Ruins of Stone Pillar are located between the city of Varanasi and the Buddhist remains at Sarnath. It was erected in the midst of a tank. The tank is also known as Sone ka Talao, or the Golden Tank. It is situated on the opposite side of the Barna River, near the road which deviates from the high road leading to Ghazipur. This road is part of the famous road of Panchkosi, the sacred boundary of the city of Varanasi. By taking this route one needs to cover less than a mile to reach the tank that falls on the right hand side. There is a well built ghat near the Stone Pillar. Several Buddhist figures can be seen here carved beautifully. These are thought to have been brought from Sarnath.
The Stone Pillar is three hundred yards in length, and one hundred and forty in breadth. In the midst of it is a round pillar, eighteen feet high, and upwards of nine in circumference. These are made of great blocks of stone that have been cut in quadrants. They have been then put together without cement or mortar. The base of the pillar was surrounded by water. The pillar has somewhat sunk however, it is thought that earlier it remained less blocked with mud than it is now. In appearance, therefore, the pillar was once higher than at the present time. As per research conducted here the pillar was earlier surmounted by a lion, or some other figure. A close examination of the pillar states its antiquity.
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