90

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.

lous of his powerful vassal, and desirous to rid him self of him, had a confection prepared, part of which contained poison ; but caught in his own snare, he presented the innoxious portion to the rājā, and ate that drugged with death himself. The unworthy deed is explained by Mân Simha's design, which ap parently had reached the emperor's ears, to alter the succession in favour of Khusrau, his nephew, instead of Salim.”

“In anticipation of a visit from Aurangzeb, the image of the god was transferred to Jaypur, and the Gosáin of the temple there has ever since been re garded as the head of the endowment.

The name

of the present incumbent is Syām Sundar, who has two agents resident at Brindåban. There is said to

be still in existence at Jayptir the original plan of the temple, shewing its seven towers; but there is a difficulty in obtaining any definitive information on the subject. However, local tradition is fully agreed as to their number and position ; while their archi tectural character can be determined beyond a doubt by comparison with the smaller temples of the same age and style, the ruins of which still remain. It is therefore not a little strange that of all the architects who have described this famous building, not one has noticed this, its most characteristic feature : the

harmonious combination of dome and spire is still quoted as the great crux of modern art, though nearly 300 years ago the difficulty was solved by the Hindus with characteristic grace and ingenuity. “It is much to be regretted that this most interest ing monument has not been declared national pro perty, and taken under the immediate protection of Government. At present no care whatever is shewn for its preservation : large trees are allowed to root themselves in the fissures of the walls, and in the course of a few more years the damage done will be irreparable. As a modern temple under the old dedication has been erected in the precincts, no

religious prejudices would be offended by the State's appropriation of the ancient building. If any scruples were raised, the objectors might have the option of themselves undertaking the necessary re pairs. But it is not probable that they would accept the latter alternative ; for though the original en dowment was very large, it has been considerably reduced by mismanagement, and the ordinary annual income is now estimated at no more than Rs. 17,500, # the whole of which is absorbed in the maintenance of the modern establishment.” From his account of Gokula we make the follow

ing extract :— “Great part of the town is occupied by a high hill, partly natural and partly artificial, extending over more than 100 bighas of land, where stood the old fort. Upon its most elevated point is shewn a small cell, called Syân Lála, believed to mark the spot where Jasodá gave birth to Maya, or Joga -

-

• The a' ove tradition is quoted from Tod's Rājasthān.

f Of this sum only Rs. 4,500 are derived from land and

[MARCH, 1873.

midra, substituted by Vasudeva for the infant Krishna. But by far the most interesting build ing is a covered court called Nanda's Palace, or

more commonly the Assi Khamba, i. e., the Eighty Pillars. It is divided by five rows of sixteen pillars each into four aisles, or rather into a centre and

two narrower side-aisles, with one broad outer cloister. The external pillars of this outer cloister are each of one massive shaft, cut into many narrow facets, with two horizontal bands of carving :

the capitals are decorated either with grotesque heads or the usual four squat figures. The pillars of the inner aisles vary much in design, some being exceedingly plain, and others as richly ornamented, with profuse, and often graceful, arabesques. Three of the more elaborate are called, respectively, the Satya, Dwapar, and Tretayug; while the name of the Kaliyug is given to another somewhat plainer. All these interior pillars, however, agree in consist ing, as it were, of two short columns set one upon the other. The style is precisely similar to that of the Hindu colonnades by the Qutb Minär at Delhi; and both works may reasonably be referred to about the same age. As it is probable that the latter were not built in the years immediately preceding the fall of Delhi in 1194, so also it would seem that the court at Mahāban must have been completed before the assault of Mahmūd in 1017; for after that date the place was too insignificant to be selected as the site of so elaborate an edifice. Thus Fergusson's conjecture is confirmed that the Delhi pillars are to be ascribed to the ninth or tenth century. Another long-mooted point may also be considered as almost definitively set at rest, for it can scarcely be doubted that the pillars, as they now stand at Mahāban, oc cupy their original position. Fergusson, who was unaware of their existence, in his notice of the Delhi

cloister, doubts whether it now stands as originally arranged by the Hindus, or whether it had been taken down and re-arranged by the conquerors; but concludes as most probable that the former was the case, and that it was an open colon nade surrounding the palace of Prithirāj. “If so,” he adds, “it is the only instance known of Hindu

pillars being left undisturbed.” General Cunningham comments upon these remarks, finding it utterly in credible that any architect, designing an original building and wishing to obtain height, should have recourse to such a rude expedient as constructing two distinct pillars, and then without any disguise piling up one on the top of the other. But, however extra ordinary the procedure, it is clear that this is what was done at Mahāban, as is proved by the outer row of columns, which are each of one unbroken shaft, yet precisely the same in height as the double pillars

of the inner aisles. The roof is flat and perfectly plain, except in two compartments, where it is cut into a pretty quasi-dome of concentric multifoil house property ; the balance of Rs. 13,000 is made up by votive offerings.