1865.] . Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 167 



saw it thrown down by the great earthquake 50 years ago.' The 

 assertion certainly seemed fatal to General Cunningham's speculations, 

 though on the other hand, as the condition of the Aventeshwara 

 temple is exactly like that of Aventiswami, it is singular that in both 

 cases the earthquake should have spared the innocuous gateway, and 

 utterly overthrown the sanctuary or actual abode of the idol, a distinc- 

 tion which savours strongly of Aurungzib. However, whatever be the 

 case with the sanctuary, the powers of nature have plainly been at work 

 in the rest of the temple, for either by earthquakes or by the lapse of 

 time, the ground has completely silted up, so that the whole peristyle 

 of the quadrangle, has been buried. When General Cunningham was 

 here, he caused a small portion of the ground to be excavated, and 

 a beautiful fragment was thereby revealed, consisting of fluted columns 

 standing a little in front of a series of trefoiled arches, each enclosed 

 within a triangular pediment, flanked by pillars, and ornamented with 

 human-headed birds, such as we afterwards saw at Martund, the 

 grandest of Kashmirian ruins. As we paced the grass near this frag- 

 ment, it seemed plain that we must be walking over pillars of equal 

 beauty, and that the whole peristyle probably remained underground. 

 So we asked the Maharajah's jemadar whether we also might employ 

 diggers, whereupon, with the promptitude of a paternal government, 

 he gave the hukm, and forthwith twenty coolies with pickaxes and 

 spades rushed upon the scene, and began to dig in a place which he 

 selected as promising. We then continued our voyage up the river, 

 saying that on our return we hoped to see the result of their 

 labour, and to pay them according to its progress. Five days after, 

 we again moored our boats at Aventipura. To our great delight we 

 found about 20 feet of the peristyle uncovered, on the side opposite 

 to Cunningham's excavation, displaying a continuation of trefoiled 

 arches between ornamented pillars, with detached columns in front. 

 The newly revealed pillars are more varied and rich in their decora- 

 tion than those previously discovered. Part of the architrave had fallen 

 down just in front of the arcade, but this displacement seems merely 

 local, and there is little doubt that by active digging the whole 

 peristyle will be displayed almost in its original beauty. I could not 

 stay to see this done, but Mr. Cowie took measures for continuing the 

 Work, and I have since heard from him that it has been advancing 



