1837.] condition of Oujein or Ujj ay ani. 831 



precious stones spread a refulgent lustre throughout the temple*. The 

 building of which this exaggerated description is given, was destroyed 

 by Altamsh, who thought to carry off in triumph the stone which even 

 gods had respected. But the brahmans pretend that he took away 

 a mere stone, for that the ling inhabited by divinity eluded in invisi- 

 bility the polluting touch of the infidel. The present temple is said to 

 have been built, (it was probably repaired only,) about a hundred years 

 ago, by Ramchandra Bappu, dewan of Ram Rao|. It stands in 

 the midst of the city, in the centre of an extensive court, enclosed by 

 walls J. Steps lead down from the western face to a small square tank, 

 the Kote Tirhut, the bathing in which has the efficacy of a million 

 pilgrimages, for Guruda filled it, by a drop of water from every sacred 

 kund in the universe, and it thus partakes of the virtues of every one 

 of them. 



The court which surrounds the kund, is filled up with verandahs, 

 partitioned into small cells and sewalas, each occupied by an emblem 

 of divinity. Above the verandahs are wooden dharmsdlas, where 

 brahmans are daily fed, and lie sheltered from the heat of the sun. I 

 have before alluded to the difficulty, which deterred the court of 

 Indra, from worshipping at Mahakdl. Na'gchand, having told them 

 of a ling, which absolved from the unintentional offence of treading on 

 any other, they built a temple to distinguish it, which they called 

 from the name of their informant, Nugchandreswar. The brah- 

 mans have a tradition, that No Rang Padshah, (so they call Aur. 

 ungzebe,) sent an army to destroy this, and all the other sacred 

 images of Oujein, but no sooner had the infidels once struck the stone 

 than a stream of blood issued from it, which becoming immediately 

 converted into bees, stung the greater part of the intruders to death. 

 Terrified by the prodigy, the emperor desisted from his impious design. 

 This story is an amplification of the miracle related by Tod of the 

 shrine of Onkar, though perhaps the fable may seem more applicable 

 to Oujein, for here all the ancient images (if indeed as believed they 



* Price, Ferishteh, Maurice. 



f Every one we asked gave the same names, but I can find none such in 

 Mahratta history. It may be a corruption of Ramchandra Baba (Shenwee), 

 the protege of Ballaji" Baji' Rao, who was dewan of both Kanagee 

 Scindia and of Sadasheo Rao. 



X There is a description of it in a late number of the E. I. U. S. J. The 

 author of the paper rather strangely mistakes this monarch of lings for a 

 temple of Vishnu. The same writer miscalls a statue of Reessil Muni near 

 Bhirtery's cave a Parisn&th. The image which the brahmans pretended to 

 conceal, was either the mukhat, or more probably, a deviec to extort money. 

 5 n 2 



