| Temples & Legends Of Bihar |
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| Temples & Legends
Of India |
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KURKIHAR |
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| At one time
there must have been hundreds of Buddhistic images, in various postures and with wonderful
sculpture, literally strewn about. The delicate execution of images in the Pala period is
amply illustrated by a large number of finds, particularly at Kurikhar village. General
Cunningham has mentioned that the site of Kurkihar is Kukuta-Pada-Giri or " Hill
of the Cocks feet described by the two Chinese Pilgrims, Fa Hian (Fourth Century A. D.)
and Hiuen Tsang, (Seventh Century A.D.). Cunningham has further mentioned that the true
name of Kurkihar was Kurak- vihar, as the Sanskrit Kukkuta was then represented by the
Hindi forms Kukkar and Kurak.
Mr. Beal has suggested that Mr. Cunningham confounded the Vihar of the Cocks' feet,
which was just outside the city of Pataliputra, with the "Hill of the Cocks'
feet", which, according to Hiuen Tsang, was 16 miles to the east of Gaya. Fa Hian
himself had made a mistake in placing the Cocks' Feet Hill at only 3 li or half a mile to
the south of Pataliputra.'Mr. Beal corrected this to 3 yojanas or 21 miles. But the actual
distance is over 50 miles. |
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