102 Notes on a Tour in Maunhlioom. £No. 3, 



temple is probably of more modem date tban the stone buildings, as it 

 is partly arcbed on the radiating principle. Near the river are two 

 mounds formed of the debris of two or more fine temples. The altar 

 piece of one was a ten-armed figure of Doorgah slaying the monster 

 Mahisasoor. There are two groups of this subject, one greatly mutila- 

 ted, the other in good preservation, the arms and weapons all perfect 

 and sbarp cut. There are here two elaborately carved door pieces of 

 the entrance to the shrine. The ornamentation, cut in a very hard 

 stone, is as sharp and clear as if it had but recently been turned out of 

 the sculptor's hands. It is like the wooden carving of a picture frame, 

 so minute and neat are the borders and scrolls. Near the other temple 

 I found a large altar group representing, I believe, Kamadeva and 

 his wife. They are represented seated lovingly side by side, and are 

 in a good state of preservation. 



Amongst the detached blocks were two figures having in alto- 

 relievo the " Machowa" and " Cuchowa" Avatars of Vislmoo. The 

 whole series of incarnations doubtless formed the chief external orna- 

 mentation of one of the temples. On a former occasion of visiting 

 these ruins, I noticed here an image of Vishnoo in propria persona, with 

 well-formed features, a highly decorated conical cap, jewelled, extensive 

 ear-ornaments and a mannikin in bis left hand ; this image I did not 

 observe on the last occasion. Not far from the temples is a stone image 

 of a life-sized bull, Siva's Bull, which appears to have wandered from 

 the shrine into the fields to graze. We next came to an extensive 

 tank surrounded by a moat and ditch, but between the moat and the 

 tank, there is a considerable space all round which was probably the 

 site of houses, making this an entrenched tank square. In the centre 

 of the tank there is a singular structure of stone, two small columns 

 supporting a triple umbrella, from which the tank is called the 

 " Chatta pooker." This indicates that the tank was dedicated to 

 Indra, the king of heaven, as the trident on a post in most tanks 

 shows that the blessing of Siva has been invoked on the work. 



In the village of Dulmi we have a collection of sculptures that 

 have been removed from the ruins. There is a group of Vishnoo 

 and Lakshmi, a single figure of Vishnoo, a smaller bull, and vari- 

 ous other images. An uncle of the Rajah, a venerable looking old 

 man, lives at Dulmi, but, strange to say, he could give me no in- 



