II. Description of the Ruins of Buddha Gáya

Extract

Buddha Gáya was probably, at one time, the centre of religion in India, and the residence of a powerful king. I am informed by the mahanta of the Sannyásís, who now possesses the great convent at the place, that when his predecessor Chétan Gírí came, which may be perhaps one hundred and twenty years ago, it was entirely overrun with bushes and trees; and the sect of Buddha, in its vicinity, may be considered as completely extinct. A few persons, indeed, come occasionally from distant countries to visit its ancient monuments. Last year (1811) a man of some rank, with several attendants, came from a country called Tamsa-dwíp-mahá-amarapura-paigú, sent by Mahá-dharma-rájá, in the sixty-seventh year of his age, a Cshatriya of the family of the sun. This is, no doubt, the king of the Burmas; and hence we infer that the old man, since the year 1795, when I visited his capital, has been induced to set up the doctrine afresh. In the year 1795 the priests of Buddha were seriously alarmed at the influence which the Bráhmans had then acquired.