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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
country. Before his time Barsána, if inhabited at all, was a mere hamlet of the adjoining village Unchá-gáñw, which now under its Gújar landlords is a mean and miserable place, though it boasts the remains of a fort and an ancient and well endowed temple, dedicated to Baldeva. Rúp Rám was the founder of one of the now superseded temples of Lárlí-Ji, with the stone staircase up the side of the hill. He also constructed the largest market-place in the town with as many, it is said, as 64 walled gardens; a princely mansion for his own residence; several small temples and chapels and other courts and pavilions. One of the latter, a handsome arcaded building of carved stone, has for some years past been occupied by the Government as a police station without any award of compensation, though the present representative of the family is living on the spot and is an absolute pauper. Three chhattris, commemorating Rúp Rám himself and two of his immediate relatives, stand by the side of a large stone tank with broad flights of steps and flanking towers, which he restored and brought into its present shape. This is esteem ed sacred and commonly called Bhánokhar, that is, the tank of Brikha-bhán, Rádhá's reputed father. In connection with it is a smaller reservoir, named after her mother Kirat. On the margin of the Bhánokhar is a pleasure-house in three stories, known as the Jal-mahall. It is supported on a series of vaulted colonnades which open direct on to the water, for the convenience of the ladies of the family, who were thus enabled to bathe in perfect seclusion, as the two tanks and the palace are all enclosed in one court-yard by a lofty bastioned and embattled wall with towerlike gateways. Besides these works, Rúp Rám also constructed another large masonry tank for the convenience of a hamlet in the neighbourhood, which he settled and called after his own name Rúp-nagar; and on the opposite side of the town, in the village of Gházipur, faced with octagonal stone gháts, the sacred lake called Prem Sarovar. Opposite the latter is a walled garden with an elegant domed monument in the form of a Greek cross to his brother Hem-ráj.
[OCT. 4, 1872.
a Jamadár, and eventually the leading favourite at court. Towards the close of his life he begged permission to return to his native place and there leave some permanent memorial of the royal favour. The Nawab not only granted the request, but further presented him with carte blanche on the State Treasury for the prosecution of his designs. Besides the stately mansion now much dilapidated, he constructed a large báoli still in excellent preservation, and two wells sunk at great expense in sandy tracts where previously all irrigation had been impracticable.
Contemporary with Rúp Rám, two other wealthy families resided at Barsana and were his rivals in magnificence. The head of the one family was Mohan Rám, a Lavaniya Brahman; and of the other Lalji, a Jantia Thakur. It is said that the latter was by birth merely a common labourer, who went off to Lakhnau to make his fortune. There he became first a Harkára, then
The sacred tank on the outst irts of the town called Priya-kund, or Pírí-pokhar, was faced with stone by the Lavaniyas; who are further commemorated by a large Katra, or market place, the ruins of the vast and elaborate mansion where they resided, and by elegant stone chhattris at the foot of the hill. They held office under the Rája of Bharatpur, and their present representative, Rám Nárayan, is now Tahsildár of Káma in that territory.
Barsána had scarcely been built, when by the fortune of war it was destroyed beyond all hope of restoration. In 1774 A.D., the Játs, who had advance upon Delhi in support of the cause of Zábita Khán, and in consequence of ill-snccess were returning to their own country, were met at Hodal in Gurgánw by Najaf Khán hastening up from Agra. Dislodged from their position, they fell back upon Kotban and Kosi, where they remained for nearly a fortnight, and then finally withdrew towards Dig, but at Barsána were overtaken by the Vazír and a pitched battle ensued. The Ját Infantry, 5000 strong, were commanded by Sumroo, or to give him his true European designation, Walter Reinhard, a celebrated adventurer who had first taken service under Súraj Mal, and was still with his son Naval Sinh, the then Raja of Bharatpur. The ranks of the Imperialists were broken by his gallant attack, and the Játs feeling assured of victory were following in reckless disorder; when the enemy rallying from their sudden panic turned upon their pursuers, who were too scattered to offer any solid resistance and effectually routed them. They contrived however to make good their retreat to Dig; while the town of Barsána was given over to plunder and the stately mansions, so recently erected there, were reduced to their present state of ruin in the search for hidden treasure. Naval Siñh died some twenty days after the battle, but whether in consequence of wounds there received
