As has been related in the earlier blog article on the rediscovery of Bodh Gaya, the situation regarding the ancient site of Vaishali was no different. Time and neglect had obliterated the memories of the glorious times and legends referred to in the early texts of Buddhism and Hinduism. The local populace had totally disconnected itself from Buddhism, and the main sites were lost in oblivion. The name of Vaishali stayed, but the main sites were not identified.

The remains near Kolhua are all situated on a low mound, two miles to the north north-west of the Besarh Fort. The greater portion of the mound was found to be under cultivation by Cunningham, and is much the same today, but the whole is covered with small fragments of bricks. The edge of the mound is best defined on the western side, where it has an elevation of four feet. 

The remains consist of

1.   A stone pillar

2.   A ruined stupa of Solid Brick

3.   A tank

4.   Four small eminences which mark the sites of ancient buildings

5.   Life size statue of Buddha, discovered around 1853.

Cunningham has given a detailed account of the site under the title of Besarh in his first volume of the reports made for the Archaeological Survey of India. The name was also the same since it was mentioned as Besarh by Abul Fazl in his Ain-i-Akbari.  He then recalls the mention of Hieun Tsang who in his travelogue about Vaishali had placed the King’s Palace at 120 li or 20 miles to the east of north from the northern bank of the Ganga, opposite Pataliputra i.e. present Hajipur. Hiuen Tsang had also described the King’s palace as being from 4 to 5 li (from 3500 to 4400 feet) in circuit, which agreed with the size of the ruined fort now called as “Raja Bisal ka Garh”, which is about 1580 feet long and 750 feet broad inside, or 4660 feet in circuit round the crest of the mound. Cunningham thus on matching the features like name, position and dimensions, identified the site of Besarh as being the same as the ancient Vaishali, beyond all reasonable doubt.

To be continued.....