Page:Report of a Tour Through the Bengal Provinces of Patna, Gaya, Mongir and Bhagalpur; The Santal Parganas, Manbhum, Singhbhum and Birbhum; Bankura, Raniganj, Bardwan and Hughli in 1872-73.djvu/132

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REPORT OF A TOUR

Viswakarman constructed the rock cave noticed above for Sita's residence. At present the only object of notice here is an old mud fort standing on a high mound; the fort is said to have been the garh of Durinarayan Chaudhari Hartakya Brahman; it is 300 feet long by 250 feet wide, rectangular; its interior is about 20 feet above the level of the fields adjacent; above this the earthen parapets tower another 20 feet or so; the parapets are built entirely of mud, precisely like the mud walls of the large huts of the present day; but these walls appear to have been baked or in some way submitted superficially to the action of fire after being built; the fort is a plain oblong with a round tower at each corner.

GHOSRAWAN AND TITRAWAN.

Ghosrawan and Titrawan possess numerous remains, but they have been so fully noticed by General Cunningham, Captain Kittoe and Mr. Broadley, that I need only refer to their writings.

PÁRVATI.

Párvati, or rather more correctly Daryâpur Párvati, contains numerous ancient remains, mostly on and about the Párvati Hill or Garh Parávat as it is also called. General Cunningham has suggested that this may be the site of Hwen-Thsang's Parvata, or pigeon monastery, and if coincidence of name, and the occurrence of undoubted Buddhist remains, can compensate for its want of coincidence in position with recorded bearings and distances, it is certainly entitled to be considered as the site of the ancient pigeon monastery.

The hill rises with a very steep slope, almost vertical on the west, where the river Sakri during floods washes its base. On the south-east it sends out a long gentle spur with plenty of level ground on it. On the top of the hill is a small space of tolerably even ground. The easiest ascent is up the long spur. On this, at various spots of level ground, are the ruins, or rather traces, of ancient buildings; these appear to have been built, not of stone alone, as fragments of bricks are scattered profusely all over the place. There are altogether 13 mounds of a large size, and 5 or 6 of a smaller size; of these, that on the northernmost peak is the ruin of a tope 15 or 18 feet in diameter; it had been dug into before, and the poor laborer that dug into it was rewarded by finding some coral beads and a few coins; the man had