168 Antiquities of the Cuttack Hills. [No. 3, 



images, without wishing confusion on the Moslem banner, and ruin 

 on those fanatic hands which raised it. 



The two other peaks of the Char-pitha are Achala Basanta or 

 "Eternal Spring," so named, perhaps, from the luxuriance of its 

 ever-green trees and flowers ; and the JBaro Dehi, or " seat of the 

 Great." 



At the foot of Acliala Basanta lie scattered the ruins of 

 Majlii Pura, the residence of the brethren and the relatives 

 of the old hill-chief. Dilapidated remains of old gates, stone 

 platforms, and broken walls are all that are now visible : they do 

 not suffice to give any idea of the size of the original edifice. 



The Baro Dehi, or the seat of the chieftain, is at the foot of 

 the highest peak. There are the ruins of an old fort in the jungle, 

 which I had not an opportunity to visit, but the tradition connected 

 with it, as given to me by a native, runs as follows : — 



In olden time, the fort was held by a chief who was a washerman 

 by caste. From Khalicoti (Calicut) in the far south, came an out- 

 law, by name Lokanath Bhumija. He besieged the fort by night, 

 surprised the old chief, put him with his family to the sword, and 

 established his sway over the hills. He then assumed the name of 

 Bali from the fact of his having taken possession of Baro Dehi by 

 mere bal, or strength, a name yet retained by his family. During 

 the Musalman and Mahratta periods, the hill estate of ' Alain gir 

 ranked among the QiVlahjdts of the permanently settled estates 

 of Cuttack. At the time of British settlement, the Raja proved 

 recusant from a mistaken notion of his own superiority, and the 

 estate was therefore included within the Mughalbandi, or revenue- 

 paying temporary settled estates. It is stated that the Raja 

 subsequently made his submission, but his title could not be 

 recognised by the Settlement Commissioner as his title-deed ap- 

 peared to be suspicious. The 'Alamgir estate has now been split 

 up, and has passed into the hands of different purchasers, and the 

 representative of the old Raja's family is a pauper, living on the 

 produce of a few acres of land, which has been assigned to him by 

 the gratitude of an old servant of his family, the Garh Ndyaka or 

 governor of the fort. 



