1838.] Ruins of Jdjipur. 205 



In the year 1174, A. H. which the last line gives by the rules of the 

 abjid, the province of Cuttack was in the hands of the Mahrattas, 

 under Babaji Naik. If the date, on the other hand refers to the 

 Amli year 1174, which answers to A. D. 1765, or thereabout, it was 

 during the administration of Bhowany pandit, the Mahratta go- 

 vernor of plundering notoriety who succeeded Sheobhat in 1171 

 Amli*. The persons thus mentioned may have been the military go- 

 vernors, under either of these supreme rulers. 



On our taking possession of the fort in 1803, the ditch was drained 

 and the numerous alligators destroyed or allowed to escape into the 

 river : there are but few to be seen at present and none of any size. 



The walls and other masonry are of laterite and sandstone, most of 

 the towers are faced with the latter. The most striking object is the 

 cavalier, which is I suppose the " mountain" alluded to in the inscription j 

 this has evidently had a subsequent facing of sandstone added to it and 

 forms a part of the original " gurh or keep of the castle/' 



There is an old mosque with no pretensions to elegance, the work of 

 the Mogul occupants. 



The candelabra mentioned by Mr* Stirling has been removed to a 

 garden in Chowleegunge, it is a chirdgddn about 15 feet high and 

 of mogunee or chlorite ; being an octagonal pillar l± feet at its base and 

 about 10 inches at its summit on which is a vase the shape of a lotus, 

 but intended to hold a " tulsee" plant, it is not one shaft, but a number 

 of layers about 10 inches deep, each having four brackets projecting out 

 of four of the sides of the octagon, and every other layer having its 

 brackets on different faces so as to allow of one blank every way between 

 each bracket ; it is of modern workmanship and belonged to a temple 

 built by the Mahrattas which was pulled down many years ago, and 

 was used for illuminations at the Dewallee festival : there is another very 

 like it, before a temple, in the cantonment by the river side, also 

 built by the Mahrattas. 



The town of Cuttack is very straggling ; there are a number of very 

 good houses of hewn stone and brick, but mostly in very indifferent re- 

 pair from the poverty of their inmates. 



The principal building is the " Kuddum Russool" in the suburbs, 

 over the gateway of which is the following inscription. 



^d "kiU* ooy £*&$ *~r^j* Li^W )* ji**- &jtX> 

 * Vide Stirling's Orissa, At. Res. 



2 E 



