[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Historical geography](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.geography) › [On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D.](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.geography.watters-1904) › v2.c19.93.1 # On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v2.c19.93.1 On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v2.c19.93.1 - **Language:** English ### [v2.c19.93.1](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.geography.watters-1904.v2.c19.93.1) The temple or chaitya here described as being on the east side of the Bodhi Tree was apparently within the large inclosure. It was approached through a succession of three halls or pavilions, on the east side, and it was only through these that light reached the innermost shrine. In the "Fang-chih" the base of the temple has a continuous stone railing ten feet high all round. This Temple is not mentioned by Fa-hsien, and from our pilgrim's description we must infer that the whole was a comparatively recent structure. Cunningham regards the present "Mahābodhi Temple" as the building described by our pilgrim, and gives his reasons.¹ But these, as usual, do not agree with the Chinese texts, and are not convincing. Thus he says that the present Temple is 48 feet square at its base, and so agrees with Yuan-chuang's statement; but the latter is to the effect that on one side the base measured above 20 paces, and nothing is said about the dimensions of the other sides. Then Yuan-chuang says that the building was made of bricks and coated with lime, the term for "bricks" being ch'ing-chuan (青磚). Beal translates this by "blue bricks" and Cunningham finds the present Temple made of bluish bricks. But ch'ing-chuan denotes simply common dull-coloured bricks, and it was evidently of such bricks the Temple was made, otherwise there would not have been a coating of plaster. The "Fang-chih" here, however, has merely ch'ing-chuan without any mention of a lime coating. - [Previous: v2.c19.92](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.geography.watters-1904.v2.c19.92) - [Next: v2.c19.93.2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.geography.watters-1904.v2.c19.93.2) - [Up: v2.c19.93](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.geography.watters-1904.v2.c19.93) --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.geography.watters-1904.v2.c19.93.1](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.geography.watters-1904.v2.c19.93.1) · Pramāṇa