Page:Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal Vol 29.djvu/381

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1860.]
An ancient Buddhist Monastery at Pu-gân.
351

or “Image apartment.” The floor is raised about a foot higher than the rest of the floor of the building. The idols are facing the north and east.

  1. The state room for the Abbot. This is separated by a richly panneled wall from the “Image apartment.”
  2. Room for the pazeng or second in rank to the Abbot.
  3. The “western apartment,” where the young probationers and students sleep and eat. In this apartment, ordinarily the teaching of the day-scholars would be conducted.
  4. This is called “the Image monastery.” It is not invariably joined to a monastery, but when added it is always on the east side. The principal idol in this building faces the north.

Note on a ruined monastery near the Tsoola Moonee Pagoda at Pu-gân.

Amidst the extensive ruins of Pugân there are probably many objects of interest yet to be discovered. I met with a second ruined monastery near an ancient temple called the “Tsoola Moonee.” A rough ground plan which is annexed, shows the arrangement of the building. The main building, as seen in front facing the east, which included a portion of the interior enclosure wall, was nearly 150 feet long. The principal entrance was on the east. It was gained by ascending a slightly elevated open terrace. In the interior were four apartments, including the vestibule, which were arranged somewhat in the form of a cross, round a central mound, which had probably contained an image of Buddha, within a vaulted chamber. Not far from this monastery was another building, within which I found a stone inscription on which the Burmese date 678 (A. D. 1316) was legible, but I have not been able to decipher the inscription itself.