The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-09-03
BUDDHA'S ASHES
FOUND in INDIA
ARcHAEoLocIsT FINDS BITS OF
BONE NEAR PAcoDA-RELIc
IN BRONZE BOX.

London, Sept 2.--The Indian news
papers arriving by this weeks NAH
bring interesting particulars of an i'm
portant discovery by DIR. Spooner. OF
the Indian archaeological department
Whiie conducting excavation work ON
the site OF Emperor Kanishka's great
pagoda near Peshawar, DIR. Spooner un-
earthed a bronze casket containing
what Is believed to be a portion OF the
ashes OF Gautama, the Buddha.
The site Of the excavation comprises
two mounds in the fields a half mile
from Peshawar. Some years ago the
French Archaeological Foucher identi-
fled 1t as the spot on which stood
the vast monastery and pagoda de-
scribed by Sonk-yun and Huien Tsane.
famous Chinese travellers OF the sixth
and seventh centuries.
Built by kanishka.
The pagoda was built by KanishJra
one OF the greatest Of the Buddhist
emperors of northern India, a contem
porary, 1t is believed, of Hadrian and
Marcus Aureiius. 1t was regarded az
one of the wonders of the world The
superstructure of carved wood rose in
thirteen stories to a height of at least
40 feet, and was surmounted by q
mighty iron pinnacle. The monastery
at Its side was Of great extent and
magnificence.
Before the days of Song-yun's visit
the great pagoda had been destroyed
by fire three times and as often re-
built. When the Mohammedan in
vasion of Mahmud of Chain swept
down like cloud on the Puntab the
pagoda and the monastery were blotted
out along with the other memorials OF
the submerged civilization. But the
testimony of the early Chinese pill
CRIME whose works remain leaves no
doubt as to fits site and the special rea-
son of its sanctity. Tradition points
strongly to the belief that part of
the ashes of Buddha were brought to
this place.
Some months ago DR.. Spooner at
tackled the two mounds. The larger
has as yet yielded only fragments Of
masonry on a huge scale. The exca-
walton of the smaller has revealed the
remains of an immense pagoda, meas
uring 2S5 feet from side to side, to-
gether with a stucco frieze adorned
with seated Buddhas and hundreds OF
square earthen plaques almost Baby
lonian in dimensions. These are COW
cred with blue vitreous glaze and bear
individual letters in the Kharoshthi
script. but SO broken up that nothing
has yet been made out Of them.
Digging farther. DIR. Spooner I'M
earthed a stone burial chamber, which
was recognized as the home of the relic
in honor of which the pagoda was or
iginaIly built. The roof had fallen i'm
and one block OF stone had partly
crushed a small bronze casket In the
corner. The casket was seven inches
high by five inches across and green
with the corrosion of centuries.
When the bronze was cleaned there
emerged figures OF delicate carving.
with Kharoshthi inscriptions I'm fine in
denied curves between. The top is
curved, and carved in the form of tho
lotus. In the midst Of which are figures
of the seated Buddha and two worship
ping Bodhisattvas. Around are carved
geese chasing each other In flight.
A Number of Figures.
Below the lid are a number of bronze
figures, chief among which is stand
ing figure In princely guise. judged TO
resemble the image on the coins OF the
Emperor Kanishka, whose name APP
pears in the Inscriptions on the caslSet.
Another name, hardly less interesting
is that of the Greek craftsman of the
casket-Agesilous, head engineer in
the Wharf monastery of Kanishka in
the Sugarama collection of pagodas
and monasteries) of Mahasena.
The bottom OF the bronze casket was
broken, revealing the edge OF a trans
parent rock crystal. This, extracted
with the utmost care, proved to be
smaller casket wrought in hexagonal
form, Ave inches long by three across.
From the top had fallen an earthen
seal, bearing the device Of an elephant,
believed to have been the emblem of
the royal house of Kanishka, and with
in were the three small pieces of char
red bone on which at this moment the
gaze OF the Buddhist world is set.