Page images
PDF
EPUB

placed the grave of a Sanyasi (a Somadi) and the ashes of a faithful spouse who burned with her husband's body, and images of Krishna, Ram Chanda, etc., and has appointed a Sannyasi as Pujari. This person has no hesitation in declaring the place to have been sacred for many years, but has not had impudence to dream nor to contrive a miracle. The temple is therefore neglected; although the junction of the rivers is holy. The situa tion is fine, and the square area in which the different small temples are placed is surrounded by a wall, at the corners of which are small buildings for the accommodation of holy travellers. Behind is a flower-garden, very slovenly.

16th November.-I went almost three miles easterly to Dumaula, to see the Cheruyan Rajah's house. I crossed the river just below the junction. It is a channel about 100 yards wide with a small stream in each branch. It will soon probably be dry.

The Cheruyan Rajah's house is an oblong heap, not near so long as that I saw at Raph, but it must have been a very considerable building. The villagers say that the merchant who built the temple at Jehanabad opened it, and took out the stones and bricks with which he erected that work. So far as opened, it consisted of many small chambers filled with rubbish. The people at Jehanabad say that only a few stones and bricks were brought. One of the steps has evidently been a rude pillar of rough granite. North from the heap is a small tank. There is no trace of a town or of fortifications.

2

19th November.--I went to the vicinity of Dora1 and Kurta, in order to see the place where soda was collected. My watch having stopt by the way I cannot judge of the distance, which is called four coses, southeast. The cose here I understand is about three miles. I crossed the river just below the junction and continued near the east bank of the [Jamuna] most of the way.

(1) Dhourha.
(2) Kurtha.

3

The

20th November.-I went about ten miles, but by a very circuitous route, to Keyoa Dol.' I proceeded first south-east about three miles until I left to my right a village and old mud fort named Duraut." I then inclined. more to the south about 23 miles, until I came to the east end of Beyok, a detached part of an exceedingly rugged ridge of granite among which are only some stunted bushes and climbers. A great many turtle doves breed in the crevices. It does not consist of great rocks but of immense irregular blocks. It is a middle-sized grain of a grey colour very slightly tinged with red. The felspar occupies much space. micaceous matter black minute grains, in a pretty considerable proportion. The quartz granular. It is a very perfect granite. North from this hill are two detached smaller hills of a similar rock. I went west along the south side of this ridge for about one and a quarter miles, and it continues some way farther, but is exceedingly irregular. I saw one round mass detached a little way south from its west end. I then proceeded south through a fine plain for about one and a half miles when I came to the west corner of a low ridge adjoining to [the] west end of Burabur pahar," the highest and largest of this cluster, and I passed between this low ridge and another detached hill farther west. The north face of Burabur is not near so rugged as the northern ridge, but is only covered by stunted bushes, but on the south it is exceedingly rough and contains some immense precipitous rocks. Its west end, Dihiri, consists of a fine-grained perfect grey granite, much black granular micaceous. matter. The felspar small and not in a great proportion. The quartz granular. This forms the boundary between Hulasgunj and Sahebgunj. From thence to Mukdumpur" at the foot of Keya Dol is about one and a half-miles along a fine plain. The plains adjacent to these hills are free of stones. The granite rises like rocks from the sea.

[blocks in formation]

(5) Caramshaw Hills, R. and B.A.; Barabar Hills.
(6) Makhdumpur.

Keoyadol is an immense very naked rock of perfect middle-sized-grained white and black granite. The people at a distance pretend that its name is derived from a rocking stone that was on its top, so nicely balanced as to be moveable by the weight of a crow. This they say fell down about 50 years ago, but the most respectable people of Mukdumpur say that their fathers never remembered such a stone, nor do they believe that it ever existed. They say that no blocks have fallen within their memory, and although some of the top would appear to be in a very tottering state, it would seem in fact that no considerable mass has fallen for ages, as on almost all the large blocks towards the plain are engraved figures of great antiquity, and these blocks are undoubtedly the latest that have fallen. All along the north side and east end of the hill these carvings in relief are very numerous, and represent various deities or persons remarkable in Hindu mythology, all exceedingly rude and many of them much worn by the action of the weather, although as I have said they are engraved in a very perfect granite. The figures are therefore of a very great antiquity. The only figures almost about which any two persons are agreed are those of Ganese and the Linga, which cannot be mistaken, but the most common represents a female with four arms, killing what is probably meant to represent a buffalo. This is called by the people of the neighbourhood merely Devi, that is, the Goddess, but among my followers no two agreed, that is to say, the image differs in some points from any that they know, having several attributes common to different deities but others by which it may be distinguished from any one of them. Among these images are several of Bhouddhs or Jains, I will not take upon myself to say which, although the former is most probable, because the chief temple near the place contains an image called Bouddh Sen.

