136 
G. A. Grierson —The Song of Manik Chandra. 
[No. 3, 
In tlie D/mld Thana situated to the north-west of Rangpur, and nine 
or ten miles to the south-east of the sub-divisional head quarters of Bdg- 
doJcard is the city of Dharma Pal. Buchanan thus describes it—“ It is 
in the form of a parallelogram, rather less than a mile from north to south, 
and half a mile from east to west. The following sketch (Fig. 1) taken 
in riding round it, will enable the reader more easily to understand it than 
my account. # The defences consist of a high rampart of earth, which at 
the south-east corner is irregular, and retires back to leave a space that is 
much elevated, and is said to have been the house of the Raja’s minister 
(Divdn-Jchdna ). On the east side I observed no traces of a ditch, nor gate ; 
but a ditch about 40 feet wide surrounds the other three faces, f In the 
centre of each of these is a gate defended by outworks, and in these 
are a good many bricks. At each angle of the fort has been a small square 
projection, like a sort of bastion, extending however only across the counter¬ 
scarp to the ditch; and between each gate and the bastion at the corner 
are some others of similar construction. The earth from the ditch has been 
thrown outwards, and forms a slope without a covered way. At the dis¬ 
tance of about 150 yards from the ditch of the north-east and south sides, 
are parallel ramparts and ditches, which enclose an outer city, where it is 
said the lower populace resided. Beyond these on the south is another 
enclosure, in which it is said the horses were kept. Parallel to the west side 
of the city, at about the distance of 150 yards, runs a fine road very much 
raised ; but its ends have been swept away by changes that have taken 
place in the rivers.” 
To the west of this city at a distance of two miles, was the city of 
Manik Chandra, now, however, called, after his more famous wife Magana 
Matir leot.% 
Here Manik Chandra reigned over the half dozen square miles of 
territory which constituted him a rajadhiraja. His wife Mayana was 
deeply skilled in magic, an art which it appears in those days, though un¬ 
lawful for a man, was lawful for a woman. § She was (so says the legend) 
the pupil of a mighty magician who by his intense devotion to and abstrac¬ 
tion into the Holy Name had acquired immense powers. His mere word 
was sufficient to strike one dead. He could cause the sea to cease to move, 
* The plan given is Buchanan’s, and is very fairly accurate. The city is noted 
for containing within the inner walls three remarkably fine tanks. 
f The ditch and rampart are called in Rangpur the Kot ( ^ 
oSJlfq^T ^ A - Gr - 
t #T3T. Tllis la dy is said to have founded several other important 
towns. Amongst names which still survive I may mention Mayana talir hat 
cTrffc and Dayana Gucli jy^j-) 
§ See verse 60 of the poem. 
