16 W. N. Edwards —Archaeological Remains in Bishnath. [Extra No- 
On Some Archaeological Remains in Bishnath.—By W. N. Edwards. 
[Bead November, 21st 1904.] 
Bishnath, or Visvanatha, as it was originally called, is one of tlio 
most interesting towns in the Assam Valley on account of its archaeo¬ 
logical remains and sacred Hindu traditions. At one time it was a large 
and populous town, as can be seen by the immense earthworks that sur¬ 
round the place, and in the 13th century it was in close communication 
with Pratappur, the capital of Arimutta Raja who appears to have 
ruled over the tract of country lying between Visvanatha on the east 
to the Subonsiri River on the west 1 about that time. There are still a 
large number of tauks on the Bishnath plain and in Behali and Gomirl 
mouzas that are ascribed to him. Another interesting discovery lately 
made is that the large earthen “ bund ” known now as the Majulighur, 
which runs almost straight from the old city Pratappur, to the low hills 
in the Duffla Range, a distance of about 12 miles, is nothing more or 
less thau a fortification evidently thrown up as a protection against the 
people of the west. Deep in the heart of the forest where the “ ghur ” 
has been less disturbed, on the west, is a deep ditch running parallel 
to the “ bund ” for the whole of its length, and from the ditch the 
“ghur” rises very abruptly with a parapet on the western edge, and 
falling to the east in a gentle slope; furthermore, at intervals of 
about 80 yards there are bastions thrown out on the west face which 
command the rampart both to the north and south. There seems now 
little doubt from these facts that there being no natural boundary to 
the west of the kingdom as there was on the east (the Subonsiri) the 
fortification was made as a protection against aggression. 
The Brahmins say that before Visvanath was built the place was 
called Visiuagiri Porbot , and the present town and the island known as 
Oomatoomoni were joined in one large hill, which sunk under a severe 
volcanic disturbance leaving the place in its present form. It was 
renowned from time immemorial as the spot where Visnu lopped off 
the upper arm and chest of the dead body of Sati which Siva in his 
grief was carrying about, -and the spots on which these portions of Sati’s 
body fell are held sacred to this day. There are now the following 
1 This information is derived from an old Buranji in the possession of Srijut 
Rajoni Kanta Burdolai of N. Lackimpur. 
