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HINDUSTAN. 



HINDUSTAN. 



190 



Bengal, is the celebrated temple of Juggemauth. It stands in the 

 centre of a quadrangle inclosed by a tugh stone wall, 650 feet in 

 length on each side. The tower which contains the idols is 200 feet 

 high. The festival takes place once a year, and the concourse of 

 pilgrims is still exceedingly large. The idols are placed on a high 

 platform mounted ou wheels, and are dragged a certain distance and 

 back again amid the acclamations of the devotees. Self-immolation 

 beneath the wheels of the car is no longer permitted, but many of the 

 pilgrims perish from disease and want of food. The latest account of 

 this temple is given in the ' Orissa' of Lieut. F. B. Laurie. 



The middle course of the Mahanuddy lies through a valley, which 

 is generally wide and covered with alluvium producing rice, wheat, 

 and sugar in abundance, and of the first quality. North-west of the 

 delta of the Mahanuddy is an extensive mountain region, whose 

 southern declivity forms part of the Deccan, while the northern belongs 

 to the mountain region of Northern Hindustan. North of the valley 

 of the Mahanuddy this mountain tract is generally from 3000 feet to 

 4000 feet above the sea ; some ridges by which it is traversed, and 

 which run east and west, rise about 2000 feet higher. Rice is ciJti- 

 vated in the lower districts. Forests cover the ridges and valleys, 

 containing several kinds of trees useful as timber or for cabinet- 

 work. A considerable portion of the population is employed in 

 preparing these trees for the market, and in floating them down to 

 Cuttack. 



The table-land of the Deccan is separated from the mountain region 

 of Northern Hindustan by the valleys of the parallel rivers Tapty and 

 Nerbudda. The Tapty rises in the mountain tract which joins the table- 

 land of Omercuutuc on the south-west. It consists of two branches, 

 the Tapty and the I'ooma, the Tapty running south-west and the Pooma 

 west, till thi-y unite, after a course of about 150 miles, near 21°. 4' N. 

 lot., 76° E. long. After the junction of the upper branches the Tapty 

 flows in a wide valley between the Sautpoora Mountains on the north, 

 and the Northern Ghauts on the south, for about 280 miles, until it 

 enters the Indian Ocean by a wide jestuary below the town of Sxjrat. 

 In the upper valley of the Tapty is the town of Sarhampoor, situated 

 on a fertile plain ; it is of considerable size, and carries on an active 

 commerce with the countries both to the north and south of it The 

 Nerbudda rises on the table-land of Omercuntuc, about 22° 40' N. lat., 

 81° 40' E. long. It flows west over the mountain-plain, and having 

 received a large tributary from the south is precipitated from its steep 

 western declivity not far from the town of Mundla. Thence it runs 

 in a narrow valley and between masses of rocks with a rapid course 

 past Jubbulpoor, below which town it forms a cataract at Bedaghur. 

 Farther west the valley widens, the mountains to the south rise with 

 a gentle acclivity, and the river has a less rapid course. At Hosungabad 

 it is 900 yards wide, and from 5 feet to 6 feet deep ; it is here navig- 

 able for small vessels, and continues to be navigable as far west as 10 

 miles below Chiculdab, where the river, which at Mundlesir is 1200 

 yards wide, is narrowed to 200 yards, and basalt-rocks rising from 10 

 to 1 2 feet above its usual surface lie across its bed. The water of the 

 river ruiihes with great violence through three openings. Lower 

 down the river is stUl more narrowed by rocks, anil becomes unfit for 

 navigation for a great distance ; but about 10 miles above Tulluck- 

 warra it enters the low lands of Oujerat, and is navigable from this 

 place to its mouth for river boats, a distance of about 90 miles, and 

 for vessels of moderate size half that distance. Below the town of 

 Baroach it forms a wide ajstuary. The whole course of the river is 

 about 600 miles. 



The valley of the Nerbudda extends mostly along the southern 

 bank of the river, since the Vindhya Mountains which inclose it on 

 the north often advance to the river, or very near it. The upper part 

 of the valley from Mundla to Hosungabad is comparatively narrow, 

 and mostly filled up by low offsets from the mountains which lie 

 farther south. South of Hosungabad, at the sources of the Tapty, 

 the mountains take the form of a continuous chain, called the 

 Sautpoora Mountains. This chain at its commencement runs nearly 

 south-west, but by degrees turns westward and continues nearly 

 parallel to the Vindhya Mountains, untU it approaches that range, at 

 about 76° E. long., but afterwards it resumes its western direction. 

 These mountains are not very high, their mean elevation towards the 

 east not exceeding 3000 feet, and farther westward they are somewhat 

 lower.* But both their declivities are steep, and the mountains are 

 nearly inaccessible. The most considerable places in the valley of the 

 Nerbudda are — Jubbulpoor, 1458 feet above the sea, whence a road 

 leads over the Vindhya Mountains through Belhari to Panna in 

 Bundelcnnd ; Ilomngabad, a large town with good buildings, and an 

 important place for the communication between the plain of the 

 Ganges and the western countries of the Deccan ; Mundlenr, which, 

 though not Urge, ij an importaut place, because the most frequented 

 pass leads from it northward over the Vindhya Mountains to Oujein ; 

 Mlitytir, a little farther west, a large place, with good builjlings and a 

 wull-stocked bazaar ; and Buncanee, which is a considerable town, and 

 contains many good buildings and a large palace. 



The upper portion of the valleys of toe Tapty and Nerbudda is 

 subject to the British, and is named the Ceded Districts on the Ner- 

 budda. The western districts on both rivers belong also to the 

 British, with the exception of a tract in the middle, which is subject 

 tu the Ouicowftf. The country between Allahabad and the presidency 



of Bombay is partly subject to Scindia, Holkar, and other Mahratta 

 chiefs. 



