11G 
F. S. Growse —Mathura Notes. 
[No. 2, 
of Ibis article) the triforium is a reproduction of Muhammadan design, 
while the work both above and below it is purely Hindu.* It should be 
noted however that the arches in the middle story are decorative only, not 
constructural: the spandrels in the head might be—and, as a fact, for the 
most part had been—struck out, leaving only the lintel supported on the 
straight jambs, without any injury to the stability of the building. 
Its restoration was commenced in September 1873, and has been 
carried on under my supervision, without any professional assistance, up to 
the present time. The cost was estimated, in the D. P. W., at Rs. 
1,32,387, but for the comparatively modest sum of Rs. 38,365 I have been 
able to accomplish almost all that was ever intended to be done. I had 
applied for a small supplementary grant of Rs. 3,642 ; but if it is sanc¬ 
tioned, there will be no one on the spot to see it expended.f 
5. The Sati Burj at Mathura. 
This is a slender quadrangular tower of red sandstone which stands on 
the bank of the Jamuna, at the very heart of the modern city. It com¬ 
memorates the Queen of Maharaja Bihar Mall of Jaypur, and was erected 
by her son, the Maharaja Bhagawan Das, in the year 1570 A. D. The up¬ 
per part, which had been destroyed long previously, was replaced about the 
beginning of the present century by an exceedingly ugly and incongruous 
plaster dome, which may help to preserve what remains of the original 
work, but quite destroys its architectural effect. The lower stories being 
also in a ruinous condition, I suggested to the reigning Maharaja that he 
should undertake its restoration as a family monument. It is not at all 
likely that the work will ever be set on foot; but the design that I had 
prepared for it may be deemed worthy of preservation. No small amount 
of time and thought was bestowed upon it, and I hope that architects will 
consider it both a pleasing object in itself and a probably faithful repro¬ 
duction of the destroyed original. 
* Thus eclecticism, which after all is only natural growth directed by local circum¬ 
stances, has for centuries past been the predominant characteristic of Mathura archi¬ 
tecture. In most of the new works that I have taken in hand, and notably in the 
Catholic Church, which I had commenced and now have to leave unfinished, I have 
conformed to the genius loci and have shewn my recognition of its principles, not by a 
servile imitation of older examples, but rather by boldly modifying them in accordance 
with special requirements and so developing novel combinations. 
f The grant has been sanctioned and the work is being carried on, under the 
supervision of the Executive Engineer in the Archaeological Department, by the same 
local agency and the same body of stone-masons that I had collected and organized. 
