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/169

Rh Siva at last was pleased with the untiring devotion of Baiju Gwâla, and offered to give him any gift he should ask. The independent gwala replied—"What can you give me? I have enough to eat and drink. I want nothing, but if you are determined to grant me a gift, grant that henceforth my name should precede yours." From that day, the lingam known as Râvaneswara came to be known as Baijnâth.

A few miles to the north-east of Baijâth is Harlájhuri; here are a few modern temples and fragments of statues; two have inscribed on them a jogi's name. Sri Chintâman Das is said to have lived here and built these temples 50 years ago. There is nothing of interest in the place, but an inscription which I found here in late medieval characters of the Bengali type is of interest as showing that the Krimila Desa, mentioned in the Mongir plate, was here, or hereabouts; the entire inscription is in the margin. This place is the spot where Râvana is said to have made over the lingam to Vishnu disguised as a Brahman; it is incumbent on pilgrims to visit the place.

About 6 miles south-east of Deoghar Baijnâth is a solitary hill known as Tapoban; in this hill is a natural cavern, enshrining a lingam which is worshipped; it is said to have been the residence or a Tapasya of ancient tunes; there is also a kund known as Sul Kund, in which pilgrims bathe. On the rock near the cave are two inscriptions; one, a single line, reads Sri Deva Râmapâla; the other in two lines is quite illegible.

Eight miles north-west from Baijnâth is a group of hills with three curious peaks; it is known as the Trikuta hill, awl is marked in the Ind. atlas sheet as Tecor or Tirpahar. Here is a natural cavern, empty, and in the plains below, which is low-lying and said to be marshy in the rains, a small, old, uninteresting deserted fort; there is a lingam here known as Trikutanâth Mahâdeva.

In concluding my account of the remains at Baijnâth and its vicinity, I must express my acknowledgments to the Public Works Overseer at Deoghar, without whose assistance it would have been impossible for me to have obtained the plan of the interior of the great temple. Rh