22 A visit to Kharakpur , in the District of Hunger ( Monghyr ). [No. 1 
Extracts from my Diary regarding a visit to Kharakp ur, in the District 
of Hunger ( Monghyr ), and several places in the Banka Sub-Division , 
(Bhagalpur ).—I>y Babu Rashbihaei Bose, Sub-Divisional Officer , 
Banka , Bhagulpore. 
I. H Kharakpur . 
Friday , ^ 172A -Dec., 1869.—On my way paid a visit to tlie cele¬ 
brated Masjid of Lakkhunpur, which is held in great veneration by 
both the Hindus and Muhammadans of the surrounding villages. It 
is called Chandan Shah Aulia after the name of the founder. This 
Muhammadan Pir, or saint, is said to have performed many miracles. 
One day after rubbing his teeth with a twig of the Mukh-Cliandan 
tree, he stuck the twig into the earth, and commanded a tree to 
spring up from i fc, when the twig shot forth branches, and grew 
into a tree.*' The tree, which is believed to be immortal, is still 
shown to the spectators, and is inclosed within the walls which 
contain the mortal remains of the saint. The maulawl in charge 
of the masjid pointed out to me the original extinct trunk, from 
which the present tree has sprung,—the tree thus possessing the 
virtue of renewing itself. 
It is the miracle of the tree which appears to have given name 
to the saint, his real name being Haji Harban. 
The saint is said to have predicted the conversion of the then 
Hindu Raja of Kharakpur, f and to have contributed in some 
degree to his future greatness. It is said that the Raja, then a 
fugitive from his guddee, dreamed one night that he had taken 
beef. B^ing shocked at this idea, so repugnant to the feelings 
of a Hindu, he repaired to all the pandits in the neighbour¬ 
hood. They one and all, of course, enjoined some religious 
observances by way of penance, which he was not then in 
a position to perform. At last he came to the Haji, and told 
him what weighed so heavily on his conscience. The Haji assured 
# I heard this identical legend related at Kabir-Bar, on the banks of the 
Nerbudda, regarding the famous tree of that name. 
f Regarding the history of the Kharakpur Rajas during the Mughul Period, 
vide Mr. Blochmann’s remarks in Proceedings, As. 8oc. Bengal, for 1870, 
pp. 305 to 307, and my letter published in the Proceedings for May, 1871. 
