Indian Antiquary Vol 03

SR No.: 032495
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 420
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 19 MB

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142
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
Sâban chând 1.' The first day of the Muhammadan month Śâban.
From the above it will be seen that it is not enough for the Jyotisharu (Jotisis) or astrologers, who receive a monthly fee for reading
THE BUDDHIST RUINS
The village of Jamál Garhi is situated about eight miles due north of Mardân, communicating with the latter by a fair kachhd road. The hill on which the Buddhist ruins are found is just north of the village. It is about 400 feet above the level of the plain, and is composed of a shaly sandstone or slate, with a small portion of quartz found here and there.
The ruins are characterized by a very massive and well-built style of rubble masonry. The walls generally two or more feet thick, built for the most part of the shaly stone found in the hills on which they stand; the interstices between the larger stones, instead of being filled in with small stones, placed at random in the mortar, are filled with small slabs, one inch to two inches thick, all laid horizontally and carefully fitted in, laid in mortar. Arches with voussoirs are never found; but the openings are spanned by laying each successive layer projecting beyond the one below. (Fig. 1.)
Sculptures of the same character are found in all the ruins. The principal figure met with is that supposed to be of Buddha, a man either sitting cross-legged or standing; no hair on the face; the hair of the head dressed in a peculiar fashion with a topknot; the "tkd" often on the forehead; always clothed in a long flowing robe from the neck to below the knees, and with no sandals or shoes on the feet. This figure is met with both in sepa rate statues varying from 12 inches in height to larger than life-size, and also in sculptured tablets in bas-relief depicting many and varied scenes. (Fig. 2.)
The ruins appear to be those of several temples or sacred places in the centre, and the dwelling. houses for the priests and attendants on the temples scattered around the former. The number of dwelling-houses is too small to have accommodated more than the number of people actually required for the service of the temple. Taking the outside view, and assuming each chamber had a corresponding one above it, and each of these chambers had an occupant, the houses discovered could not have accommodated more than 200 people; and if
Abridged from a Report on their Exploration during the months of March and April 1873, by the 8th Company Sappers and Miners, under the command of Lieutenant Arthur Crompton, R.E.
[MAY, 1874.
the Panchanga once a week, to be able to read it, they must have studied more or less the Kala Amrita, where the rules for determining the proper times and seasons are determined.
AT JAMAL GARHI..
we take about half this number it will probably be nearer the mark. The ruins extend over an area of about 210 yards from north to south, and 180 yards from east to west. The central temple (No. 1), which is the highest but one of all, is an irregular polygonal building of 13 sides.
Around the walls are 13 idol-houses. In the centre is a circular platform, 22 feet diameter at the top, and 4 feet 9 inches high at present. This probably was paved with massive blocks of kankar or concrete, as large slabs, about 7 inches thick, were found on the floor of this temple, that would just answer this purpose, and that had the corresponding curved side of the circle. The remains of steps up to the altar were found immediately facing the entrance.
North of this temple, but with no apparent communication with it, is a group of buildings by themselves (No. 2), consisting of
(A.) A small rectangular temple 24 feet by 22 feet with 13 idol-recesses around the walls, and a square altar in the centre.
(B.) Immediately to the north of this temple, and separated from it by a passage at a lower level than the floor of the temple, is a house with two windows overlooking the temple. This probably was the house of the attendant priest. It is 21 feet by 12 feet in extent. Both the temple and priest's house open to the west into a courtyard.
(C.) On the north side of this courtyard are three houses (12 fect by 8 feet), with a raised terrace in front of them, from which you enter the houses. The entrance to this courtyard is on the south.
(D.) Immediately to the right of the entrance is a small chamber that originally was roofed with one of the pointed arches previously described, and above which a staircase leads from the entrance of the temple to the top of the idol-recesses.
(E.) To the left of the entrance is another house (17 feet by 10 feet), with doors, both on the north and east sides.
To the south of the polygonal temple, and communicating with it by a descending staircase, is an irregular quadrilateral temple, with 26+ (No. 3)
The factor 13 appears common to all three of the number of idol-houses in the temples, they having respectively 13, 13, and 26 recesses.