24 A visit to Kharakpur t in the District of Hunger (JMonghyr). [No. 1, 
were glad to corroborate. He further informed us that the 
principal image perspired profusely during the hot weather. But 
what attracted us most, was the image of a Hindu goddess 
cut in a separate piece of stone which contained an inscription; 
but the letters were so illegible, that we were not able to make out 
whether they were Nagari or Bangali characters—much less to 
ascertain the purport of the whole.* 1 
I reached Kharakpur at about 3-30 p. m., and visited the three- 
domed masjid so beautifully situated on the river Man. The marble 
slab on it shows that it was built in A. H. 1067, during the reign 
of the emperor Shah Jahan. 
A few yards from the mosque, is the old palace of Baja Beroj 
[Bihruz] in ruins, where all his successors, however, continued to be 
invested with the insignia of royalty, as the spot was considered 
auspicious owing to an occurrence similar to the one that led to the 
foundation of Borne. It is said that Sangram Shall, grandfather of 
Beroj, having conquered 52 Khetauri Bajas who held sway in 
different parts of the country, came to the bank of the river Man, 
in order to select a site for his capital. Suddenly a hare was seen 
to start from the neighbouring thicket. It was pursued by a dog, 
but the hare turned upon its pursuer, and killed the hound. The 
spot where this took place, was chosen by the warrior chief as 
site for his capital, and in commemoration of the wonderful occur¬ 
rence, was called Khoragpur (now written Kharakpur), from 
Jchargosh, a hare. It is necessary to state that some deduce the name 
of the town from Kharga Singh, who is said to have completed the 
subjection of the country conquered by his brother Sangram Shah. 
The authenticity of the above legend is, however, universally ad¬ 
mitted. 
Monday , the 20th December , 1869. — Left Kharakpur at 3 a. m. 
for Panchkumar, and at dawn reached Musakhol, or mouse’s 
hole. This is a small room about four feet by three, hewn into 
the solid rock, like the caves of Khondgiri near Bhubanessur 
in the district of Puri, probably by Buddhist ascetics, whose 
* The inscription, rubbings from which were subsequently sent to the Society, 
has been deciphered by Babu Rajendra Lala Mitra. It contains the well 
known Budhist creed £ ye dharma hetu, &c.’ The character is the Kutila of the 
10th century. 
