Old Buddhist Shrines at Bodh-Gaya

Summary

The article examines Brahmi inscriptions on remnants of ancient Buddhist structures at Bodh-Gaya, including the Jewel-walk shrine, Diamond-throne, and Stone-railing. Focus is placed on pillar inscriptions marked with Brahmi letters to identify pillar-shaft and base pairings. Cunningham’s analysis suggests southern row pillars were marked with vowels (a, i, u, e, o, ai, au) and northern row with consonants (ka, kha, ga, gha, cha, chha, ja, jha, ta, tha, da, dha, na, pa, pha, ba, ma, ya, ra, va), arranged serially from west to east. Discrepancies exist regarding the eleventh vowel identification (tah vs. au). Six legible letters—ha on southern and northern bases, and ka, ga, cha, jha, pha on northern bases—support this arrangement. Differences in letter forms (e.g., ha) suggest possible engraving by distinct scribes. The Stone-railing fragments reveal 22 votive labels using 21 Brahmi letters (vowels, consonants) and seven symbols. Letters include a, i, u, e, o, ai, au, and consonants like ka, ga, ja, ta, pa, etc. Symbols denote punctuation or ownership. The study highlights the alphabet’s phonetic organization (gutturals, palatals, dentals) and underscores the inscriptions’ significance for understanding early Indian script evolution.