1865.] Report of the Archeological Survey. 187 
monnd, marked D in my map, upwards of 300 feet square, and 35 
feet in height above the road. The principal mass of ruin, which is 
in the middle of the west side, is the remains of a large temple, 40 feet 
square outside. In the middle of the south side there are the ruins 
of a small building which may perhaps have been the entrance gate- 
way. To the right and left of the entrance there are the ruins of two 
small temples, each 14 feet square outside, and 9 feet 4} inches inside, 
raised upon a plinth 24 feet square. The contre of the square is open, 
and has evidently never been built upon. My excavations were too 
limited to ascertain more than I have noted above, but I propose to 
continue the exploration towards the end of the ensuing cold weather. 
I believe that this mound is the remains of a very large monastery 
with its lofty enclosed temple, which could not have been less than 80 
or even 100 feet in height. 
224. Connected with <Ahi-chhatra is an inscription of the Gupta 
period on a square pillar found near the village of Dilwdari, 3 kos, or 44 
miles, to the south of the fort. The inscription consists of 14 lines 
of five letters each, the letters of one line being placed exactly under 
those of the line above, so as to form also five straight perpendicular 
lines. The stone is 23 feet long, 1 foot broad, and 9 inches thick in 
the middle, but the continual sharpening of tools has worn down the 
edges to a breadth of from 7 to 74 inches. The inscription, which is 
on one of the narrow faces, has accordingly suffered in the partial loss 
- of some of the initial and final letters of several lines. The other 
} three faces of the stone are quite plain, and there is nothing whatever 







_ to show what the pillar may have been originally intended for. 
225. My account of Ali-chhatra would not be complete without a 
5 reference to the gigantic lingam near the village of Gulariya, 24 miles te 
the north of the fort, and to the Priapian name of the village of Bhim- 
aur, one mile to the east of the fort. Bhim-gaja and Bhim-laur are 
‘common names for the lingam in all the districts to the north of the 
Ganges. I have already quoted Hwen Thsang’s remark that the nine 
Brahmanical temples of Ahi-chhatra in A. D. 634 were dedicated to 
“Siva, and I may now add in illustration, that only in one of the many 
“yuins above the old fort did I find a trace of the worship of any other 
divinity. 
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