8 Notes on Assam Temple Ruins. [No. 1. 



The temple encloses a crypt, eight feet square and sunk three 

 feet below the surface, with well cut steps leading down to it. 

 Within is an obloug stone block for the idol ; it has a socket for 

 the purpose, and a spout for carrying oiF the water used in bathing 

 the image. 



In front of the shrine and facing the vestibule of the temple, a 

 single stone, ten feet in length, has two large lions in high relief 

 carved on it, two large male figures crowned, and four female figures. 

 This stone resembles figure, (plate IV. fig. 2,) of the Tezpore sculp- 

 ture, which enables us to place the latter. 



The shrine was covered with a dome-shaped roof, formed of hori- 

 zontal slabs in overlapping circles, the base measures 28 feet both 

 ways. It had originally an anteroom and vestibule of stone, in 

 front of the shrine, the foundations of which still remain ; and, 

 from the fragments lying about, the handsome exterior moulding of 

 the shrines, appears to have been continued round these additions. 



The small bass reliefs, introduced into the external mouldings of 

 the shrine, all represent groups of figures in obscene attitudes. The 

 representations of the human figures are generally very much out 

 of proportion, but apparently, purposely so, to make them more 

 grotesque. The rendering of some of the animals is very good. 



In modern times, the most frequented and celebrated of the 

 shrines of Kamroop, is the temple of Hajou* situated on a hill, 

 about 300 feet in height, on the north bank of the Brahmaputra, 

 12 miles N. W. from Gowahatty. Pilgrims of the brahmanical 

 faith from all parts of India> meet here, and make offerings in 

 common with Buddhists from Nepal, Bhootan, Thibet and China. 



The brahmans call the object of worship Madhob, the Buddhists 

 call it Mahamuni, the great sage. It is in fact simply a colossal 

 image of Budh in stone, and perhaps, of all the idols now occupying 

 the holiest places in temples, the only aboriginal one. 



* The other name by which the hill is designated is Nunnikote. The etymon 

 of the word Hajou is traceable to the language of the Bows, who were for a long 

 period the masters of the valley. It is composed Ha, a land a.udjow high. 



This is doubtless the temple which the Mahomedan general Bukhtiyar Khiliji 

 attempted to take possession of, when he found the stone bridge dismantled and 

 Vfas obliged to proceed lower down the stream in search of a ford. 



