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 KHE 237 been handed down to us, being far more minute than the biblical account of the Pharoahs in Egypt, contemporaries of this Raja Bairát, who reigned in Barkhår, In later times Barkhár formed part of the estate granted to Mahárája Newal Ráe, the díwán of Safdar Jang, Wazir of Oudh. Newal Ráe gave it to certain Brahmans who still hold the estate. It is now a small vil- lage with a population of 419. Its peasants when guiding their ploughs over the ancient site, repeatedly find the earth give way beneath them, and disclose some well or tunnel testifying to the presence of the old city, where Draupadi rejected the addresses of the queen's brother about the very time when Joseph was flying from an Egyptian lady. General Cunningham questions the truth of the tradition in the account of bis archæological tour: " Barikhár* is the naine of a village on the top of an extensive old mound called Vairátkbera, which is situated on the high road between Nírsár and Pilibhít, at 42 miles from the former, and 68 miles from the latter place, Barikhár is said to be a corruption of Barigakhera or Vairátkhera, and its foundation is attributed to Vairát Řája in the time of the Pándus. The ruined mound is 1,000 feet in length at top from east to west, by 600 feet in breadth, and from 16 to 20 feet in height. But the dimensions at the base are much more, as the slope is very gentle being 200 feet in length on the north side where I measured it. This would make the base of the mound about 1,400 feet, which agrees with the size of 50 bíghas, or 1,400,000 square feet, which is popularly attributed to it by the villagers themselves. But the fields are strewn with broken bricks for upwards of 1,000 feet to the northward, and for 500 or 600 feet to the eastward, where there are the remains of several temples. “The area actually covered by ruins is not less than 2,000 feet square, or upwards of lf miles in circuit, which słows that Barikhár must once have been a good-sized town ; but I strongly doubt the story of the Brab- mans which attributes the foundation to Vairát Rája. The name is written by the people themselves Badishár, although it is pronounced Barikhár, and I believe that similarity of sound alone has led to the identification of Barikhár with Barigakhera and Vairát Rija." It may be remarked with reference to the above, that it is true several places lay claim to having been the residence of Rája Vairát and the scene of this exploit, yet there are reasons why this neighbourliood has pre-eminent claims. In the first place it is almost impossible that the Pándus, five young exiles wander- ing with difficulty about the country, could get so far as either Dholka in Gujarát, Dinagepurin Bengal, or Bjaipur in Satára, when the event has been localized by others. Wheeler writes as follows: “ In turning to the mythical details which connect the tradition of the amour of Kichaka with the history of the Pandavas, it will be necessary in the first instance to inquire into the geographical position of the ráj of Virata. Here, at the very outset, a dificulty presents itself of no ordi nary magnitude. 31
 * Vol. I., p. 351.