May 1861.] 



Architectura I Rema in s . 



125 



that they all communicate at the bottom by an uniform segmental 

 cutting of about 3' by 2' — As soon as I saw this it struck me that 

 the wells must have been filled from the river, by bunding it high 

 enough up to command the highest well, and on enquiry of the 

 " oldest inhabitant", this turned out really to be what he and tra- 

 ditionary lore had to say in the matter. 



7. I much regret not finding any trace of this ancient anicut, 

 but its component parts have long ago parted and left not a wreck 

 behind. 



8. We now come to clasa 2, or the religious buildings ; and their 

 remains indeed form the only really interesting feature in the 

 case. 



9. They consist of one large temple still in tolerable condi- 

 tion and numberless other smaller oratories in various stages of 

 decay. 



10. The architecture of the large temple is excessively massive 

 in its proportions yet exceedingly chaste and delicate in its de ■ 

 tails. 



11. Under its (once no doubt resplendent) dome there now as 

 in days of yore sit on one pedestal, four large and finely carved 

 idols each holding the lotus in the palm of his hand, and therefore 

 I presume the Buddhist deities. 



12. These four were evidently the presiding gods of the temple, 

 and the calm majesty with which the sculptor has invested them, 

 renders them worthy of their high estate. 



13. There are a great number of niches or petty shrines both 

 inside and outside the walls of this temple and each at one time 

 contained its little carved idol, these however together with all 

 that was worth stealing or capable of being removed, have been 

 seized by the Brahmins of a neighbouring temple, who state that 

 though it be true that the idols, &c. originally belonged to the 

 " Chutter Muck" (as they call the large temple) yet as they have 

 been in their temple for years and years, they have become their 

 property and they don't intend to give them up. I must therefore 

 leave that matter to be settled by higher authority. The stone of 



