Historical Geography of Ancient India c6.425

c6.425

Kāsī.—The Kāsī stone image inscription mentions this village, situated 34 miles east of Gorakhpur in the Padrauna tahsil of the Gorakhpur district (C.I.I., Vol. III). The headquarters of the Kāsī sub-division are located in a big village at a distance of 34 miles east from Gorakhpur, 21 miles north-east from Deoria, and 12 miles south-south-west from Padrauna (Gorakhpur District Gazetteer by Nevill, p. 261). The kingdom of the Mallas was divided into two parts having the capital cities of Kuśīnārā and Pāvā. According to some Pāvā may probably be identified with Kāsiā on the smaller Gandak and on the east of the Gorakhpur district (B. C. Law, Geography of Early Buddhism, p. 14). The ruins at Kāsiā were explored in 1876 when the main Nirvāṇa stūpa was completely exposed. The excavations at the ancient Buddhist site at Kāsiā have revealed the remains of many ancient buildings and other antiquities of great interest (A.S.I., Annual Report, 1911/12, pp. 134ff.; A.S.R., 1904/5, 43ff.; 1905/6, 6ff.; 1906/7, 44ff.; 1910/11, 62ff.; 1911/12, 134ff.).