82 Descrption of Ancient Remains of [No. 2, 



When this is settled, the antiquity and origin of these terrace pillars 

 will be settled likewise. 



Buddhist Vihar— No. VI. 



Ad-Bislieshwar Temple and neighbouring Mosque. 



Ad-Bisheshwar is the name of a lofty temple situated a short 

 distance from Aurungzebe's mosque just referred to, and in sight of 

 it, and is held to be, by some persons, the original or most ancient 

 temple of this deity. The derivation of its name only bears out 

 this supposition, for the temple itself, from the pinnacle to the base, 

 has nothing really ancient about it. On the eastern side of the 

 enclosure the ground takes a sudden rise of eighteen feet, forming a 

 terrace manifestly of artificial construction. On this side there is a 

 retaining wall of stone masonry, which is wanting on the southern 

 side of the terrace, where there is only an earthen bank. The other 

 two sides of the terrace are covered with • buildings, which prevent 

 the exact ascertainment of its boundary in these directions. On that 

 flank which is contiguous to the Ad-Bisheshwar enclosures, stands a 

 mosque erected some eighty years ago or less, but not finished then, 

 for want of money. It was built of stones found on the spot, with 

 new Chunar slabs added. The terrace existed before with the but- 

 tress, and is evidently of ancient construction. 



The building is in two divisions, each of which is 23J feet in 

 length, connected together by a massive wall 5 J feet thick, composed 

 of large blocks of stone. This wall projects considerably beyond the 

 building into the courtyard to the east, and has the appearance of a 

 huge buttress ; but what its object is, seeing that the mosque, which 

 is entirely of stone, is amply sustained by its columns and walls, and 

 requires no such additional support, it is hard to say. Possibly the 

 buttress is pierced with a staircase, leading formerly to an upper story 

 which the buttress supported, and the Mohammedan architects, not 

 caring to remove the massive prop, have retained it in the mosque. 

 They appear, moreover, to have confined themselves chiefly to mate- 

 rials lying upon the spot, as in three places carved pillars, similar to 

 those sustaining the centre aisle, have been adopted as architraves. 

 There are fourteen columns in the interior of the mosque, which are 

 peculiarly but not extensively carved, and are crowned with orna- 





