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 BHWOT-LA Y—BIANS.

4i8

than a quarter of a century before the extinction of the race. Seven thousand shrines once clustered round the sacred lake of Bhuvaneswar. Not more than 500 or 600 now remain, and these are nearly all deserted and in ruins. They exhibit every stage of Orissa art, from the rough conceptions of the 6th century, through the exquisite designs and ungrudging artistic toil of the 12th, to the hurried and dishonest stucco

imitations

of

Hindu

architecture

the

at

present day.

A

celebrated place of pilgrimage.

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—

See Pa-de. Bhwot-lay. River in Pegu, British Burma Town in Bhartpur State, Rajputana. On the route Biana. from Agra to Mau (Mhow), 50 miles south-west of the former. Situated on an eminence in a small plain between two ranges of hills running somewhat parallel to each other, from north-east to south-west. Population (1881) 8758, namely, 6907 Hindus, and The town is of considerable antiquity and 1851 Muhammadans. size, and possesses some large well-built houses of stone, besides many temples and the whole ridge of the hill is covered with the remains of large buildings, among which the most remarkable is the

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.



fort

containing a high stone pillar called Bhi'm Lat, or the

Bhi'm,’ conspicuous for a great distance through the country.

‘

Staff of

This

fort

was once esteemed one of the chief strongholds in India, and the bulwark of Jadun dominion. It was held by the Jadun Raja Bijai Pal, and was taken (a.d. 1004) by Sayyid Salar Masaud, a nephew of the great Musalman conqueror, Mahmud of Ghazni. There are numerous graves of Muhammadan fanatics, who perished here on the occasion known as Abu Khandar (or more correctly, Abu Bakr Kandahdn' ’), a name having reference probably either to the great number of Afghans who fell during the siege, or to the name and nationality of their leader. Biana is a spot of great sanctity in the eyes of Muhammadans, who declare that if a few more of the followers of the Prophet had received the crown of martyrdom here, the place would have superseded the title for veneration and pilgrimage held by Mecca. Biana is mentioned by Ferishta as a place of importance in 1491, when it stood a siege against Sikandar Lodhi. Babar describes it in 1526 as one of the most famous forts in India it was then held by an Afghan chief ‘

‘

’



who surrendered

it

to him.

In

the

following

year

a sanguinary

was fought near this town between Babar and Rand Sanga, the Rajput prince of Udaipur (Oodeypore), who was defeated. Bians. Pass in Kumaun District, North-Western Provinces, over the Himalayan range into Tibet lying between 30° 3' and 30° 28' n. Has two forks, known lat., and between 80° 42' and 80° 57' e. long. Dhiira, the former of and Mangsha Dhura Lanpiya the respectively as The which reaches an elevation of 18,000 feet above sea-level. Bhutias carry on a trade over these passes by means o^ydks, goats, and battle

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