Archeological Survey Report. Ixix 
yjured in the mouth, and the column itself bears the round mark of 
a cannon shot just below the capital, which has itself been slightly 
dislodged by the shock. One has not far to seek for the name of 
the probable author of this mischief. By the people the outrage 
is ascribed to the Musalmans, and on the pillar itself, in beautifully 
cut Persian characters, is inscribed the name of MWahi-ud-din Muham- 
mad, Aurungzeb, Padshah Alamgir, Ghazi Sanah 1071. This date 
corresponds with A. D. 1660-61, which was the fourth year of the 
reign of the bigoted Aurungzeb, and the record may probably have 
been inscribed by some zealous follower in Mir Jumla’s army, which 
was then on its return from Bengal, after the death of the Emperor’s 
brother Shuja. The Navandgarh Pillar is much thinner and much 
’ lighter than those of Ara-Raj and Bakhra. The weight of the 
polished portion of its shaft is only 18 tons, or rather less than half 
that of the Bakhra Pillar, and somewhat more than half that of the 
Ara-Raj Pillar. 
167. The pillar is inscribed with the edicts of Asoka in the same 
clear and beautifully cut characters as those of the Ara-Raj Pillar. 
The two inscriptions, with only a few trifling variations, correspond 
letter for letter. I made acareful copy of the whole for comparison 
with the text made public by James Prinsep. I made also a fac- 
simile impression in ink, which I am now reducing for publication 
with that of the Ara-Raj Pillar. 
168. The Navandgarh Pillar has been visited by numerous 
travellers, as it stands in the direct route from Bettiah to Nepal. 
There are a few unimportant inscriptions in modern Nagari, the 
oldest being dated in Samvat 1566 chait badi 10, equivalent to 
A.D. 1509. One of them, without date, refers to some petty Royal 
Family, Nripa Ndrdyana Suta Nripa Amara Singha, that is, “King 
Amara Singha, the son of King Narayana.’ ‘The only English 
inscription is the name of Rn. Burrow, 1792. 
169. The pillar itself has now become an object of worship as a 
phallus or lingam. Whilst I was copying the inscription, a man 
with two women and a child set up a small tlag before the pillar, 
and placed offerings of sweetmeats around it. They then all knelt 
before it, bowing down their heads to the ground with their hands 
behind their backs, and repeating some prayer. The erection of the 
pillar is ascribed to Raja Bhim Mari, one of the five PAndaya bro- 
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