Indian Antiquary Vol 01

SR No.: 032493
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 430
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 22 MB

Page 177

MAY 3, 1872.)
ANCIENT REMAINS IN THE KRISHNA DISTRICT.
151
who employed this means of sepulture to have been, Chintapalli, attracted by the sanctity of the temple in physical configuration, much on the same scale dedicated to Shiva under the title of Ainarashwarasas the present natives of the country, and gives no wami, determined to build a town here and a rusisupport to the local tradition, which is, that they are dence for himself. Eie had recourse for stone to the the remains of an extinct race of Pigmies who, / walls of Dharanekota, the ruins of an ancient city, being threatened with a storm of fire from heaven, about half a mile to the westward of Amravati. He built these stone structures and retired into them also opened several mounds adjoining the spot, when the anticipated danger arrived, but were over- and among them the one known as Dipavali-dinna whelmed, buried, and burnt alive in the surround- or the Hill of Lights, when the remains of an aning conflagration. The position in which the bones cient Buddhist dagoba were found. Large quantiare found show, however, also, that the corpse was ties of the stone he removed and employed in buildfirst burnt, and the bones collected and heaped in ing new temples and palaces, and many of the fine the stone cells.
marble sculptures perished, being burnt for lime. It is said that many years ago a ryot dug up in The Râja discovered in his excavations a small this field of tombs a large bell-metal wheel, but he relic-casket of stone with a lid-on opening which kept his discovery a secret, and had the wheel A crystal was found containing a small pearl, some broken up. There are persons still living who say gold leaf, and other things of no value. This was they have seen pieces of it. This must have been a sent to the Madras Museum. Buddhist relic.
Captain (afterwards Colonel) Mackenzie, Surveyor The kist-vaens are of all sizes from about three General, first saw Amravati in 1797. He visited feet square to twenty feet square. One of the larg- the spot again in 1816, and had eighty drawings est may be seen immediately behind the District made of the sculptures. He selected a number Munsiff's Court. The converging elab is an enorm- of the stones which were forwarded to Calcutta in ous mass about a foot thick.
1819. Subsequently a number were brought to These evidently appear to be the remains of the Masulipatam, with the view, it is said, of erecting Scythian or Turanian race who first conquered the some building, and they lay there for more than aborigines and settled in India, and inust therefore eighteen years before they were given to Mr. be of very great antiquity. We do not know of Alexander, Master Attendant. Some were removed any race of a subsequent period in this part of India, to the temple of Shivaganga. who employed both cremation and interment in Sir Walter Elliot resumed the excavations at Am. their mode of disposing of the dead.
ravati in 1840, and discovered a portion of the monuTo the westward of Amravati on the Krishna, ment not before touched. These slabs had, however, celebrated for its Buddhist remains, and near an all been probably removed in the twelfth or unexplored round known as leuchi dibba, there are thirteenth centuries from their original positions, Mr. a great number of rude circles of stone which have Fergusson surmises, and built into a little chapel, been noticed by Mr. Fergusson in his Tree and Ser. of which they formed the walls. Sir Walter Elliot pent-worship. A still greater number of these re- sent a large number of the sculptures to Madras, mains are found at a distance of four or five miles where they lay ... till they were sent home to the south-east, where they cover the roots of the to England in 1856. In London they were put out hills. They range apparently from twenty-four to of the way into a coach-house attached to Fifethirty-two feet in diameter, and when duginto, have house, where they were at last discovered by Mr.
waye yielded cinerary urns, burnt bones, and other Fergusson, who was able to appretiate their value. indications of being burning places.
Besides the sculptures sent to England, there On the left bank of the Krishna also in the Nandi. were others deposited in the Central Museum, gâina Taluqa these monuments are to be found in Madras. Some are to be found in the Bejwad& great numbers, extending for many miles in all Museuin, and a few are in the possession of Captain directions, as noticed in a review of Mr. Fergusson's Maiden, Master Attendant, Masulipatam.t work in the Edinburgh Revier.o
Such inscriptions as have been found at Amravati IV. Buddhist remains.-The most celebrated are in Pali, the form of letters being those of the Buddhist remains in this district are the antique Gupta alphabet, as used immediately before or after marble sculptures of Amravati, recently brought to 318, A.D. the notice of the public, and illustrated by Mr. Colonel Mackenzie collected a considerable numJames Fergusson in his Tree and Serpent Worship. ber of coins about Dharanekota, some of these were Amravati is situated on the right bank of the river Roman and others of the Baktrian Kadphises type Krishna, about twenty miles above Bejwada.
affording additional evidence as to the fact that the These sculptures were first discovered by Captain place was of some importance about the Christian C. Mackenzie in 1797. Somo years previous toera. Some were gold coins. Small lead coins are Captain Mackenzie's visit, the Vasereddi Raja of still to be found there in great numbers, and may • Vol. CXXX. (Oct. 1869, p. 501.-ED.
+ We omit Mr. Boswell's outline of Mr. Fergusson's restoration of the Amaravati tope, which follows here in the original report.-ED.