1838.] Note by Mr. Kittoe. 887 



responding celebrity ; and that, through the resort of pilgrims, the ap- 

 proaches to them afforded the surest means of causing his doctrines 

 and injunctions to be universally known. 



In this number, we confine our observations to the Somndth temple. 

 The more valuable relics of Girndr must be reserved for more careful 

 examination. Lieut. Postans' report and sketches of the rocks, and. 

 of the valley of Junagarh, will shew precisely the site and outward 

 appearance of the natural tablets, upon which the edicts of Asoka. 

 have been so carefully and so durably engraved. With that we must 

 at present be satisfied. The examination of the facsimiles, and their 

 comparison with the previous readings and printed version of this extra- 

 ordinary inscription, will be the work of time : and unfortunately the 

 drawings and facsimiles of Lieut. Postans reached Calcutta the very 

 day after the discoverer of the key for decyphering this ancient charac- 

 ter had taken his departure, in a state of health that prevented his giving 

 close attention to any of his favorite pursuits. He had prepared every 

 thing before his sickness, for the final comparison which was to be 

 made on their expected arrival. He had already corrected the version, 

 printed in preceding Numbers of this Journal so as to have completed, 

 almost to his perfect satisfaction, the entire restoration and decypher- 

 ing of this valuable relic of 20 centuries. It remained only to refer 

 to the facsimiles for a few doubtful letters and passages ; this la- 

 bour, which to him would have been the work, only of a few hours, will 

 impose upon any other who undertakes it, the task of mastering the 

 character and language of the inscription, and of remaking the colla- 

 tions ab initio. The facsimiles are in the museum of the Asiatic So- 

 ciety, and the learned and the curious are invited to their examination. 



Since the above note was written Mr. Kittoe, who has kindly 

 lithographed the sketches of Somndth for the Journal, has favored us 

 with the following note on its architecture. 



Note by Mr. Kittoe on the Architecture of the temple of Somndth, 

 as exhibited in plates XL. and XLI. 

 Much pains do not appear to have been bestowed by the " Faithful" 

 (who converted the temple of Somndth into a musjid), to obliterate 

 what still remained of its idolatrous features. The minarets and 

 domes of the exterior, and the vousoir arches of the interior supporting 

 them, seem to be the only parts of Moorish origin ; the pillars now 

 occupying the interior of the fabric, and supporting the flat portions of 

 the roof, most probably originally adorned the porches, or " Subhas" and 

 colonnades, which, even in the present day, characterise some of the 

 temples of Orissa and lower down the coast. 

 5 t 



