AJO
H
In two places in the Babari Mosque, the year in -which it was built, 935 H., corresponding with 1528 A. D., is carved in stone, along with inscriptions dedicated to the glory of that Emperor. If Ajodhya was then little other than a wilderness, it must at least have possessed a fine temple in the Janamasthan for many of its columns are still in existence and in good preservation, having been used by the Musalmans in the construction of the Babari Mosque. These are of strong, closegrained, dark-colored or black stone, called by the natives Icasauti (literally touch-stone slate,) and carved with different devices. To my thinking these more strongly resemble Buddhist pillars than those I have seen at Benares and elsewhere. They are from seven to eight feet long, square at the base, centre and capital, and round or octagonal intermediately.
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Hindu and Musalman. The Janamasthan is within a few hundred paces of the Hanoman Garhi. In 1855, when a great rupture took place between the Hindus and Muhammadans, the former occupied the Hanoman Garhi in force, whUe the Musalmans took possession of the Janamasthan. The Muhammadans on that occasion actually charged up the steps of the Hanoman Garhi, but were driven back with considerable loss. The Hindus then followed up this success, and at the third attempt took the Janamasthan, at the gate of which seventy-five Muhammadans are buried in the "martyrs' grave" (Ganj-i-Shahidan.) Eleven Hindus were killed. Several of the King's regiments were looking on all the time, but their orders were not to interfera It is said that up to that time the Hindus and Muhammadans alike iised to worship in the mosque-temple. Since British rule a railing has been put up to prevent disputes, within which, in the mosque, the Muhammadans pray while outside the fence the Hindus have second attempt raised a platform on which they make their offerings. was made shortly afterwards by Molvi Amir Ali of Amethi the object was to seize the alleged site of an old mosque on the Hanoman Garhi.
A
The two other old mosques to which allusion has been made (known the common people by the name of N'aurang Shah, by whom they mean Aurangzeb) are now mere picturesque ruins. Nothing has been done by the Hindus to restore the old mandir of Eam Darbar. The Treta-ke-Thakur was reproduced near the old ruin by the Raja of by
Kalu, whose estate is said to be in the Panjab, more than two centuries ago and it was improved upon afterwards by Aholya Bai, Marathin, who' also built the adjoining ghat, A. D. 1784. She was the widow of Jaswant Rae, Holkar of Indor, irom which family Rs. 231 are still annually
received at this shrine.
The Jain Hierarchs.
—The generally received opinion
of this sect
is,
that
they are a branch of the Buddhists who escaped the fate of the orthodox conforming followers of Gautama in the eighth and ninth centuries, by somewhat to Brahmanism, and even helping to persecute the Buddhists Hence many Jains acknowledge Shiva, and in the south are even divided, The precise period of the schism is unknown. The_ Jains into castes. recognize twenty-four Jenas or tirthanJcdras, or hierarchs, and in this they resemble the Hindus. _
