Cunningham mentioned that the remains at Besarh consisted of a large deserted fort and a ruined brick stupa. The fort is a large brick covered mound of earth with round towers at the corners, and the whole is surrounded by a ditch which was full of water at the time of his visit.

The ruined ramparts along the edge, and the four towers at the corners are somewhat higher than the mass of the mound which hass a general elevation of 6 to 8 feet above the country.

The main entrance was in the middle of the south face where still existed a broad embankment across the ditch as well as a passage along the rampart. There was no embankment on the northern side, though a postern gate seemed to exist.

The only building within the fort was found to be a small modern brick temple. Outside the south west angle of the fort, and about 1000 feet distant, there was found a ruind mound of solid brick work, 23 feet, 8 inches in height above the fields.

The whole of the top was found to have been levelled for the reception of Muhammadan tombs, of which the greatest belonged to Mir Abdal, then said to be about 500 years old. This was the same which was described as “Mir Abdullah”, by Stephenson, who gave the age around 250 years.

Cunningham also noticed the magnificent Banyan tree found by Stephenson, which stood on various trunks, and shaded the different tombs. On the same side also a flight of steps led to the village of Besarh. Cunningham ascribes the brick mound as being one of the stupas, or solid towers of Vaishali, of which many were described by the Chinese traveller Hieun Tsang.

Cunningham mentions that the Chinese traveller had described several stupas at the south end of the town, one of which he identifies as the one that now beared the tomb of the Muslim Saint Mir Abdal.

To be continued....