On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v2.c17.s2.20

v2.c17.s2.20

From the Head-shaving Tope the pilgrim travelled, he tells us, south-east through a wild country for more than 180 *li* (about 36 miles) to a Banyan Grove which had a tope above 30 feet in height. This, he says, was the Embers Tope built by the brahmins of the place over the charcoal fragments which they found at the scene of the Buddha's cremation. These brahmins arrived too late to obtain a share of the actual relics, and they were allowed to take a portion of the dead embers— "ashes-charcoal" —from "the place of cremation". Carrying these to their native place the brahmins there erected this shrine for the worship of the embers; ever since its erection the tope has given miraculous testimonies, and at it many prayers of the afflicted have been answered.