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| Babu Purna Chanda Mukherji in Lumbini | ||||||
| This great achievement encouraged the British government of India to commission P.C. Mukherji to determine the exact location of Kapilavastu. He explored the entire zone and came to the conclusion that Tilaurakot was the only place in the whole region that could claim to be the exact site of Kapilavastu. Mukherji arrived in Lumbini on 12 March 1899 and left on 29 March 1899. On 19 March he visited Saina Maina. He only had a few days in Lumbini to explore and excavate the entire area. In Lumbini he noticed a very high ground extending east to west and some pools to the west and south of them. The main mound was the sacred site of Rummin-dei, a local goddess of some celebrity, and south of it was a small pool whose water was clear and drinkable. On the north-west comer of the temple was an inscribed pillar whose upper portion is missing, and the top split into two halves, with the line of fissure coming down to near middle height. The capital was bell-shaped. It, too, had broken into two halves, and was now in the temple compound. The stone horse, which crowned the capital, had disappeared along with the upper portion of the shaft. South-west of the pillar Mukhedi noticed a monument that was probably a stupa. To be cast of the pillar was the dilapidated mass of the temple of Rummin-del. The excavation of the southern side of the temple exposed carved brick masonry, of the type found along the western and northern edges. He located seven minor projections side, which proved that the temple was known in the Silpasastras as Saptaratha 'the seven-bayed one'. (PIN 80) Inside the antechamber, he saw several fragments of an ancient sculpture. The statue of Vajra- Varahi" split into two halves across the breast was completely defaced. Inside the shrine he saw the group centring on a headless Maya Devi, probably still occupying the original position assigned by the architect. Maya Devi is represented holding a branch of the asoka or sal tree at the time of her delivery, while her three attendants are helping her by different means. Below and between them stands the infant Bodhisattva. (Skts. # 13 & 14 North of the temple was Babaji's math, the temple of a priest built on ancient foundations. Inside the math was a large head of the Buddha. West of the math were the walls of a square structure, probably the basement of a stupa. South-west of the Maya Devi temple was another stupa, south of it were some foundations supporting basements of other small stupas. When digging was done eastwards, north of the pool four diminutive stupas were found in a line near the temple. Towards the southeast were five stupas. Mukherji stated that this ancient site was full of ruins. At each excavation site the walls of ancient structures were revealed. The inscribed pillar that records the fact that Buddha was born, there was of course the most important feature in terms of topographical archaeology. The discovery of a magnificent temple in carved brick proves how greatly the art of architecture had advanced in ancient times Mikherji, 34-39:1969). (Pls.# 81,82,83,84 & 85) | ||||||
| The Conception of the Buddha Maya's Travel to Lumbini for Devadaha Birth of a Prince The Great Renunciation and Enlightenment The First Disciple The First Cermon Return to Kapilvastu The Last Days of Buddha Lumbini after the Death of the Buddha Asoka's Visit to Lumbini The Asokan Pillar of Lumbini Lumbini after Asoka's Visit Lumbini: the Archaoloqical Pursuits Early Explorations Dr.A.Fuhrer and Khadqa Shumsher Rana in Lumbini Babu Purna Chanda Mukherji in Lumbini General Kesher shumsher J.B Rana in Lumbini Mrs. Debala Mitra in Lumbini |
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