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MARCH, 1875.j
NOTES ON THE THAŅA COLLECTORATE.
On the east side.
چون زمین شد جلوہ گر زین گنبد عالیجناب آسمان بر نثارش طائف كمد چون حباب
بافت تاریخ تملم با نئي آن قطب دین نور میتابد مدام از حسن قبہ افتاب
۱۱۱۱ (A.D.) 1699
On the south side.
اسمها سولهذا الشرف قبة
هكذا قال قطب الدین باني روس العجائب اسمها تاريخها
والمني من با بها السعادة
On the west side.
گنبد سلطان دین چون بر زمین شد سر بلند جنت از غیرت نهفتہ آسمان شد رقصهند گفت: تاریخ تمامش با نئی آن قطب الدین
در عالم فگند
نور قبه حسن حسيني
the pilaster next the well has something carved in it like a medallion, but I could not make out what, and suspect that this was added by a later hand--the simple circle suits so much better with the severe style of the pillars.
This inner verandah opens by three doors into the great hall. The centre door is moalded and has two pilasters, and two stools in front which seem to represent a basket or jar carried upon some one's head, the hands clasping the edge to keep it steady. The outlines of three tiny Chaitya arches are lightly chiselled over it, is an ornament. It is 7 feet high, and 4 feet 7 inches wide. The side doors are plainer, but have small standing figures at each side. The left one is 6 feet 10 inches high at present, and 3 feet 8 inches wide. The right one 7 feet 4 in, by a ft. 10 in, • The inner Hall is 14 yards long by 7 wide, and about 10 or 11 feet high. A cell or shrine has been hewn pretty deep into the centre of the innermost wall, but left quite rough; and two smaller ones have been commenced right and left of it. In the shrine and inner verandah are placed rude modern images of the present tenant, a "Gândevi" called Khandeswar. She is a Yogini, and first cousin to Wazreswar both in nature and name (khanda = a sword). There is one rough block of stone in the inner hall (ancertain what it represents if anything); and a linga in the outer verandah. A little higher up the hillside to the left are two or three small cells, unfinished. The closest search, with a large grass fire barning in the hall and shrine, failed to show any inscriptions, nor was there any ancient image. The sculptured figures, I think, are decorative, and not meant to be worshipped. There is a small crosslegged figure under a pimpal-tree in the village between the Saiva temple and a small tank; but he does not give me the idea of Buddha. These ternples are so easy of access from Bombay that it is to be hoped some effort will be made to photograph or mould the figures in the outer verandah: I should think either process would be easy, from the position of the sculptures.*
The following are the inscriptions above alluded to, in the tomb of Husain Shah at Bhi- vandi :
On the north sile.
بغيب
نادرنا
منا درلله
بيد قطب الحسين مقام بتاريخ عيب بن غريب
بداء بحب
اقد س
کبية
۱۱۱۸ (A.D.) 1706
بناي
On the well ; sest side.
.
سيد قطب الدین محمد خان بهادر سنہ ۱۱۸۶ جري مقد سہ
باوزي کو آ بنام درد
हिदुद बावडी सयद कतव्दीन महमदखान बाहादुर याही बांधली शके १६८४ नंदननाम संवत्सरे सन १९८५ फसल ना If Ire is qata=.
Sayad Kutbudin Muhammad Khân Bahadur built this milk-well in Shake 1684; Fasli 1181. (A.D. 1762) Naik Bábale Patharwat.
I have since completed a very full set of notes of these sculptures for the Indian Antiquary.
+ Name of the stone-cutter.