Page:History of Indian and Eastern Architecture Vol 1.djvu/103

 CHAP. III. TOPES AT SARNATH AND IN BIHAR. 71 Besides the group at Sanchi, which compromises six or seven stupas mostly ruined, there is at Sonari, 6 miles distant, another group of eight topes. Two of these are important structures, enclosed in square courtyards, and one of them yielded numerous relics to the explorers. At Satdhara, 3 miles further on, is a great tope 101 ft. in diameter, but which, like that at Sanchi, yielded no relics. No. 2, however, though only 24 ft. in diameter, was found to contain relics of vSariputra and Moggalana, like No. 3 at Sanchi. Besides these there are several others, all small, and very much ruined. The most numerous group, however, is situated at Bhojpur, 7 miles south-east from Sanchi, where thirty-seven distinct topes were grouped together on various platforms. The largest is 66 ft. in diameter, but No. 2 is described as one of the most perfect in the neighbourhood, and, like several others in this group, contained important relics. At Andher, about 5 miles west of Bhojpur, was a fine group of three small, but very interesting topes. With those above enumerated, this makes up about sixty distinct and separate topes, in this small district, which certainly was not one of the most important in India in a religious point of view, and consequently was probably surpassed by many, not only in the number but in the splendour of its religious edifices. 1 Without more data than we at present possess, it is of course impossible to speak with certainty with regard to the age of this group of topes, but, so far as can be at present ascertained, there seems no reason for assuming that any of them are earlier than the age of A^oka, B.C. 250, nor is it probable that any of them can be of later date than, say, the first century before our era. The topes themselves seem all to be included within these two centuries, or possibly even less. TOPES AT SARNATH AND IN BlHAR. Not only is there no other group of topes in India Proper that can be compared, either in extent or in preservation, to those of Bhilsa, but our knowledge of the subject is now so complete that it is probably safe to assert that only two, or at most three, topes exist between the Satlaj and the sea, sufficiently perfect to enable their form and architectural 1 As the particulars regarding all these ; ' Bhilsa Topes,' published in 1854, it has topes, except those at Sanchi, are taken ' not been thought necessary to repeat the from Gen. Cunningham's work entitled ! reference at every statement.