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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[JULY, 1912.
BOOK-NOTICES. AJMER : Historical and Descriptive. By HAB BILAs the whole of the building as it actually stood in
SARDA, B.A., F.R.S.L. Printed at the Scottish Mission Visaladeva's time. Can Mr. Sards point to any Industries Company, Limited, Ajmer, 1911.
non-Mahammadan building which in plan is THE idea of writing a guide of Ajmer was
exactly like a mosque as Adhai-din--Jhonpri suggested to the author more than twenty years
undoubtedly is? In fact, no Hindu or Jaina ago by Mr. F. L. Reid, late Principal of the
temple has yet been found, whose parte alto Ajmer Government College, but it was only in
arranged like the prayer-chamber and side clois. 1909 when Ajmer was plagae-affected that he
ters of a mosque. Besides, in the body of old could possibly take up the work in right earnest.
masjids built by demolishing ancient temples the As material accumulated, the author decided to
pillars consist of two or more Hinda shafts write a more detailed history of the city than
superimposed, one on the other. Such stilted was permissible in a guide. But this ambitious
pillars are conspicuous by their absence in old object had to be postponed and the present
Hindu structures, but are found in all old guide to be prepared and published for Her
mosques as in Addhâl-din-ka-Jhonpi&. These Imperial Majesty and the Royal Party that visited Ajmer in December last. The book is dedi.
considerations strongly militate against the view cated to Sir Elliot Colvin, K.C.S.I., Agent to
that this last building in its present plan was the Governor-General for Rajputana, and a hap
originally some Hindu temple. The inscription
slabs that were unearthed here in 1875 were for pier choice it is impossible to imagine, knowing,
some time deposited in the Lucknow Museum as we do, wbat he has done for the improvement
and have now been brought back to Ajmer and well-being of Ajner.
and kept in the Rajputana Museum there. The The guide is both descriptive and historical as
author says: "These inscriptions are of the it professes to be, and the descriptive and his
greatest importance to the historian, and it is torical parts are so arranged that neither pre
hoped that Government will see their way to ponderates over the other. This is just the thing
taking in band regular excavations in the Jhon needed though it is seldom accomplished. The
prd, with a view to recover, if possible, the reauthor has spared no paids to make his book as
maining portions of the important inscriptions." accurate, full, and reliable as it was possible for
They were published by the late Prof. Kielborn him to do. One bas only to read a chapter to be convinced of this fact. The reader is spe
in this Journal, Vol. XX, p. 201 ff., and Mr.
Sarda bas given a succinct summary of what the cially requested to read Chapter VIII, which
former wrote regarding them. In this summary deals with an account of Khwaja Muinuddin
mention is made of a place called Vavveraa, Chisti, the presiding genius of Ajmer, and be is
where Vigrahardja alias Visaladeva was cnçampsure to be amazed at the mass of information so critically collected and so interestingly set forth.
ed while he was preparing himself to give battle
to the Hammira, i, e., the Muhammadan king It is, however, Chapters VII, XIII, and XIV, which concern the antiquarian most. The first
who was advancing against him. This place
Prof. Kielborn was not able to identify nor las gives a description of Adhai-din-k A-Jhonpra.
Mr. Sarda suggested any identification. There The author proposes a new explanation of this
can, however, be no doubt that it is to be idez. name. "The name Adhat-din-ka-Jhonprd was
tified with Vaverá by which Rupnagar was given to it," he says, "as fakirs began to assem.
known before it was so named after Rüpsimba ble here in the times of the Mahrattas (latter
of the Kishangarh dynasty (Ann. Prog. Rep. half of the eighteenth century) to celebrate the Urs anniversary of the death of their leader
West. Circle for 1911, p. 42). Panjaba Shah, which lasted for two and a half
Chapter XIII. gives an account of Pashkar, days." He is perfectly correct when he says
seven miles west of Ajmer. It is one of the most that here was the original site of the temple of sacred places of the Hindus in India. It is also Sarasvati and the college house built by the
one of the most ancient places in India. All Chohan king Visaladeva just as the Kamalmaula
references to Pushkar whether in epies or ins. mosque at Dh&r represents the original place
criptions have been culled together by Mr. Sarda where a similar temple and college were cons- in this chapter. Of particular interest is the refe. tructed by the Paramara sovereign Bhojadeva. rence to Pushkar found in the NAsik cave insBut he is certainly wide of the mark when he cription. It tells us that Usbavadata, son-in law tries to show that if we but omit the screen wall, of the Mabâkshatrapa Nahapâne, bad first gone front-arches, Mihrab, and Mimbar of the prayer to give aid to the Uttamabhadras who were chamber of the Adhli-din-kA-Jhonprå, we have harassed by the Málavas, who in ancient days.