III. The Mountain Region of Northern Hindustan has nearly the 

 form of a triangle, whose base is formed by the Vindhya Mountains, 

 skirting the vale of the river Nerbudda ou the north, and whose 

 apex is at Rewarree, at no great distance from Delhi, on the Jumna, 

 to the south-west. It contains a table-land of considerable extent, 

 that of Malwa, which occupies its southern portion, and is eveiywhere 

 inclosed by mountain ranges, and also a mouutaiu region, called 

 Upermal, which extends on the north of the table-laud. To these 

 two extensive portions are to be added the peninsula of Gujerat and 

 the island of Cutch, which ought to be considered as detached 

 members of this mountain region. 



The Vindhya Mountains begin on the west near 74° E. long., 

 22° 10' N. lat., about 10 miles or 15 miles from the northern bank of 

 the Nerbudda, and extend eastward along the vale of the Nerbudda. 

 The western portion, as far east as Chiculda on the Nerbudda, has 

 not the appearance of a continuous range, being frequently broken 

 into isolated groups and presentiug many steep summits. East of 

 Chiculda (near 75° E. long.), the range approaches the river Nerbudda 

 and continues along it like a steep wall, with a broad-backed surface 

 and without summits. Ou an average it is about 1700 feet above the 

 vale of the Nerbudda, aud hardly more than 2200 feet above the level 

 of the sea. As the table-land extending north of it, where it is con- 

 tiguous to the range, has an elevation of 2000 feet above the sea-level, 

 the mountainous character of the range disappears on that side. 

 Towards the northern bank of the Nerbudda the declivity is exceed- 

 ingly steep, and indented by ravines, which give to many of the pro- 

 jecting parts the appearance of bastions, on many of which fortresses, 

 or ghurs, were built, but they aj-e rapidly going to decay. Only that 

 portion of the range which extends east to the road which connects 

 the town of Bhopal with that of Hosungabad is called the Vindhya 

 Mountains by the natives. But the range continues east of the road, 

 is connected with the table-land of Omercuntuc (between 80° aud 81° 

 E. long.), and occupies farther east the greatest part of the tmct 

 between the Ganges and the river Sone, approaching the Ganges 

 within a short distance between th& towns of Mirzapoor aud 

 Chunarghur; it terminates on the banks, of the Sone between 

 Rotasghur and Sasseram, near 84° E. long. This easteru portion of 

 the Vindhya Mountains is called by the native.-} the Kimoor Moun- 

 tains. The roads leading over the Vindhya Mountains are few. The 

 most frequented of them, which is the Jaum Ghaut, in 22° 23' N. 

 lat., and 75° 49' E. long., rises to 2328 feet above the sea-level : it 

 connects the towns of Mheysir and Mundlesir on the Nerbudda with 

 Mow on the table-land, and thence leads to Indore aud Oujein. 

 Another road farther east connects the towns of Bhopal on the table- 

 land with Hosungabad. 



From the eastern side of the Sone, opposite Rotasghur, a mountain 

 range extends south and south-east towards the table land north of 

 the Mahanuddy, whilst another range called the Goomah Ghauts, 

 extends east-south-ea.*t towards the Kajmiihal Hills. The moun- 

 tain tract included within these two ranges is not entirely covered 

 with ridges, but includes numerous plains of considerable extent and 

 elevation, some of which are fertile and well-cultivated, especially 

 along the foot of the ridges. The highest parts of the ridges are 

 estimated to attain an elevation of 4000 feet, and some parts of the 

 plain are as high as 2000 feet. They seem to desceud iu terraces to 

 the plain of the Ganges. Tlie mountains are generally covered with 

 high trees, useful both .as timber and for cabinet-work. The Rajma- 

 hal Hills form a detached mass on the west bank of the Gauges, near 

 the town of Rajmahal, 25° 2' N. lat., 87° 53' E. long. They are some- 

 times called the Puharree Hills, in consequence of their being inhabited 

 by a native race of mountaineers called the Puharrees. The town of 

 Rajmahal, though formerly a large city, and at one time the capital 

 of the province of Bengal, now consists of little more than a long 

 street of mud huts, some dilapidated mosques, and the ruins of a vast 

 palace, built by Sultan Sujah, brother of Aurungzebe, and completed 

 in 1630. 



The table-land of Malwa hag the Vindhya Mountains for its 

 southern boundary. On the north it is inclosed by a chain of moun- 

 t.ains which Uitter names the Harraouttee Mountains. The tableland 

 of Malwa extends from Dohud ou the west (near 74° 20' E. long.), to 

 Bhopal on the east (77° 20' E. long.), about 170 miles, and its average 

 width from south to north may be about 80 miles ; its area conse- 

 quently may be estimated at 13,600 square miles, Malwa is a plain, 

 gently inclined towards the north, with an elevation varying between 

 1300 feet and 2000 feet. Indore, near the Vindhya Mouutains, is 

 2000 feet above the level of the sea ; Oujein, 1640 feet ; and Kampoor, 

 near the Harraouttee Mountains, 1276 feet. No range of any extent 

 appears on the plain ; a few hills only occur, which do not rise more 

 than from 100 feet to 200 feet above their base. The soil is a black 

 loam, producing rich crops of rice, Indian corn, peas, beans, &c. 

 Large quantities of sugar-cane, tobacco, cotton, linseed, aud sesamum 

 are also raised and exported. Opium is the most considerable of its 

 productions ; a very large quantity is annually raised, of which the 

 greater part is exported. 



Ou this table-land are several towns of importance. Bhoi'AL has 

 been already noticed. Indore, situated near the Vindhya Mountains 



