________________
DECEMBER, 1902.)
PROGRESS OF EXCAVATIONS AT PATNA.
495
Vastupala's feud with Samgramasimha and Sankha is related at length by Somesvara in the Kirtikaumudi, IV-V, and Someávara also is unable to report any other warlike deed of his friend. Since, then, we possess two eulogies, which, although otherwise independent of each other, mention only this one exploit, we may conclude that the accounts in the later Prabandhas of the numerous heroic deeds of Vastupala and Tojahpala, in the beginning of their career, deserve no great confidence.
In conclusion, it may be mentioned that Amarapandita twice addresses Vastupala by the name of Vasantapala. This was his poet-name, under which he wrote the Narandrdyandnandakávya, which I found in Anhilvad in 1875.43
REPORTS MADE DURING THE PROGRESS OF EXCAVATIONS AT PATNA.
BY BABU P. O. MUKHARJI.
(Continued from p. 441.)
REPORT No. II. - JANUARY, 1897. The promising results of the work in December 1896 were sustained during January 1897. The excavations at Kumrahar and Jamuna Dhih brought to light valuable structural remains and relics, chiefly terra-cottas at the latter place,
At Jamuna Dhih on the West of the Bankipore Railway Station, and on the south bank of the old and now dried-up bed of the Sôhan, a channel of which used to flow at the spot in ancient times. I commenced work in the beginning of January (see Plate II.). In a few days I exhumed several large vases (nando) and some walls, made of large bricks, on the east side of the mound. On the north side, where I began excavating a week later, some rooms and more nánds were brought to light; and, continuing the work during the whole month, other rooms and several walls projecting in different directions were traced out, the nánds or jars appearing everywhere. In the last week of the month I commenced tapping the north-west corner ; but beyond some uninteresting vessels and terra-cottas, no architectural remains were found. As to terra-cotta figures and vessels, several were discovered. The terra-cotta figures consisted of horses and other interesting playthings. The vessels were innumerable, exhibiting some graceful forms. Regarding stone-work, innumerable fragments of stools and pestles and mortars (sil-16dhá) were recovered, as also several round stones, between 3 and 4 inches in diameter. As to fragments of sculpture, defaced base of statne, and a half circular slab, which showed some peculiar ornaments, and the back of which was rounded, was brought to light:
On a close examination of the mound I found that it was not a Raja's fort, as marked in Dr. Waddell's map. It appeared to be the site of a village that at first had mud houses (which
accounts for the raised level of the land), where, during the period of the Mauryan Emperors, the villagers, chiefly Gawalas and potters, becoming a little richer, built brick and tiled houses.
The large bricks, about 1' 6" X 10' X 2' or 8", and the great " .
numbers of the nands and other vessels lead to that conclusion. On the north-east corner of the mound is an elevated spot dedicated to Gaurayya Devf, containing a statue of Gauri Shankar, rather defaced, which shows the goddess seated on the lap of the four-armed Mahadeva in the style commonly seen. Here I secured a statuette of a Devi, about 8 inches in height, seated on a lion, and holding in her right band a lotus, and in ber left a vessel (Fig. 1). These relics show that there was a temple here. The nanda were used for feeding the cattle, and the larger ones for storing the produce of the fields. I also obtained some metallic relics (obiefly copper), consisting of some coins (maddhu sdi), and square pieces, a few diminative sticks called sildi for applying surind to the eyes, and a knife in iron - all very much
injured by age. - A copy of the work is in the Dakban College Collection of 1876-77, No. 731.
II
