2foe Journal of a trip to Cuttack. [March* 



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The building in which are placed the sacred relics* lias no pretentions 

 t6 elegance of design : the enclosure and the ground surrounding it is 

 chiefly used as the common burial place for the moslem inhabitants. 

 The Peer-zadas or priests, make a tolerable profit in sickly seasons as 

 they charge from 1-4 to 2 and 3 rupees for each grave dug. The fore- 

 going inscription alludes simply to the gateway and music gallery over 

 the same ; it appears to have been built in the year A. D. 1755, when 

 the province of Cuttack was in the hands of the Mahrattas. I cannot 

 ascertain who the individual " Deed a r Allee" was, or what office he 

 held at Cuttack, it is however immaterial, the building is not worthy 

 of notice. The following is a translation of the verses. 



" At the shrine of the Lord of both worlds, the asylum of human 

 beings and of the Jins, the music gallery of the faith was constructed* 

 in the reign of Alumgeer Sani, (Alumgeer the 2nd.) If the off- 

 spring of the good in the faith of Muhammad, know that his name is 

 Deedar Allee, at the shrine of the Prophet he erected this palace, 

 may the Lord grant the wishes of his heart. When I asked the year 

 of its date, the hidden angel (voice) replied with condescension, < When 

 the king broke the heads of infidels, read the year (in)' < of the music 

 gallery of the faith,' (year of the Hegira 1169.)' 



The Jumma Musjid in the principal street is also a very clumsy in- 

 elegant building : it is used as much as a school as for a place of prayer. 

 There is now scarce any thing remaining of the palaces of the Lall-bag. 

 The Hindu temples are all small and inelegant and none of any anti- 

 quity ; there is however one temple of large dimensions which has never 

 been finished, it was commenced by one of the Mahratta governors who 

 did not live to complete it : it is about 70 feet high. The largest dwelling 

 houses are those of the former amils and governors, they are all fast 

 falling to the ground. 



There appears to be very little trade carried on in Cuttack, the chief 

 manufactures are brass cooking utensils, and shoes for which the place 

 is famous. 



The soil of Cuttack is sandy and very poor : rice is the only cultiva- 

 tion, the gardens are consequently very inferior. 



