178 Report of the Archeological Survey. [No. 3, 
1430, at which time it was the Capital of Northern Pdnchéla. The 
name is written Ahi-kshetra, as well as Ahi-chhatra, but the local legend 
of Adi Raja and the NAga, who formed a canopy over his head when 
asleep, shows that the latter is the correct form. This grand old fort 
is said to have been built by Raja Adi, an Ahir, whose future elevation — 
to sovereignty was foretold by Drona, when he found him sleeping 
under the guardianship of a serpent with expanded hood. The place is 
mentioned by Ptolemy as Adwadpa, which proves that the legend at- 
tached to the name of Adz is at least as old as the beginning of the 
Christian era. The fort is also called Adikot, but the more conmon 
named is Ahechhatr. 
205. According to the Mahdbhdrat the great kingdom of Pdnchéla 
extended from the Himalaya Mountains to the Chambal River. The — 
capital of North Pdénchdla, or Rohilkhand, was Ali-chhatra, and that of 
South Pdnchdla, or the Central Gangetic Doab, was Kdmpilya, now 
Kampil, on the old Ganges between Budaon and Farokhabad. Just 
before the great war, or about 1430 B. C., the King of Pédnchdla, 
named Drupada, was conquered by Drona, the preceptor of the five 
Pandus. Drona retained north Pdnchdla for himself, but restored the 
southern half of the kingdom to Drupada, According to this account 
the name of Ali-chhatra, and consequently also the legend of Adi 
Raja and the serpent, are many centuries anterior to the rise of 
Buddhism. 
206. It would appear, however, that the Buddhists must have 
adopted and altered the legend to do honour to their great teacher, fo 
Hwen Thsang records that outside the town there was a Ndga-hrada, o 
““ serpent tank,” near which Buddha had preached the law for seven days 
in favour of the Serpent King, and that the spot was marked by 
Stupa of King Asoka. Now, as the only existing Stwpa at this place 
is called Chattr, I infer that the Buddhist legend represented the Naga 
King after his conversion as forming a canopy over Buddha with his 
expanded hood. I think, also, that the Stwpa erected on the spot 
where the conversion took place would naturally have been called Ahi. 
chhatra, or the “serpent canopy.” A similar story is told at Buddha 
Gya of the Naga King Muchalinda, who with his expanded hoo 
sheltered Buddha from the shower of rain produced by the maligna 
demon Mira. 







