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

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34
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[FEB. 2, 1872.
cupied many hours every day in cutting a path remains of a small indigo factory which was conthrough the thick tangle of underwood.
ducted by a Earopean for some years, but has The most accessible and fortunately also the now long ago been abandoned. most interesting of the forts is that which I The natives have a tradition that the northhave marked as the “Mud fort" on the map, western corner contained the palace of the Rajá, at the north-west angle of the Ráibaniyan vil- and this is partially confirmed by the greater lage. This fort is in shape an irregular penta- height and strength of the works in that corner, gon, having the following dimensions :
and by the numerous remains of buildings still Eastern wall ......... 1,650 English yards. traceable. The principal of these I have called Northern ......... 1,650
the "keep" on the map, as the natives assert North-western ...... 880- (about)
that it was the highest and strongest part of the South-western ........ 1,650 (about)
fort. It is a strong square tower of which about Southern ......... 880 There seems to be some sort of order even in
20 foot only now remain ; the stones are carethe irregularity as the eastern and northern
fully hewn and placed together, but without walls are the same length, so also the north
any traces of cement or mortar. A simple western and southern. The north and south
but graceful style of ornament is effected by
a straight moulding western, however, are so covered with jungle
running round the that it is impossible to arrive at more than an
middle of each course, above which the top approximate measurement.
of each stone is sloped inwards with a small Though called the Mud fort,' the walls of
pine-apple shaped projection in the centre. this fort are not really of mud. The peasants of
The effect of this arrangethe neighbouring villages have made breaches
ment cannot be fully seen through the walls in some places to enable
owing to the jungle, but when them to get at their rice-fields in the inside,
perfectly visible, the broken and in entering the fort by one of these breaches
light and shade produced by it must have lent & sort of section is obtained which reveals
& peculiar grace and elegance to the otherwise the nature of the construction. The follow
massive and sombre building. In spite of the ing section will explain how the wall is made.
native idea of its being a keep or citadel, The centre or heart consists of layers of stone
I am disposed to think this building must have been a Shiva-temple, as the architecture is precisely similar to the other ancient temples to that idol in other parts of Orissa, and the dimensions of the building, which is not more than 100 feet
square, are too small for the purposes of a citadel. AB, Bane of the Wall. , Moat. DD, Earth. On the top, half hidden by trees, are the capitals gradually diminishing to a point, and this is of some pillars of the dark ash-coloured stone covered and entirely hidden with about four feet known as mungani patthar or chlorite: none of of earth closely rammed. The breadth at the the columns however remain. In the centre is base from A to B is by measurement 112 feet, a well or tank-similar to the square enclosure and the height we guessed to be about 50 fect. round the linga-stone in Shiva-temples: so that
The wall is surrounded by a deep and broad | I imagine the stone walls must have formed a moat, and a slight but continuous ridge, evident- lofty platform surmounted by an open hall surly artificial, runs parallel to the moat on its outer rounded by pillars, in the centre of which was the edge. Outside all this again, at a distance linga in its sunken square enclosure. The capiin some places of as much as half a mile, tals, though massive, are quite plain and without runs a nallá which by a little dexterous ornament. cutting and deepening has been made into a very At the foot of this building on the south side efficacious outer moat lined here and there with is a curious little hollow where the trees and & wall of laterite,
jungle are perhaps more dense than in any other The interior of the fort is a large plain covered part. This is called the Jaychandi Ban or with debris of stone buildings, tanks, and Jaychand's jungle. Who Jaychand was nobody patches of jungle ; a considerable portion of it is knows. In the heart of this jungle, approached now cultivated, and near the south wall is the by & narrow winding path, is a small platform
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