1866.] Buddhist Monasteries and Temples. 73 



Site of Buddhist Vihar — No. III. 

 Lot Bhairo. 



At the junction of the old Ghazeepore road with the Raj Ghaut 

 road, to the north of the latter, and about a short mile from the fort, 

 is a large square tank, on the left bank of which, as on a terrace, 

 stands the hit or pillar, which gives the name to the spot. It is pro- 

 bably not more than three or four feet high inside, and is covered 

 with copper sheeting. We endeavoured to prevail on the faqir resid- 

 ing here to permit us to lift up the copper cap, by removing the plaister 

 which connects it with the flooring below, in order to gain a view of 

 the stone pillar which it now conceals ; but so great is the reputed 

 sanctity of this object, that our united efforts were entirely fruitless, 

 and had we persisted in them, a disturbance might have been occasion- 

 ed. The original stone column, of which the concealed pillar is 

 doubtless a small fragment, was about forty feet high, and, it is re- 

 ported, was covered with ancient carvings, which were most probably 

 inscriptions. This was thrown down by the Mahommedans during a 

 terrible conflict with the Hindu population in the early part of the 

 present century, when Mr. Bird was magistrate of the city. The 

 natives say, that the pillar was thrown into the Ganges, but as that 

 stream is half a mile off or more, this must have been clone piecemeal. 

 In all likelihood it was destroyed by fire, the action of which on 

 sandstone soon causes it to crumble to pieces. As there is strong 

 reason for believing that this was one of Asoka's pillars, it would be 

 exceedingly interesting to inspect the remaining fragment, which we 

 may fairly suppose to belong to the original column, and in that case 

 to possess a portion of an inscription sufficient to verify its connexion 

 with Asoka, or with the Guptas, or with the monarchs of any other 

 era by whom the column was erected. 



It is important in our present investigations to know that the 

 pillar once stood in the midst of a temple, that is, in its courtyard, 

 which temple was destroyed by Aurungzebe, and on its site a mosque 

 was erected, the courtyard of which enclosed the pillar. On examin- 

 ing the terrace where the Lat stands, it is exceedingly manifest that 

 the upper portion has been thrown up in modern times, and that the 

 ancient level of the ground was some six or eight feet lower than 



