KANGRA-KULU EPICENTRAL AREA. 33 



the flatness of the ruins was terribly impressive. Passing among the ruins we 

 came out above the wreckage of the great temple itself. A confused mass of 

 masonry lay below. The thick walls were rent, small shrines broken up and only 

 one miniature temple (sikra) left, and even this had been partly thrown down, 

 and was standing tilted over at a sharp angle. The golden roof «nd cupola were 

 resting on the ruins, some of the gilded 'metal plates having been broken off by the 

 shock, but the roof as a whole not having lost its distinctive shape (see frontispiece). 

 The thickness of the walls was enormous, as the temple was most strongly 

 built, and yet the masonry was. shattered as if the structure had been weakly 

 constructed. Below the temple we saw masses of ruins. These marked the site 

 of the houses used for the reception of pilgrims and they have yet to yield up 

 their dead. Those who perished there must have died instantaneously, for the 

 debris is even now an almost impenetrable mass. The very height of these houses 

 caused their fall to be appalling. Treasure and jewels, worth several lakhs of 

 rupees, are said to be under the temple ruins, and the recovery of these will be 

 attempted later. For the Kangra Bhawan was a most sacred place, pilgrims from 

 even distant Southern India ooming to visit it. Ranjit. Singh once came to the 

 temple, it is said ; while long before, 900 years ago, its riches attracted Mahmud 

 of Ghazni, who plundered Nazarkote, as it was then called, carrying away the 

 great idol and an immense store of treasure. 



From the site of the temple we passed upwards, still climbing among the 

 trees until the broad paved way led us past the Amritsar Mission School houses 

 and playground. The buildings were well constructed of stone, but were now 

 mere piles of debris. Then the or est of the hi ill was reached. Here lay the smaller 

 . temple of Devi utterly wrecked and the remains of the Mission Church with its 

 bell lying among the shattered masonTy. The church and temple had stood side 

 by side and their ruins were mingled. Lower down on the crest was the Mission 

 House where the Rev. Mr. Rowlands, Mrs. Decauble and Miss Lorbeer were killed. 

 One can see the verandah where the two ladies were sitting at the time the earth- 

 quake occurred, and the suddenness of the shock is proved by the fact that they 

 were unable to escape. Here on the crest can be seen long narrow fissures run- 

 ning east and west (see pi. I, fig. 2). Big branches have been broken from the banian 

 and peepul trees, while the cactus plants also show signs of damage. Fol- 

 lowing the fissures upwards we found that they became more marked at the high- 

 est point of the ridge, where the Sessions House 3tood on a small • plateau, bufr 

 they were never more than four or fiVe inches in width* The soil, too, is rather 

 loose, so they may not extend to any depth. The Sessions House was a large 

 stone building commanding a magnificent view all over the Kangra. Valley. It 

 was completely destroyed, being almost instantaneously shaken from its founda- 

 tions and crumbling to pieces. One need not refer again to the lives lost here* for 

 the story is too pitiful. 



South-west, on the lower spur, Kangra fort lies utterly wrecked. It stood in 

 an isolated position overlooking the slope to the north-east . on which were a 

 cluster of houses of old Kangra. These lie wrecked almost hidden amongst tue 



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