________________
JULY, 1908.]
A VISIT TO RAMTEK.
203
to Indra, to the sun, to the moon and the other gods, and beheld the sage Agastya, surrounded by his disciples, clothed in the skin of antelopes and vestments of bark. The Adhydtma Rámdyana says that there were thousands of sages engaged in religious pursuits in this hermitage, and well raay the mount have been named Tapogiri.
The temple of Ramachandra stands conspicuous amidst the group on the western end of
the bill, some 500 feet above the town. With their many coats The group of Rama temples.
of white-wash, these temples can be seen gleaming in the sunshine from a long distance. The group is enclosed within a citadel, said to have been built by the Bhonslå king, Raghujt I. (1743--1755). In front of the temple of Rama stands that of Lakshmana, both built in the same style, locally called hemadpanthi. They are made of hewn stones, well-fitted together without mortar, the mandapa before the sanctum sanctorum being supported by eight massive pillars. The idols are of black marble, and are said to have been found in the Dadhâlâ tank, and to have been sabstituted for the original ones which had been or become mutilated. The other temples in the group are dedicated to Kausalya, Satya Narayana, the eight-armed Mahishasura-mardini and Dharmêsvara Mabadeva (in one temple), Lakshmi Narayans, Vyankatesa, another Mahishasura-mardini? and Hanuman. Over the Lakshmi Nárayaun temple there is a domed balcony called Råma Jharokha, which Beglar took to be the name of a god. Looking from this place down below, the RÂmtêk town looks like a beautiful map, the numerous tanks distributed in the various quarters of the town and the green fields on the ontskirts contributing much to the charming scenery. All these temples are included in the innermost court-yard, and there is also a palace said to have been the residence of the Süryavaṁsi kings, who came from Ayodhyâ and ruled there. There is also a platform with an arch, known as Kabîr Chabútara, Kabir Asapa or Kabir Kamâna, which is claimed by the Kabirpanthis to have been the place where Kabir sat, but the pujdris say that it was the swinging place of a Suryavansi princess. None but the higher-class Hindus are admitted within this court, the gate of which is named Gokula Darwaza. In the second court the principal place is the temple of Harihara with two statues. It is popularly known as the Dasaratha Temple, this name being more lucrative, as the pujdri informs the pilgrims that it is absolutely necessary for gaining fall religious merit to see the father first before seeing the Bon. Of course, no darsana is meritorious without a present. The entrance of this court is pamed Bhniraya Darwaza. The next court, whose entrance is called Singhpur Darwêzê, is occupied by temple servants. This was the place where the Marathas had their arsenal, of which a few wall pieces may etill be seen on the spot. The last court contains a very ancient and huge image of Varaha ( boar incarnation ) under a small flat-roofed temple ; and in another part there is a Manbhao temple dedicated to their black deities, Krishņa and Devi. The gate-way of this court is called Varaha Darwâzâ, outside which there is a small masjid. There are various stories abont it, one of them being that the Musalman king, who wanted to despoil the temple, was attacked by a swarm of black bees, which prevented him from desecrating the inside ; so he built a mosque outside and left the place. Others say, 'Rama Rahîm kd joda hai, "Where there is Råma, there is Rahim,'
The other antiquities on the hill are two temples with huge idols of Narasimha holding Other antiquities.
wheel in one hand, an old baoli, a very old temple of the dwarf
incarnation called Trivikrama, of which only the portico remains, and a modern temple of Dhumrêsvara Mahadeva besides the remains of fort
• On the bank of the AmbAlA tank there is still a temple dedicated to the sun + This is popularly known as Ekadasi.
