170 Antiquities of the Cut-tack Hills. [No. 2, 



an old building, of considerable dimensions, partly covered with 

 shrubs, and partly whitened with moss, and the refuse of aquatic 

 birds. There is a curious tradition connected with this building of 

 about the age of Kalapahar, the general of Sulaiman Afghan, (A. D. 

 1558,) who, it is said drove out Bashu Kalpa, the chief of the 

 Barunibanta (Darpan) Hill and compelled him to take refuge in 

 the Dhanabanti, hills (Chatia). Bashu Kalpa became subsequently 

 the lord of the Amaravati fort. The structure in the tank was 

 built to protect his grandson on his wedding-day, when it was 

 predicted a tiger would kill him. I do not give the anecdote at 

 length, as it resembles in all its details the story of Chand Sadagar, 

 as sung by one of our early Bengali poets. The enemy of Chand 

 Sadagar of Champanagara was the serpent, as instigated by the 

 goddess Manasa ; that of Paddalochan, the Uriya prince, the tiger, as 

 instigated by Satya Narayana. Evidently the authors of the Bengali 

 and the Uriya poems got the idea of the enemy to their heroes from 

 the nature of the country they inhabited : Champanagara stands 

 on a flat plane near Budbud, not far from the Damuda, and is 

 subject to floods. The serpent is still dreaded there, and a meld is 

 annually held to worship it. Chatia is close to the forest, and still 

 suffers from the ravages of leopards. It is curious that there is a 

 place near Chatia also known as Champai Hat. 



Malid-vinayahi. This is one of the peaks of the highest chain 

 in the district of Cuttack, viz., the Barunibanta hills in Killa Dar- 

 pan. The country around it is wild, and inhabited by an aborignal 

 race known as Sawars, evidently the Savaras mentioned in Menu, 

 who, in physical and mental peculiarities, resemble the Sonthals of 

 "Western Bengal. The hill is covered with primitive jungle, and sel- 

 dom visited by any but pilgrims. It was probably from the beginning 

 occupied by the Sivites, no sign of the worship of Buddha being 

 traceable on it. The prospect from the top of the hill is glorious. The 

 Sivites could not have selected a better spot for their Bhajana Afanda- 

 pa or temple of worship. From the point where I ascended, the 

 country around seemed a magnificent panorama of light and shade, 

 diversified by carpets and crests of evergreens. The sun was just up, 

 and under its rays far below in the distance, every patch of water 

 appeared like a mass of blazing diamonds ; every running brook, 



