1838.] Journal of a Tour in Oris sa. 681 



(started at sunset, having made previous arrangements for proceeding on 

 to Cuttack after examining the stone ; I reached the spot after an in- 

 finite deal of trouble and annoyance, for I could not get a single villager 

 to tell me where it was ; all denied there being any at all, such is the 

 provoking insolence and knavery of most Ooreyahs. At 8 P. «. my 

 bearers having got hold (by good luck) of the head-man of the village, 

 he led me to the spot which was such as described ; the stone is about 

 three feet above the ground and of semicircular shape, having one face 

 flat about one foot wide on which are the remains of a short inscription 

 and a piece of rude sculpture (vide plate XXXVIII. fig. 1). I was 

 assured that the stone was sunk very deep in the ground, in fact that 

 it reached " patal" (the regions below). Having sketched the stone I 

 proceeded on my journey to Cuttack, where I arrived at noon the 

 following day. 



I remained two days at Cuttack and then proceeded to Kandrak to 

 see the famous temple known by the name of "the- black pagoda." 

 Owing to the bad bearers I had had for the two last stages, I did not 

 reach Kandrak till one o'clock the following day, instead of at sunrise 

 as I had expected, added to which I had such a bad headache when I 

 arrived, from exposure to the sun and want of food, that I was quite 

 unable to do any thing further than examine the noble ruin. 



The temple has been originally very similar in general design to 

 that of Jaganndth at Pooree ; the great tower fell to the ground many 

 centuries ago ; but one corner is still standing to the height of 80 

 or 100 feet and has (at a distance) the appearance of a crooked 

 column. Such is the extent and minuteness of the sculpture on the 

 pyramidal building (the anti-chamber) now remaining, that it would 

 require a sheet of paper almost of the size of the original to give all 

 the minutiae of sculpture. The largest figures (which are mostly 

 highly obscene) are about four feet high : there is one row of them 

 however round the dome (if it may be so termed) which are neatly 

 executed and well worth removing to the museum : they represent 

 musicians in dancing attitudes, playing on drums, trumpets, &c. &c. &c. 

 The whole edifice is of a reddish stone found in the neighbourhood, 

 which appears to be a kind of mottled breccia with a great proportion 

 of quartz and lithomarge. The only black stones in the building, are 

 those with which the three doorways to the north, east and south 

 are lined : they are huge slabs of chlorite richly carved. 



The Kurda raja has demolished all three entrances and is removing 

 the stones to Pooree ; the masons pick out the figures and throw them 

 down to take their chance of being broken to pieces, (which most q£ 

 4 Q 2 



