56 Antiquities in the Gayd District. [No. 1, 



is built on the site of an ancient village, and there is an old mud fort 

 adjoining. A large tank to the south-east of the village has a stone 

 pillar in the centre, but with no inscription ; it is one block of granite 

 rudely sculptured, and is now only about 10 feet above ground. Another 

 pillar of the same kind occurs at a village called Belar, with extensive 

 mounds about 5 or 6 miles to the south. Two miles to the south, 

 there is a cluster of small detached hills at the foot ; almost easterly 

 there is a village called Cheon (pronounced Cheo). To the east of this 

 village, on a small eminence, there is a ruined temple still partly 

 standing : see Photographs Nos. 37 and 38 : the first shows the appearance 

 of the temple from the south, and the second gives a nearer view of 

 the doorway. The temple is built of squared granite blocks, with little 

 cement or iron bands, and is evidently of the same age as those at 

 Oomga. There is a lingam in the interior, but no other figures, and 

 there are only a few figures about. I failed in finding any inscriptions. 



Some little distance to the north, near the hill, there are several 

 large figures all more or less mutilated, and a great number of squared 

 granite blocks, from which it would seem that another temple existed 

 here ; and the base of the hill on the west, north and east, is covered 

 with brick rubbish in mounds of more or less distinct shapes. The hill 

 runs down into a low spur on the west side, and every available spur 

 and ridge had been covered with buildings. Some of the mounds to the 

 south are both large and high, so that there is little doubt that this 

 must have been the site of a considerable settlement in former days ; 

 and that it was a Buddhist community, may be inferred from the pre- 

 valence of figures of a Buddhist character. 



To the west is another little hill called Puchar, which is also cover- 

 ed with the remains of little buildings ; and on the south side, 

 half way up, there is a small cave temple with the doorway and passage 

 still standing : see Photographs Nos. 39 and 40. The doorway is 

 supported on pillars with the usual bracket capitals, and the roof of the 

 passage is made with slabs of the same granite. The cave is only some 

 ten by twelve feet, of an irregular form, as it is a natural cavity between 

 the huge boulders, with some addition in the shape of a few bricks to 

 close up the interstices ; one of these communicates with other cavities 

 in the hill, as a strong current of air was found to be passing into the 

 interior, so much so that a light was extinguished, but as the opening 



