402 Notes on the Caves of Burabur. [May, 



hill, three in another, hut the name " Satgurha," commonly understood 

 to mean " seven chambers," is applied to two only, which subject I 

 shall treat of further on. 



I shall first of all state that the hills called Burabur, are isolated 

 rocks of sienitic granite rising abruptly from the plain about 15 miles 

 north of the city of Gyah, by the left bank of the Phulgo or Mahanud- 

 da ; the cluster is remarkable for its picturesque appearance, and for 

 the noble masses of rock piled, as it were, one above another, with 

 hardly any soil, consequently little vegetation, and rising to various 

 heights, from 100 to 3 or 400 feet. 



Although Burabur is that by which the cluster is commonly known, 

 each hill has a name of its own. The highest being called " Burabur," 

 also " Sidheswur," from a temple to Mahadeva that once crowned the 

 highest, and of which I shall speak presently. 



The next in height is the " Kowa Dol," which is detached from the 

 rest by near a mile to the south-west. 



A third is called " Nag-arjuni," and is the eastern-most of the great 

 cluster. 



A fourth, and the smallest, called Durhawut, is at the northern 

 extremity ; others have names also, but as the above alone contain 

 objects of notice I shall rest content with giving them only. 



The Kowa Dol being first met with, on coming from the Dak 

 bungalow of Belah on the Patna road, from which it is distant full six 

 miles, I shall take it first. It is an almost entirely bare rock, having 

 nearly a perpendicular scarp on its northern face, and sloping at an 

 angle of 45°, more or less, on the opposite or southern side : east and 

 west, it is disjointed and inaccessible ; huge stratified masses are piled 

 one over the other, decreasing in length at each end, the whole is sur- 

 mounted by single blocks like pillars ; the centre one of which towers 

 above the rest and is conical. It is said that formerly there was a huge 

 block balanced on the top of this cone, which from its being moved 

 by birds alighting on it obtained the name of " Kowa Dol" or crow- 

 moved, or the crow-swing ; about a century or less back, this rocking- 

 stone fell down, where it may still be seen. 



This hill seems to have been surrounded by a large town ; there is 

 an artificial mound continuous round the north and east faces, filled with 

 broken pottery, bricks and blocks of hewn stone ; there are two names 



