The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c6.s3.t27.2

c6.s3.t27.2

At 200 *li*, or 33 miles, to the east of the capital, Hwen Thsang visited the Aviddhakarna monastery, which was adorned with very fine sculptures. Following the bearing and distance, this place should be looked for in the neighbourhood of Baliya on the bank of the Ganges. Aviddhakarna means the “pierced ears,” and I think it possible that the name may still be preserved in Bikapur, a village 1 mile to the east of Baliya, as Aviddhakarna-pura might easily be shortened to Bidkarnpur and Bikanpur. It seems probable also that this is the same place that is mentioned by Fa-Hian under the name of the “Vast solitude,”* which he places between Patna and Banâras, at 10 *yojanas*, or 70 miles, from the former, and 12 *yojanas*, or 84 miles, from the latter. The Indian name is not given, but as the literal translation of the “vast solitude” would be *Vrihadaranya* or *Bidaran*, this name might easily be altered, either by ignorance or design, to *Biddhkarn*. The two distances from Patna and Banâras agree exactly with the position of *Baliya*, which is 72 miles from the former, and 86 miles from the latter.