Page:Report of a Tour Through the Bengal Provinces of Patna, Gaya, Mongir and Bhagalpur; The Santal Parganas, Manbhum, Singhbhum and Birbhum; Bankura, Raniganj, Bardwan and Hughli in 1872-73.djvu/122

98 There are traces of two paths from the bottom of the hill converging to the platform, both paved or rather stepped with brick. I examined both; the one which is shorter and steeper appears to have been far narrower than the other, but the fragments of bricks lie thicker in it than in the longer and broader one; this is strange. The whole of the toe of the hill here is covered with brickbats and rolled brick gravel, not thickly but sparsely; it is no doubt possible that many fragments have got buried beneath the soil.

Let us now compare the cave and its adjuncts described above with existing accounts of the Saptaparnna cave.

First, as to position. It corresponds with the position assigned to it minutely by both Fa-hian and Hwen Thsang, and generally with other accounts, except the Barmese one, with which also it agrees after making the correction suggested before.

Its features sufficiently explain the reason of the name Saptaparnna assigned to it.

It was approached by a flight of steps, and is situated on the side of the hill high enough to make the flight of steps a necessity.

A great natural boulder is placed, not indeed in the exact middle of the flattish space in front of the cave, but nearly so, and this boulder may reasonably be identified with the preaching pulpit facing east described in the accounts.

The length of the platform being east and west, the hearers had naturally to sit facing north and south.

The president’s throne to face north would have had to be erected against the vertical rock bounding the ledge on the side of the hill, and the congregation would sit on the outer side, facing the blank rock in front and the president’s throne; further, the president would be to the right and the congregation to the left of the preaching pulpit.

There is ample space for the 500 Rahats, and the allowance for each need not be cut down to 7 square feet, leaving not a bit of clear space between the president’s throne and the congregation; on the contrary, a clear lane could be left straight in front of the pulpit separating the president’s throne from the Rahats' seats.

The position of the cave on the northern side of the hill and outside the city is a more likely one (independently of all accounts we have), from its seclusion, for the purposes of a solemn religious assembly, than any possible position that could have been selected on the south face, and within the