Indian Antiquary Vol 17

Author(s): John Faithfull Fleet, Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 383

DECEMBER, 1888.]
MISCELLANEA.
351
accordingly named, to this day, Kalia's river, or The waste woir, discovered by the writer in the Káliasot.
one of these rambles, lies buried in almost imThis tradition preserves two important penetrable jungle, and is certainly worth a visit. facts, vis. :-(1) That the drainage area of the It is a cutting through the solid rock of one of the sources of the Bêtwa was insufficient to fill the lower hills on the east side. It is at the blunt valley through which it flowed and which it apex of a triangular valley, opening from near the was intended to enclose. (2) That the lake thus great dam, and is probably two miles from it in a formed was of unusual size for an Indian lake. direct line. Its position, so far from the dam, A study of the local topography and the remains affords another proof of the practical ability of of the works, clearly proves that the engi- the Hindu engineers of the time; for any error in neers of those days undoubtedly understood levels would have quickly destroyed the dam, that the drainage area of the Betwâ and its which, though stone-faced on both sides, was tributaries was insufficient for their purpose, and filled in by earth, and could not long have with that they skilfully supplied the deficiency by stood an overflow. There are signs on its rocky turning into the Bêtw& valley the waters of and unbroken sides which show that high-water another river, which, rising twenty miles to the mark was within six feet of the top. west, and flowing naturally outside the hill. The second and lower but longer band already enclosed valley, would increase the drainage area mentioned was thrown across the only other by at least five hundred square miles. This was opening of this remarkable valley, and by its accomplished by the creation of the magnificent construction the Kaliasőt was turned off from cyclopean dam on which stands the old fort of its course at right angles into the Bêtwa. It is so Bhopal, and which, previous to the Bhopal dy covered with jungle that it escaped even the keen nasty, was covered with finely sculptured Jain eyes of the Topographical Survey Officers. It is temples. From the storage lake thus obtained, a constructed in like manner to the other one, but river flowed at right angles to its former course is still unbroken. Its top is used as part of the round the hills into the Bôtw& valley, and be high road from Bhopal to KAliakhêri. came a most valuable feeder to the constructors
On the ancient shore at Bhojpur the Gônds of the great lake, because it carried the surplus point out more than one group of large flat waters of the storage lake into the larger lake for stones,-two upright and one horizontal,-like three full months after the close of the rains. Keltic remains, and revered because they were This river is the Kaliasot.
used by Raja Bhôj as his boat-houses. Sitting To test the tradition as to the lake's unusual
on one of these, and gazing afar over a perfectly sise, emphasised by the local saying, tal ho to flat valley bounded by the hills forming the Bhopal tal, sab dusre talyú" if there be a lake western shore, it is not difficult to fancy an it is Bhopal lake; all others are ponds,"-a line of actual sea taking the place of the sea of waving levels was run from the waste weir or ancient green wheat, or to hear, in the rattling of the pippal outfall to the Bhopal railway levels, and thence leaves overhead, the lapping of the wavelets other lines were projected. These, when plotted under the morning breeze on the rocks below. on sheets 16, 17 and 26 of the Bhopal-MAlwaIt is most interesting to listen to the Gônds Topographical Survey Maps, proved that the telling their old-world tales of the ancient sea; ancient lake covered the valley to the extent of how Raja Bhoj, whose name and memory seems two hundred and fifty square miles --its bed lying beloved beyond all others in Central India, used as shewn in the accompanying map.--and must to sail over to the opposite shore every morning have formed the largest, as it did the most beauti- for his early orisons among the Buddhist caves ful, lake in the peninsula of India, giving one -perhaps then still a monastery on the top of unbroken sheet of water save where islands Bhimbêt hill, and then returning for his noon. added to its beauty. It was in places a hundred day meal. They tell of the traditions of the lake. feet deep; and on all sides it was surrounded by cities now in ruins, of the spirits of the deep that high hills covered with verdure to the water's edge, interfered with the completion of the great except at the clearings, around the towns that temple, and many other tales of old connected soon sprung up on ite shores. Aramble among with the mighty fort of Gonar, away on the these discovers that the wavelets of five hundred mountains beyond the western shore. They relate years have left their marks; and one is struck by with awe how the fort's deep dyke of defence, the many inlets and picturesque outer valleys, carved out of the solid rock, was cut in a single which, when filled with water, must have appeared night, and how the prophecy concerning a still almost like separate lakelets and must have been mightier in days to come has been verified, in of weird beauty.
their simple ideas, by the great rock cuttings of