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/73

Rh antiquity of Patna, Gaya, Râjgir, Ara, Benares, Nongarh, Mongir, and admitting that roads connected these great cities, it will not be uninteresting to trace the consequences.

The road from Patna to Gaya would be crossed by the following roads.—

By the Benares-Râjgir road at Jâru, at the bank of the Lilâjan.

By the Ara-Râjgir road at Telàḑa.

The Benares-Râjgir road would cross the old Son at Son-Bhadr (vide supra). The Murhar at Bishânpur Ghenjan, the Nairanjana at the Nâgârjum hills, and at Jâru.

It would pass through or very close to Dharâwat, and Mirapur Nâdera.

The Ara-Râjgir road would cross the old Son near the village Bhagwânganj, where the Drona stûpa exists (vide supra), the Nairanjana at Telâḑa, and pass through or very close to Islâmpur.

The Patna-Râjgir road would cross the old Son somewhere near Fatehpur Kalân or Mahiuddinpur Khera; it would cross the Nairanjana and the Fatuha branch of the Gaya-Patna road at Hilsa, and pass through Nâlanda and Silao.

The Gaya-Benares road must have struck the Benares-Râjgir road at the Son, for from the life of Buddha we learn that to go from Buddha Gaya to Benares, he went through Gaya, and the name of the Son crossing, the "Son-Bhadr," shows that this was the usual crossing for pilgrims to Gaya; it therefore becomes a branch of the great Râjgir-Benares road, branching out from it at the old Son crossing, and it would pass through Konch, and cross the Murhar opposite Páli, to avoid crossing two branches of the river, which it would have to do if it crossed either above or below.

The Râjgir-Nongarh road would cross the Panchâna at Giryak, the Sakri near Afsar or Parvati hill, and would pass through or very close to Sikandra.

The Râjgir-Mongir road would cross the Panchana somewhere near Ghoserâwan, pass through Titrâwan, cross the Sakri near the Parvati hill, pass through or close to Shekpura, and cross the Kiyul river at Rajjhâna or Hasanpur.

The Gaya-Râjgir road, it is needless to mention, passes through a whole chain of old places.

Of the places mentioned above, all except Fatehpur Kalân, Mahiuddinpur Khera, and Sikandra, are known to possess ancient remains. These places have not been examined, but I have heard that Sikandra possesses a famous VOL. VIII.