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The Mauryan pillar is surrounded by a high level ground, 6’ to 7’ high above the surrounding country and measuring roughly 1000’ x 600’ with other mounds and a large tank, called as Ramakunda, 240’x140’, close to the south of the pillar, all situated within its limits. Bloch described the tank in 1903 as “ancient brick-faced”; but 25 years later, Kuraishi stated that “the brick-facing is now all covered with mud.”
By a comparison withe the description of the monuments at Vaisali by Hieun Tsang Cunningham identified the tank with the “Monkey Tank” (Markata-hrada) of the Buddhist tradition, on the southern bank of which it is said, stood the “Kutagara hall” or “the upper-storeyed hall”, where the Buddha addressed his disciples, after having announced to Ananda his approaching nirvana. While excavating the low mound, to the south of the tank, Cunningham discovered traces of some large building with thick brick walls, the bricks being 15.5”x9.5”x2”.
Along its west was exposed a small brick stupa, 7’ to 8’ in diameter, with several ornamented bricks in its ruins, including one with rounded top and a square hole in its middle, perhaps forming one of the umbrellas of its original pinnacle. This small stupa in fact occupied the position, where Hieun Tsang locates the stupa, which marked the spot, where the monkey offered the Buddha a pot full of honey; but Cunningham was not sure whether it should be identified as such, though he proposed to identify the remains of the large building , referred to above, with the Kutagra Hall, described by the Chinese pilgrim.
To be continued....