52G Dr. B. Hamilton's Description of Jaina Temples in South Bihar. 



A similar pretence to antiquity was made at Bhcigalpiir ; but, I believe, 

 in both cases without foundation. The others are avowedly all later than 

 even lGO.5. The persons by whom they were made, assume no titles of 

 high dignity or regal authority, and seem to have been pilgrims, who by 

 contribution erected, enlarged, or adorned the edifice. At each end of 

 this court is a building. One serves as a gate ; two, to accommodate 

 pilgrims of rank ; and one is occupied by a priest ( Yati) of Bihar, in the 

 occasional visits which he makes. This court is tolerably clean, and is 

 planted with flowers. The other court contains a building, intended 

 entirely for the accommodation of pilgrims of rank. 



The old heretical sect of the Oswals (Jainas) have, in the division of 

 Blidgaljmr, two remarkable places of worship, remnants of the religion 

 which prevailed during the government of the Cama Rajas. The sect is 

 here completely extinct ; further than that two or three attendants on these 

 temples still reside at Chchnpdnagara. 



There are two temples of considerable size, built of brick and covered 

 with plaster, the ornaments on which are very rude. The one has been 

 lately rebuilt, and the other is not yet quite finished ; both entirely at 

 the expense of such of the family of Jagat set'h, the banker, as still adhere 

 to the worship of their fathers, although the chief has adopted that of 

 Vishnu. The temples are dedicated to Vasup6jya. Many pilgrims, espe- 

 cially from Marwar, in the west of India, are said to frequent these 

 temples. 



The othej- place of worship, belonging to the Jainas, is at Cabirpur, at 

 no great distance from Chdmpdnagara. In the neighbourhood it is usually 

 called Vishnu pdducd, or the feet of Vishnu ; but this is a name given only 

 by the vulgar : and both Brahmanas and Jainas agree, that the object of 

 worship here represents the feet of one of the twenty-four deities of the 

 Jainas, which the inscription states to be those of Vasup<jjya, who was 

 born at Chdfnpdnagara or Chdmpdpur. 



This emblem of the Deity is very rudely carved, and represents the 

 human feet. The inscription between the feet mentions the name of the god ; 

 that before the toes implies that it was made by certain persons therein 

 named. The date, according to the reading of the Pujdrt (attendant priest) 

 is in year of samvat 694 and of saca 559, but before each is a mark resem- 

 bling the Hindu cj-pher that represents one, which would make the date 

 1694> samvat (1559 saca), or A.D. 1637. The Pj/;an insists, that in Jain 



