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/78

54 ministering Brahmans now became as abjectly submissive as they bad before been defiant, but I thought it unwise to take advantage of their offer now to let me enter the temple, as I was quite satisfied the statue was Buddhist, and there was nothing of any interest to induce me to enter then.

There are in the village several fragments of pillars and capitals, but most of the stones that could have been used up have been appropriated by the villagers and used either as door-steps or as foundations to their huts. There are now few remains, but these are enough to show that the place was one of importance. The character of the inscription, which is Kutila, induces me, in conjunction with the superior style of art in the sculpture, to ascribe the remains to the end of the 9th or early part of the 10th century.  Barawang, or Jylepoor Barawan, as it is spelt in the map (Indian Atlas), is situated beLween Konch and Goh, close to the road from Gaya to Dâudnagar; the place is noticed by Buchanan (Montgomery Martin’s compilation), but I found no time to visit it.

Konch is a large village about 18 miles from Gaya on the Dâudnagar road; there are numerous remains here, but the principal one is a temple of brick in good preservation at the north of the village. The temple as it stands consists solely of the sanctum, with its tower roof; it is a square externally of about 28 feet each way, and 11¼ feet internally. A lingam is the object of worship inside, which is partially filled in with earth and rubbish. The bricks used in the temple are properly shaped, well-burnt bricks, the largest measuring 11 × 5½ × 2¾ inches, but there are many measuring only 9 × 4¾ × 2¾ inches, and some 13 × 7½ × 2¾ inches. This variety in the sizes of the bricks used induces me to suppose that the temple has undergone extensive repair since it was first built, if indeed it be not only a restoration of an ancient temple; in the latter case, however, the restoration must have taken place so long ago that it is ancient even as a restoration.

The sanctum is roofed internally by tunnel vaults, not semicircular, but of arcs meeting at the crown in a ridge; the arch sheeting is entirely of brick cut to shape in the lowest course of bricks; in the arch sheeting, at the springing, the bricks are placed, not as usual with their beds horizontal, but on their edges with the beds vertical; over this row of vertical bricks are 8 or 10 courses of bricks, with their beds 