47

MANDARA HILL.

FEB. 2, 1872.]

mythology of the Hindus.

It is even mention

ed in the accounts of the great deluge, when V is h n u floated on the waters in a state of pro found slumber. The Purānas state that a giant of enormous stature then sprung from the secre tions of his ears, and having advanced to destroy Brahma, V is h n u, and S h i v a-the Hindu Triad, who had been produced from other parts of his body, V is h n u gave him battle and, after

a protracted struggle of ten thousand years' duration, succeeded in cutting off his head : but the giant's headless trunk having proved equally

powerful in the work of destruction, V is h n u was obliged not only to pile M and a r a over it, but to keep the hill pressed under his foot, that

natural and artificial curiosities.

For a mile or

two around its base are to be seen

numerous

tanks, several old buildings, some stone figures,

and a few large wells—which attest the remains of a great city that has long since disappeared. A common saying among the people in the neighbourhood is, that this city contained fifty two b az a r s

and fifty-three streets besides

four times twenty-two tanks. Near the foot of the hill, there is a building, now in ruins, which has an immense number of square holes evidently designed for lamps or Chirags. The tradition runs that on the night of the Dewali festival,

there were a hundred thousand lighted Chiraſs

it might not rise up again to destroy creation.

placed in these holes by the inhabitants of the city, each householder being allowed to place

V is h m u is therefore supposed to be always

there only a single Chirag.

present in the hill under the title of Madhu -

About a hundred yards from the above struc ture may be observed a large building of stone, which is generally ascribed to Rájá Chola. As the Rājā is said to have flourished twenty-two centuries ago, the building must be very old. It is built without mortar, and the walls are made of large stones laid upon one another. The roof, which is composed of long and spacious marble slabs, is supported upon huge stone beams 18 inches by 15, and the Veranda rests upon en tire posts of the same material. The building consists of a large hall in the centre, with an ad

stid an a so-called from M a dhu ka it a b a

the name of the giant thus killed. The hill is also believed to be the one that

was used by the gods and Asurs in churning the ocean. This, as recorded in the Mahābhārata, was done partly to obtain the Amrita which confers immortality, and partly to recover the goddess of Fortune who, in obedience to the curse of a sage, had forsaken heaven and descended into the bosom of the sea. The great serpent

who supports the earth on his thousand heads having, on that occasion, consented to act as a string, M and a r a hill was selected as the only

joining veranda in front and six dark rooms on the

churning-rod that was capable of withstanding the mighty movement.* The learned are divided as to this hill being identical with the gigantic M and a r a that is compared in their books with the fabulous Sum eru which supports the

perforated windows, which are of various devices.

side—only lighted through small apertures in the The rise of the city, like many other ancient Hindu cities, is no doubt due to the sanctity at tached to the place, or the great veneration felt for Madhu stid an a on the Mandara, which

heavens on its head, the earth on its navel, and the nether world on its base, and round whose sides the sun, moon, and stars roll in their ac

was not inferior to what is inspired by Krishna at Math ur à, by Jagannāth at Puri, or by

customed orbits.

But the ignorant pilgrims who

came the capital of Rājā Chola. How or when the

annually flock to the hill entertain no doubt on

city fell into ruins, it is difficult to say; but popular

this point, especially when they behold with wonder and awe the coil of the great serpent trac

of Madhusºidana's temple on the hill to K & 1 :-

Ráma at N a sik.

It is said it subsequently be

tradition ascribes its destruction as well as that

ed round its enormous girth.

pahār, who is charged, rightly or wrongly, with

Having such memories associated with the Hill, the great sanctity attached to it by the

the demolition of every sacred relic of Hindu

Hindus need not excite wonder.

But besides

antiquity throughout the length and breath of Hindustan.

Not far from the building with the

being a place of pilgrimage, the hill possesses great value in the eye of the antiquarian, abound ing, as it does, in interesting ruins as well as in

square holes, previously mentioned, there is a triumphal arch built of stone containing an in scription in Sanskritt which seems to show that

• See a spirited rendering of this tale from the Mahābhārata

in Griffith's Specimens of Old Indian Poetry, pp. 35-40.-Ed. + It is written in the old Bengali character of the Tirhut type

on earth for Shri Madhusºldana in the Shaka year 1521, when the noble Brahmana Duhshasana was the officiating priest.

and in the Sanskrit, language. The following is a translation of it by Babu Rajendralala Mitra :-

of Bengal for November 1870, page 293,

“The well-disposed and auspicious Chhatrapati, son of the aus

picious Vasudeva, dedicated this pure and nºble place of victory Shaka 1521.' [A. D. 1597.] Proceedings of the is tutic Society -