I shall now mention the most remarkable places about the hill. At Makdumpur, towards the north-west side of the hill, are several large heaps of brick, which are with probability supposed to have been dwelling

houses of some prince; but the people are not agreed whether he was a Cheruyan or a Bundawut, both of which races are said to have governed the country before the Muhammadan invasion. The images are most usually attributed to the former. Farther east, proceeding along the north face of the hill, are two large blocks forming an angle, and on each of them is a row of figures. One of the rows consists chiefly of an repetition of the female figure destroying the buffalo. Of these I have directed a drawing to be taken.

Near this is the monument of Husa Mudin Sahei, much frequented. It is a large tree surrounded by a terrace constructed of pillars, capitals, doors, windows, etc., and probably taken from the chief temple of the place, which is situated a little farther east. It is totally ruined, but the image remains entire in its place in a recess at the east end of the temple. It is called Bouddh Sen and is of the usual form, made of black indurated potstone, and the recess has been ornamented with the same and covered with figures of the Hindu Mythology, of which many fragments are lying round to a great distance. The temple has been about 44 yards from east to west by 30 from north to south and has been of brick, but has been supported by pillars of granite, and the doors and windows have probably been of the same material, as many fragments are scattered round. The pillars are exceedingly rude, ten or twelve are still erect and entire. The roof has been very low, probably not above 8 or 10 feet. Near the temple has been a small building of brick perched on the top of an immense block of granite, which it has covered, and Las probably been the den of some ascetic. Some way farther forward, a small block of granite has been cut square and on each face has been engraved an image. This on the whole although exceedingly rude is the most elegant work of the whole. I have therefore directed drawings to be taken of it. At the east end of the hill are the foundations of a small stone building, near which on the face of a rock is a Boudh with a row of disciples sitting on his right and a Ganesa on

his left. Of this also I have directed a drawing to be taken. On the south face of the hill, a little west from its cast end, is the most perfect relief of the most common female deity with the buffalo, which also I have directed to be drawn.

It is said that a Srotri Brahman who lives about a cose off is Pujari for all the idols on the hill, and makes offerings to Bouddh Sen as well as the others. The Pandit can find no tradition concerning the place, except that Jara Sandha stood with one foot on Keoya Dol and the other on Burabur. The Pujari is a most ignorant creature, says his ancestors have for 7 or 8 generations enjoyed the place, which has no endowment. He is of the sect of Saiva, and being asked why he worships Buddh Sen, he says that the image was made by Buddh Sen, but represents Bhairov. The Pandit seems to think that the ancestor of the Panda finding the people still afraid of the image, took upon himself the worship, and called the image of Buddha a Bhairov merely as an excuse, as it has not the smallest affinity to the representations of that destructive power.

21st November.-I went rather less than four miles to the foot of the hill called Nagarjun,' which is a very rugged peak of granite at the east end of Barabur. I had given the most positive orders to have my tents pitched at Karn' Chaupar about one mile farther west, but as there was a well at Nagarjuni and none at Karn' Chaupar this was totally neglected. I however found at Nagarjuni a fine cave of which I perhaps might not have heard had I not gone to the place, for the people here are so stupid, and have so little curiosity, that you can scarcely find out any antiquity except by chance. An exceeding rude stair of granite and mortar winds up the hill for about 150 yards among detached blocks of granite, until it reaches a solid convex rock running east and west. On a little level at the bottom of the rock has been built an Idgai of brick and mortar which points out the direction of Medina, towards which

(1) Nogarjunl.
(2) Appendix, No. 63.

« PreviousContinue »