Page:The Ancient Geography of India.djvu/20

X PREFACE.

retraced his steps to visit places which had been left behind in his direct easterly route. Thus, after having reached Mathura he returned to the north-west, a dis- tance of 200 miles to Thanesar, from whence he re- sumed his easterly route viâ Srughna on the Jumna, and Gangadwára on the Ganges to Ahichhatra, the capital of Northern Panchála, or Rohilkhand. He next recrossed the Ganges to visit the celebrated cities of Sankisa, Kanoj, and Kosámbi in the Doâb, and then turning northward into Oudh he paid his devotions at the holy places of Ayodhya and Srávasti. From thence he resumed his easterly route to visit the scenes of Buddha's birth and death at Kapilavastu and Kusina- gara; and then once more returned to the westward to the holy city of Banaras, where Buddha first began to teach his religion. Again resuming his easterly route he visited the famous city of Vaisáli in Tirhût, from whence he made an excursion to Nepal, and then re- tracing his steps to Vaisâli he crossed the Ganges to the ancient city of Pataliputra, or Palibothra. From thence he proceeded to pay his devotions at the nu- merous holy places around Gaya, from the sacred fig- tree at Bodh Gaya, under which Buddha sat for five years in mental abstraction, to the craggy hill of Giriyek, where Buddha explained his religious views to the god Indra. He next visited the ancient cities of Kuságarapura and Rajagriha, the early capitals of Magadha, and the great monastery of Nalanda, the most famous seat of Buddhist learning throughout India, where he halted for fifteen months to study the Sanskrit language. Towards the end of A.D. 638 he resumed his easterly route, following the course of the Ganges to Modagiri and Champa, and then crossing the