18G6.] Notes on some of the Temples of Kashmir. 97 



across the road, there is a large cistern, (like that attached to the 

 central temple of the second group of buildings beyond Wangat*), cut 

 out of a single block of granite. It is 6 T 7 T feet long, 5 feet wide, and 

 2^ feet high. There is another cisternf of the same kind, but of smaller 

 dimensions, close by. 



The Hindoos residing on the spot say that the temple was built by 

 one Bonadutt (hence the name Boonyar), whose brother built or 

 began a temple at Venapoora beyond Sopur. The situation is very 

 fine, in a deodar forest on the left bank of the Jhelum, which roars 

 below as it descends in foaming cataracts. Immediately behind, the 

 pine-clad hills rise precipitously to a great height. About one-third 

 up, there is a strange formation of rock, resembling a human figure, 

 which is said by the pundits to be the petre faction of an evil spirit, 

 who formerly devoured men and women passing that way. A very 

 holy fakir, they say, fixed the man-eater for ever where the figure is 

 now seen. 



After carefully examining every part of the Bhaniyar buildings, I 

 am inclined to think that they arc older than the quadrangle at 

 MarttandJ, and of about the same age as the temples beyond Wangat. 



They probably owe their escape from the hand of the destroyer to 

 their secluded situation, which is quite off all the old thoroughfares 

 leading from the Punjab to Kashmir, about three miles lower down 

 the Jhelum than Nowshera, on its left bank. 



I found no trace of an inscription on any of the buildings. 



Temples at Lidar. 



About half a mile beyond Ladoo, and two miles to the left of the 

 road leading from Pampur to Awantipore, there are two temples, one 

 surrounded by water, (Plate XIV.) and a smaller one, close by, a little 

 higher up the hill side. 



The ground plan of the former is a square of 24 feet, with corner 

 pilasters 3J feet thick and 6 inches projected. There is only one 

 doorway, to the W. S. W. Its head is semicircular, with a pyramidal 

 pediment slightly projected and divided into two portions, of which 

 the upper one is plain, and the other is occupied by a semicircular 



* See below, p. 106. f See Photograph, No. III. 



% See Cunningham; p. 263, para. 10* 



