Page:The Buddhist Antiquities Of Nagarjunakonda MASI 54 Longhurst A. H..djvu/32

Rh We know from the inscriptions recovered from Sanchi, Sarnath and Amaravati that the great stupas that existed at these three famous sites were all rebuilt in later times. These inscriptions give the names of some of the pious donors who found the money for the additions to these monuments, but, like the Nagarjunakonda inscriptions, they give no information concerning the purpose for which the stupas were built, or when they were erected, just the very points which we should so much like to know. The Amaravati inscriptions show that the stone casing, ayaka-pillars and stone railing were added to the Great Stupa at that place in the second or third century A.D., that is, at the same period as that in which Chamtisiri set up the pillars and rebuilt the Mahachetiya at Nagarjunakonda. Originally, the Amaravati Stupa seems to have been a plain brick and plaster stupa similar to the Mahachetiya, and it must have been a particularly holy shrine, else it would never have been enlarged and decorated in so costly a fashion. Perhaps when Chamtisiri learned what was taking place at Amaravati, she felt it incumbent upon herself, as the leading devotee of the Buddha at Nagarjunakonda to redecorate and improve the Mahachetiya.

Personally, like Dr, Hirdnanda Sastri. I do not think there can be any doubt that the Mahachetiya was originally built to enshrine some corporeal remains of the Buddha, and that the fragment of bone found in the gold reliquary represents a genuine dhatu, or relic, of the Great Teacher. There is no reason why such a relic could not have been obtained from Northern India long before the days of Chamtisiri.

are situated in the north-eastern corner of the valley close to the foot of the Nallamalais which enclose the valley on this side (Plate 1). Stupa 2 is in thick forest and only its basement remains. Facing it is a small ruined apsidal temple and the brick foundations of monastic buildings. The stupa had been wantonly destroyed and many beautiful sculptures smashed to pieces. The only thing to be done was to excavate the site and remove the sculptures to a place of safety. When complete, although only a small stupa, it was profusely decorated with carved stone slabs and several ayaka-cornice stones of great beauty were recovered from this site, The condition of Stupa 3 was similar to that of Stupa 2 and like the latter, it must have been a splendid structure when complete and highly decorated from top to bottom. The best sculptures recovered from Nagarjunakonda came from these two hopelessly ruined stupas, When first discovered, they were overgrown with jungle so that there was nothing to indicate what existed below. In Plate XV (a) we have a view of Stupa 3 after the trees and debris had removed showing the positions of the sculptures as they appeared when first discovered. It will be noticed how the slabs have been thrown down in all directions and most of them purposely broken. Fortunately, 1 was successful in finding the relics enshrined in this stupa in spite of the manner in which it had been wrecked by treasure-seekers. The latter always dug a hole in the centre of the stupa and as they found no relics gave up the search. At Nagarjunakonda, the relics were never put in the centre of the stupas but in one of the chambers, usually on the north side as shown in Plate XII (6), The relics recovered from Stupa 3 are