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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[SEPTEMBER, 1880.
After this the road turns to the north, and becomes a mere village path full of deep ruts and holes, very narrow and passing between thorn-bushes. The first village passed is called Samma, and then the Mâhi river is crossed by a bridge. Cultivation is abundant up to the third stage, when jungle commences and grows gradually thicker up to the ruins. About a mile from Champanir the road passes under an archway, on either side of which is a wall of the fort, which has been carried up the hilis, but is now broken down in many places. Several ruined mandirs and other buildings, one or two of them Maqbarahs of pirs, are passed before reaching the archway. After passing it the road has been paved, but is now in such a ruinous state that a traveller by gári is shaken to death. On the left hand side of the road beyond the archway is seen an inner wall of the fort at from 50 to 100 yards, strongly built, about 25 feet high, and with bastions, but broken down in many places. After a mile from the archway, turn to the left through a double gateway, the first arch of which is 18 feet high. The walls are adorned with the lotus, carved in the stone, and there is an Arabic inscription. Beyond this gateway, turning to the left is the camping ground at Champanir, with some fine trees, and a dharamśAla not fit for Europeans, to the south. The miserable village which still exists at Champanir is to the north of the camping ground, as is alsowhat is called, the Jûma Masjid. This is the principal thing to be seen, and it is indeed well worthy of examination. It is about 250 yards from the camping ground, and is clearly a Hinda temple which has been converted by the Muslims into a mosque. A very handsome dharamsala was included in the wall which surrounds the mosque, but this wall is now broken down in parts.
The dharamsala is to the east of the mosque, and has a large dome, and four smaller ones, one at each corner like those so common in Upper India. The building is 18 feet high to the base, whence the dome springs. The base is 5 feet high, and the dome itself is conjecturally 15 feet more, so that the total height would be 38 feet. The court of the mosque is sepa- rated from the dharamsala by a wall. This wall has 8 arches, a large one 8 feet broad and a small one 5 5' broad alternately. The court of
the mosque measures 187 feet from north to south, and 122 feet from east to west. The principal entrance to the mosque is in the eastern face, and has two minârs of stone, one on either side the door. Each minâr has seven storeys, if the cone at the top be reckoned as one. The lowest storey is handsomely carved, with the flower pattern. The second and third storeys have projecting ruins at top, as has the fourth, but it is much wider. The fifth and sixth storeys have rains supported by the plantain bracket, so common at Bijanagar, only that it has a twist. To the top of the fifth storey is 76, feet, and above that to the top of the cone is 19 feet, making 951 feet for the total height. The carved base of the minars projects from the wall of the mosque with a semi-circle of 21 feet. The entrance arch is 14 10' wide. The hall of the mosque has 88 pillars of Hinda architecture on either side, ard the roof is surmounted by seven large capolas, besides several smaller ones. There can hardly be a doubt that it is one of those halls in Hindu temples, called "halls of a thousand pillars," though in no one case is that exact number to be found. The hall measures 169 feet from north to south, and 79 10' from east to west. In the western face are seven alcoves or niches, handsomely carved. The central one is of white marble, the others of masonry. There is no mimbar or pulpit, and the lotus ornament is carved in relief in the niches. Innumerable bats roost in the cupolas, and the floor below is covered with their deposits. The hall very much resembles that of the temple of Kalchand at Kalbarga, but is smaller. There is no inscription. In the court is the tomb of a so-called pir, Jahân Shah. It should be added that the central cupola of the hall has three storeys from which galleries extend along the roof.
The ascent of the mountain of Pawagadh is the next thing to be done, and it must be made on the north-east side. The height is 2,800 feet, and the summit will hardly be reached under three hours. After leaving the gate close to the encampment, the road from the archway is crossed, and a dense jungle is at once entered upon, which is said to contain many tigers and panthers and a few bears. After crossing a succession of ridges, by a path resembling the bed of a mountain torrent, and paved with jag. ged pieces of rock, the first gateway is reached
