1899.] 
SOUTHERN DISTRICTS OF KRAMARAJYA. 
195 
is shown by the fact that STimkaravarman (a.d. 883-902) carried away 
from it materials for the constraction of his new town and temples at 
Pattana (Patan). 1 2 
Some of the shrines of Parihasapura, however, survived to a later 
period. Thus we find the colossal copper statue of Buddha at the 
Rajavihara mentioned as one of the few sacred images which escaped 
being melted down in the reign of King Harsa (a.d. 1089-1101). Also 
a great religious festival established at Parihasapura by Lalitaditya 
seems to have been held still in Kalliana’s time. 3 In the rising which 
led to the downfall of Harsa, Parihasapura was occupied by the pre¬ 
tender Uccala. 3 The steep slopes of the plateau and the marshes around 
made it a position of military value. When Uccala had suffered a 
defeat some of the routed rebels threw themselves into the Rajavihara, 
which was subsequently burned down. After this, Harsa carried away 
and broke np the famous silver statue of Visnu which had been placed 
by Lalitaditya in the temple of Parihasakesava. 
The final destruction of the temples is attributed by Abu-1-Fazl 
and the Muhammadan chroniclers to Sikandar Butshikast. The 
former records the tradition that after the destruction of the lofty 
temple of ‘ Paraspur ’ a copper tablet with a Sanskrit inscription was 
discovered which predicted its destruction ‘after the lapse of eleven 
hundred years ’ by one Sikandar. 4 This prophecy post factum shows 
that its author, whoever he may have been, was rather weak in histori¬ 
cal chronology. Parihasapura had been founded only about six and 
a half centuries before Sikandar Butshikast’s time. 5 At the beginning 
of the eighteenth century the ruins seem still to have been in a somewhat 
better condition than now. Both Muhammad ‘Azim and Narayan Kaul 
mention them and speak particularly of fragments of a large monolithic 
column. Tradition seems to have connected these fragments with the 
pillar of Garuda which Kalhana mentions as having been set up by Lalita¬ 
ditya. 6 * 8 The huge square block of stone still visible on the top of the 
northernmost mound is perhaps one of them. 
1 See Bajat, v. 161. 
2 See Bajat. iv. 242 sq. For the temple of Ramasvamin which was seen empty- 
in Kalliana’s time, compare iv. 275, 334 sq. 
3 Bajat. vii. 1326 sqq. 
4 See Ain-i-ATcb., i. p. 364. 
6 Exactly the same tradition is now current among the Purohitas of Vij^bror 
about the destruction of the Vijayesvara image. This alleged inscription is said to 
have run: EkadaSasatam varsam Sikendaramahabala I bismdlla iti mantrena nci6yante 
VijayeSvardh 11 The curious Sanskrit of this doggrel is an indication that its author 
may probably have belonged himself to the noble guild of the Bachbattas. 
8 Compare Wilson, Essay, p. 50; also footnote 16 to Note F, on Parihasapura. 
