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/57

Rh the flattish vaulted construction; the back wall has the usual projection in the centre marking the mehrâb.

Besides these the only other objects worth mention in Patna of antiquarian interest are four high mounds of brick and earth at the four corners of what once was the Fort of Patna. These are now known as the asthânas of four local saints; three of these still exist crowned by small whitewashed shrines; the north-west one has disappeared in the Ganges.

A plan of the old fortifications of Patna may be seen in Rennell's Indian Atlas, plate XV. The fort was an irregular parallelogram, of which the north side ran along the river. Even in Rennell's time this side of the fort had disappeared to a great extent, notably the north-west portion with its tower; tradition, however, preserves its memory still. The west wall was a curve with the concave side turned outwards. The walls were of earth, and Rennell shows them 32 feet in height at the north end of the west wall. The height now is nowhere 32 feet, and in most places it has quite disappeared. The great road now leading from the railway station towards the dargah of Márú Saheb, at the north-east corner of the city, runs on the crest of the old fort walls.

The moat, however, still exists, but is partially filled up, and in some places so altered by railway excavations that it hardly looks like a moat. The fact, however, of its surrounding the city proves that it is an artificial excavation to defend the city.

The citadel, as noticed before, is a mass of ruin. A plan of it may be seen in Rennell's plan of the Fort of Patna. Its walls were of solid brick masonry, of which a great portion still stands. Rennell gives the height as 32 feet without the parapet, and this height still exists in most parts, but the parapet has quite disappeared, except where abutting houses have necessitated its preservation.

The native legend regarding the first occupation of Patna is very silly; it relates that in ancient times a great magician, Patan Deo, reigned in Patna, who succeeded in destroying by magic all the troops sent to take the place by the Muhammadan emperors. At last, in the reign of Akbar, four saints volunteered to reduce the place; they were accordingly sent, and Patan Deo, finding them proof against his magic, quietly gave up the place and went away. These four brothers then built the four mounds at the four corners and lived there. Rh