1840.] The Hodesum (improperly called KolehanJ , 707 



a cow and wrapped a Bramin in the hide, which tightening as it dried, 

 squeezed him to death. Only one man, a taunty, escaped, who was 

 warned by the bullocks he was ploughing with, of the fate which im- 

 pended over the place ; it is called Kesnagurh to this day. In Anlah- 

 peer, to the far south, and on the borders of Rorwan, a few Koles of 

 the poorest kind, have built a wretched straggling hamlet near the 

 banks of what once was a truly magnificent, tank. It is called 

 " Benoo Saugur," and is said to have been built by one Raja Benoo, 

 who fled from the place owing to the incursions of the Mahrattas. 

 This was probably during the days of the celebrated " Morari Rao," 

 for judging by the trees which now luxuriate amidst the buildings, 

 the place must have been deserted and in ruins full 200 years ago. 

 The tank which I paced, as well as the jungle allowed me, is about 

 600 yards square. On the east bank are the remains of a handsome 

 stone ghaut ; the west side may be similar, but was inaccessible, by 

 reason of thickets; on the summit of the ample bund surrounding the 

 water, lie stones richly carved ; it is probable they once constituted 

 small temples ranged around. In the centre of the tank is an island, 

 crowned by a temple, now almost a shapeless mass. On the south- 

 east corner of the tank are the debris of a gurhee or small fort, which 

 appears to have been a parallelogram of about 300 by 150 yards, enclos- 

 ed by a massy wall, with towers at the corners. In the centre are 

 two sunken platforms, with stone steps descending into them, in 

 which lie idols in all stages of decay ; some of these were buried 

 many feet under a loose reddish soil, having the appearance of decay- 

 ed bark. Among several Gunneshes, Parbuttees, Mahadeos, and other 

 gods of modern Hindoo mythology, were others which my infor- 

 mants, the Mohurbunj Raja's Mookhtar^, the Burkoonwr of Rorwan, 

 and several of their Bramin attendants, could give me no history of. 

 Three of the best preserved of these I took away with the help of some 

 Nagpoor Dhangars, not one of the people of the country daring to 

 touch them. About 300 yards to the south of the gurhee is another 

 mound or hillock of broken bricks, which I was told was the " Kut- 

 cherry" of the Raja. To the west of this, and all along the bank of the 

 Talab, the plain now covered with jungle grass, and here and there 

 cultivated with gora dhan by the Koles, is scattered with bricks, 

 showing that a substantial town or bazar mi^st have existed here. 



