112 N'otes on Baja Todar Mall. [AuGrsT, 



all have returned from the burning ghat, the chief moui'ner saluting each 

 brother, bids him go home. The plot of groimd is associated with the 

 following curious tradition. Once there stood at that place the house of 

 a proud K'hatri, who used to send his shoe instead of personally attending at 

 the funeral obsequies, when a member of his caste had died. It once 

 happened that a person of his family died. No brother, however, came to 

 take the dead to the ghat, but each sent his shoe, as the proud K'hatri had 

 done. It must be borne in mmd that it is considered a disgrace, not only 

 among K'hatris, but also among other higher castes of our country, to allow 

 the dead to be touched by other hands than those of one's brethren ; and 

 the K'hatri being thus humbled, went from door to door, repenting his past 

 follies and asking for forgiveness. Though all yielded to his entreaties, 

 it was resolved as a lasting punishment for him that the K'hatris of Agrah 

 should henceforward perform the funeral ceremonies before his house, and 

 since that time the present custom has been in force. 



" A tradition among us says that though Eaja Todar Mall was one of 

 the first men in the Empire, favoured by the Emperor and the princes, he 

 was never unkind even to the poorest of his caste. The following I often 

 heard cited as an example of his modesty. On the occasion of the marriage 

 of his son, he distributed among K'hatris gendords (cakes made of sugar 

 only) with a valuable jewel placed on each. His servants forgot to present 

 the usual share (*?T3t1) to a very poor man, who, thereupon, complained to 

 his friends. When the complaint reached Todar Mall, he immediately went 

 barefooted and bareheaded to the door of the man with double the share? 

 humbly begging his pardon." 



Also a letter from W. M. Bourke, Esq., regarding the localities in 

 which the Dinajpiir inscriptions published in Journal, Part I, for 1872, 

 p. 102, were found. 



" The description given by Buchanan of the ruins at Gangarampur is nol 

 in accordance with their present appearance. The ruins now consist of 

 outer oblong chamber, its length being from east to west. There are three 

 doors on the south side of this chamber facing the tank mentioned ii 

 Mr. Blochmann's notice of Gangarampur, Dinajpur, published at p. 102j 

 Part I, of the Society's Journal for this year. Opposite the central door 

 is a door opening into a square inner apartment, in which there is a plain 

 earthen grave, over which a cloth is spread as a mark of reverence. There 

 is no vestige of a roof on any part of the building ; but the walls are 

 standing, except at the western end of the oblong chamber, which has fallen. 

 Here a column, still erect, and many detached stones beautifully carved 

 unmistakeably indicate Hindu workmanship. 



The present position of the inscriptions, taking them in the order given 

 on page 103 of the Journal, is as follows : The first is over the inner 



I 



