OR CU1TACK. 3£7 



tally looking in upon the nymphs of the palace whilst sporting naked in 

 the water, was cured at this spot by the Sun, to whose service he in grati- 

 tude raised a temple. The present edifice it is well known was built by 

 Raja Langora Narsinh Deo, A. D. 1241, under the superintendence of 

 his minister Shibai Sautra. I cannot discover any authority for the asser- 

 tion of the author of the Ay in Acberi, that the entire revenue of twelve years 

 was expended on the work, but doubtless the cost was very serious com- 

 pared with the state of the Raja's treasury. The natives of the neighbour- 

 ing villages have a strange fable to account for its desertion. They relate 

 that a Kumbha Pathar or loadstone, of immense size, was formerly lodged 

 on the summit of the great tower, which had the effect of drawing ashore 

 all vessels passing near the coast. The inconvenience of this was so much 

 felt, that about two centuries since, in the Mogul time, the crew of a ship 

 landed at a distance and stealing down the coast, attacked the temple, 

 scaled the tower, and carried off the loadstone. The priests alarmed at 

 this violation of the sanctity of the place, removed the image of the god 

 with all his paraphernalia to Puri, where they have ever since remained, 

 and from that date the temple became deserted and went rapidly to ruin. 

 As above intimated, the origin of its dilapidation may obviously be ascrib- 

 ed either to an earthquake or to lightning, but many causes have concur- 

 red to accelerate the progress of destruction, when once a beginning had 

 been made. To say nothing of the effects of weather on a deserted build- 

 ing, and of the vegetation that always takes root under such circumstances, 

 it is clear that much injury has been done by the inhabitants of the neigh- 

 bourhood, in forcing out the iron clamps which held the stones together, 

 for the sake of the metal ; and it is well known that the officers of the 

 Marhatta government actually beat down a part of the walls, to procure 

 materials for building some insignificant temples at Puri. 



Abulfazl's quaint, but lively and picturesque, description of the tem- 

 ple of the Sun, is of course familiar to those who have perused the Ayin Ac- 

 beri with attention. Although however it a fiords a good general idea of 



