1S37.J condition of Oujein on Ujjayani. 823 



paper was picked up in the crowd. On each side of the road as you 

 now turn towards the town, the eye meets nothing but gardens, 

 baolis, and pleasure houses, the property of two or three gosains 

 and vairagis whom the liberality of the Sindias has enriched. Rent- 

 free lands and exemption from duties enable them to trade with 

 certainty of profit. They are of course far from being what their 

 profession might imply, devotees ; and though several of the edifices 

 about Ovjein, are due to their liberality, they were described to me as 

 very Don Juans, the terror of every jealous husband in Oujein*. 



The only place I will stop to notice between these gardens and 

 the city, is the Sehesra Dhanakeswar, a temple of Mahadeo. The sons 

 of a raja Bidorut reposed after the fatigue of the chase, near a deep 

 pool, which a rishi performing tapasya informed them was the abode of 

 adaitya, who afflicted the whole earth, adding that their names would 

 be for ever blessed, if they would rid the world of the tyrant. The 

 young men accordingly collected an army and marched against the 

 demon, who in a moment annihilated them all : the raja in despair at 

 the loss of his son, made supplication to Mahadeo, who pleased with 

 his piety lent him the bow (dhanah), one arrow sent from which had the 

 efficacy of a thousand. The raja armed with the wonderful weapon 

 destroyed the enemy, and in gratitude to his avenger so redoubled his 

 prayers and penances that Mahadeo desired him to ask a favor. The 

 pious king requested the deity to inhabit some ling am which might more 

 exclusively be the object of his adoration. Mahadeo put his coun- 

 tenance into a stone, which he authorized him to worship as the 

 Sehesra Dhanakeswar. The present temple is modern but handsome. 

 Mass upon mass of ornamental carving is heaped upon the sikra, and 

 the dome of the porch has painted in the interior some of the wonder- 

 ful actions of the deity. Several smaller shrines sanctify the court 

 around it, where is also a fine baoli constructed by Chatur Gira 

 Gosai'n : a high wall encloses the whole. The building is ascribed to 

 Sedasheo Naik, but who this was no one seemed to know. Seda- 

 sheo is a common name in Mahratta history, but the person here 

 spoken of was probably the benevolent banker of whom such an 

 interesting anecdote is related by Hunter-}*. 



Passing over the ancient city without remark for the present, we reach 

 Rana khan\ garden which looks on the river where it flows past the 



* As Tod has remarked, some of the richest inhabitants of Malwa and Central 

 India are the mercantile gosains. 



f The unfortunate leader at Paniput is never that I remember called Naik. 



% 1 write the name after Malcolm though it is pronounced as Grant Duff 

 spells the word, Rannay Khan— I have never seen it written. 



