Siva. If Abhayadevi be the same as Parvati, I could not find any figure or fragment of her amidst a number of Lingas and other sculptures.