Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924073057352).pdf/294

 286 SAH-SAL considerable ruin identified by Hwen Thsang with the old Jetávana, once one of the most favous monasteries in India. It is a singular fact that this feature is exactly reproduced in the remains of Rángi in the Rae Bareli district, where a similar oblong ruin lies at the same distance and direc- tion from the main town. The remainder of the Chinese pilgrims mea- surements seem to have been taken from this point; but it is difficult to select among the numerous mounds the remains of the great Vihára and its rival the idol temple. Nearly a mile to the east of the Jetávana is the high congeries of bricks known, as is the Mani Parbat at Ajodhya, by the name Orá Jhár or basket skakings, and supposed to be the place where Rama's labourers emptied out their baskets of earth. This is identified with some probability by General Cunningham as the Purvavarama built by the lady Vaisakha in honour of Buddha. The top is protected by the tombs of two Muhammadan saints, but General Cunningham cleared one of the sides, and found four pilasters of an exceedingly ancient style of architecture. From the fact that two of the chief thoroughfares of the city so converge as to command a view of this mound, I should conjecture that it was more ancient than the plan of the present remains, and consequently one of the oldest monuments left in the neigh- bourhood. As yet very little is known of this very interesting ruin which must contain relics which would do much to elucidate some of the darkest and most interesting periods of Indian history. I was once able to spend a few days in excavations, and dug more than 20 feet deep into the crown of the Angulimatia stupa, but beyond disclosing a square building of 24 feet each way, with a partition wall down the centre, and a second wall running all round the building at a distance of four feet, I discovered nothing of interest. It is somewhat difficult to get labourers, as the neighbouring villagers have a superstitious dread of interfering with the old city, and will not even enter it after sunset. A storna of thunder and lightning, which came on when I encamped there on a second occasion, was interpreted as a manifest token of the demons' displeasure with the man who had violated their haunts. NOTE.-Since the above was written, the learned Suraj Narain Acharya, of Lachhman- pur, in the district of Sultanpur, favoured me with the following information, the sourccs of which I was unable to ascertain : After the time of Asoka (Siláditya of Kanauj), the Thárug descended from the hills and occupied Ajodhya. The diapossessed Buddhists called in Rája Sri Chandra, of Srídagra, who drove back the Thárus, and marching north founded Chandravatipara, now known as Sanet Mahet. His grandson was the celebrated Suhel Dal or Deo who defeated the Muhamınadans. Shortly afterwards Chandradeva, Som bangi of Kananj, tooks Sahet Mahet, and the Súraj Bansis of Suhcl Dal's family fled to Simla, where their descendants are still in existence. I am inclined to consider this legend as unusually Valuable, illuatrating as it does the religious wars which ensued on the fall of the great Aditya dynasty of Kanauj, and coun firming the account of the refoundiog of Srávaati after centuries of dcaolation by a puwerful Jain monarch, and the destruction of the Jaip kingdom by Chandradera of Kanauj. SALIMPUR-Pargand MOHANLALGANJ-Tahsil MOHANLALGANJ-Dis- trict LUCKNOW. This is a small town at the 20th milestone from Lucknow on the road to Sultanpur. It is itself of unt much consequence, but as the residence of the Shekh Chaudhris of Salímpur, who at one time claimed the whole pargana by right of conquest, it has played a conspi- cuous part in the history of the pargana,