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in the Sågar District, was efficiently defended by a conquest of the city. Bags of powder were single loop of one river, the Binâ, and an artificial henped inside and under the tower; but, watered trench and rampart, while their contemporary, possibly by the power of priestly gold, the Dhar, in south-western Mâlwa, was on an island powder would not burn; and the emperor, Burrounded by a ring of lakes, each connected with in acknowledgment of the miracle, ordered the the other by deep ditches covered by lofty ram. preservation of the temple, compromising with parts, which still tower forty or fifty feet above his conscience by turning one of the two Voda the plain. Sihor was defended on a smaller reading-halls in front and rear of the buildscale, but in a like manner to Bêgnagar. The ing into a mosque, dividing it by a wall from Midland Railway runs between Sarichi and Bês. the heathen structure, and recording the fact nagar, with the great tope on its right and the on the archways of the entrance. This has preUdigiri hill on its left; and after crossing the served the temple to the present day, alike from Bêtwa it passes close by the ruined city to the the iconoclast Aurangzeb as from the occasional Bhêlså Station.
outbursts of fanaticism of the Mandu kings of Twenty miles east of Bhêlsa, around the modern MAlwa. The temple is of perfect proportions town of Gyárispur, lie some most beautiful and of noble form, covered with very fine sculpruined temples. One, indeed, affords a sublime tures. It is most strikingly harmonious, and is sight, owing to its noble proportions, and the a perfect gem of art, not only as a whole, but in grandeur of its site and surroundings. I allude its several parts. The tapering spire, unusually to the magnificent shrine on the extreme point to lofty, is seen from afar, though, such are its perfect the east of the hill behind the city. Its site and proportions, that its great height is not noticed platform beautifully sculptured were boldly carved when viewed near. There are three entrances, out of the hill crest. On the spot, a temple each covered by a grand porch, and the interior is of noble proportions and exquisite detail was even more strikingly perfect than the exterior; erected, in such a manner that it appears to be but, unfortunately, it is so dark that it can be only a part of the cliff under which it nestles, perched seen with the aid of torches, when it will be 500 feet above the plain. There are few more im- observed that at one time the Jains must have pressive spots, and the view from the temple possessed themselves of the temple, though proplatform over fertile fields of green wheat, in the bably it was originally a Brahmanical shrine. It is cold weather, is one not easily forgotten. I remem- a curious fact that the oil for the temple lights is ber this temple, though with a damaged exterior, and has always been supplied by the family of Agra yet with its interior shrine intact. Treasure-seekers Bukera, who are Punwar Rajpats, and claim have now wrecked the statues and destroyed the descent from Raja Bhoj, of Dhårå, in whose reign, floors, but even at the present time the view of or by whose family perhaps, the temple was the interior, when a flood of light enters through erected. This is interesting, though General Sir the eastern door from the rising sun, is very beauti. A. Cunningham has been unable to trace any ful; at all other times it is dark, and can only probable descendants of that famous king. be seen by the aid of torches. In no temple have Twenty miles further east are to be found, in I seen a more curious effect than that of the and round about the modern Pathari, most entry of the rays of the rising sun into the inner interesting and rare remains. The most striking shrine of this one. To the ancient worshippers it is the famous stone column or lat, the largest must have been a supreme moment, when the and most massive in the district, though far less Sun-god kissed into seeming life the beautiful beautiful than the slender graceful monolith of goddess at the shrine.
Eran, twenty miles to the north. Around it are At the base of the hill, not far from the high many interesting ruins fully described in the road between Bhêlsâ and Gyárispur, are two rare Archæol. Survey of India, Vol. VII. But the most and interesting temples, the Bajranath shrines, beautiful and extensive is the ruined temple of which will well reward close inspection; as also Gadarmal, situated on the banks of a tank about will the exquisitely carved roofless columns. & mile and a half from the present town in a pic.
About thirty-four miles north of Bhêlså stands turesque position, near well-wooded but rugged the rare and beautiful temple of Udayêsvara hills, originally constructed after the manner of within the town of Udayapura. This is the that of Udayêsvara. This temple was overturned only ancient fane in the neighbourhood, that and then was put together again unskilfully by escaped desecration or destruction at the the Jains with little order or symmetry. The hands of the Musalman conquerors. Built not exquisite tóran or gateway must have escaped, long before the invasion of Muhammad Tughlag, for, though half-ruined by neglect, it is still it was ordered to be blown up by him on his singularly beautiful, and is worth travelling far
