Republics in Ancient India, c. 1500 B.C.–500 B.C. c12.s3.66

c12.s3.66

The sources are silent about the length of the term of office. Like other members of the Vajjian Confederacy, they probably held their offices for life. Usually the meetings of their assembly and council took place in the assembly-hall (*santhāgāra*) built in the centre of the town.² Both branches of the Mallas had their own *santhāgāras*. When the Buddha arrived at Pāvā, the Mallas invited him to inaugurate their assembly-hall named Ubbhaṭaka (so-called because of its height, according to the commentator), which had not long been built.³ As we have already mentioned, the Mallas of Kusinārā had their own assembly-hall wherein Ānanda twice found them in session. The remains of the Buddha were also honoured in this hall for seven days after the cremation. It was in the same assembly-hall that the envoys of Magadha, Vesālī, Kapilavatthu, Allakappa, Rāmagāma, Pāvā, and Pipphalivana were received when they arrived at Kusinārā to claim their shares in the relics of the Buddha.⁴