able collections of books and curiosities, | station. The author of the Periplus, which he sent to Holland. The chief Mosques are 1. Khwajah Diwan Sahib's Mosque, built about 1530. He is said to have come to Surat from Bokhara, and to have lived to the age of 116. 2. The Nau Saiyad Mosque, "Mosque of the Nine Saiyads," on the W. bank of the Gopi Lake. 3. The Saiyad Idrus Mosque, in Saiyadpura, with a minaret, one of the most conspicuous objects in Surat; it was built in 1639, in honour of the ancestor of the present Kazi of Surat. 4. The Mirza Sami Mosque, built 1540 by Khudawand Khan, who built the castle. The Tombs of the Bohras deserve a visit. There are two chief Parsi firetemples, built in 1823. The Hindu sect of the Walabhacharis has three temples. The Swami Narayan temple, with three white domes, is visible all over the city. In the two old temples in the Ambaji ward the shrines are 15 ft. underground, a relic of Mohammedan persecution. The Shravaks, or Jains, have 42 temples, the chief of which are from 150 to 200 years old. The Across the Hope Bridge 3 m. is Rander, built on the site of a very ancient Hindu city, destroyed by the Mohammedans in the 12th century. Jumma Musjid stands on the site of the principal Jain temple. In the façade the bases of the Jain columns are still visible, and the great idol is placed head downwards as a doorstep for the faithful to tread on in entering the mosque. In another mosque are the wooden columns and domes belonging to the Jain Temple, which are the only wooden remains of the kind in Guzerat. 2 m. after leaving Surat the Tapti river is crossed by a very long bridge, and close to Broach the Nerbudda river is passed on the finest Bridge on the B.B. and C.I. Railway. From it a good view is obtained on left of 203 m. Broach sta. (R.) (Bharoch). is a place of extreme antiquity, but uninteresting. Pop. 37,000. Part of the town is within about 1 m. from railway 60-210 A.D., mentions Broach under the name of Barugaza. It was then ruled by an independent Rajput chief, a Jain by religion. It then fell under the rule of the Chalukyas. The Moslems began to appear in the 8th century, and Broach was ruled by them from 1297 to 1772. In 1613 A.D. it was first visited by Aldworth and Withington, English merchants, and in 1614 a house was hired for a factory, permission to establish which was granted to Sir Thomas Roe by Jehangir in 1616. The Dutch set up a factory in 1617. In 1686 the Marathas plundered Broach. On the 18th of November 1772 the British troops stormed the place with the loss of their commander, General Wedderburn, whose tomb is at the N.W. corner of the Fort. On the 29th of August 1803 Broach was again taken by storm by the British. The Nerbudda here is a noble river, 1 m. in breadth. The city with its suburbs covers a strip of land 2 m. long and m. broad, hence by its inhabitants it is called Jibh, or "the tongue." The Fort stands on a hill more than 100 ft. above the river, and a massive stone wall lines the river bank for about 1 m. The streets are narrow, and some of them steep. The houses are of plain brick, two stories high, with tiled roofs. In the Fort are the Collector's Office, the Civil Courts, the Dutch Factory, the Jail, the Civil Hospital, the English Church and School, the Municipal Office, and the Library. The D. B. is N. of the town. The Dutch tombs are 2 m. W. of the Fort, and some 100 yds. off the road 1. There are two large tombs from 16 to 20 ft. high. To the E. of them is the tomb of Jan Groenvelt, who died 9th January 1704. Another tomb has the date 1666. Opposite the Dutch tombs are five Towers of Silence, one of them about 15 ft. high. The second Tower is still in use. Outside the E. gate on the river bank is the Temple of Bhrigu Rishi, said to be older than the foundation of the town. [10 m. to the E. of Broach is the celebrated place of Hindu pilgrimage, Shukltirth. It is on the N. or right | 15,000. The ancient Hindu architecture of this place is most interesting, and is little known. It appears to have escaped notice by James Fergusson, whom it would have delighted. The Fort is said to have been built by the Rajah of Patan in the 13th century. bank of the Nerbudda, and here Chanakya, King of Ujjain, was purified of his sins, having arrived at this holy spot by sailing down the Nerbudda in a boat with black sails, which turned white on his reaching Shukltirth. Here too Chandragupta and his minister, Chanakya, were cleansed from the guilt of murdering Chandragupta's eight brothers, and here Chamund, King of Anhalwada, in the 11th century, ended his life as a penitent. There are three sacred waters-the Kavi, the Hunkareshwar, and the Shukl. At the second of these is a temple with an image of Vishnu: The temple is not remarkable. There is a fair here in November, at which 25,000 people assemble. Opposite Mangleshwar, which is 1 m. up stream from Shukltirth, in the Nerbudda, is an island in which is the famous Banian Tree called the Kabir wad, or "the fig-tree of Kabir," from whose toothpick it is said to have originated. It has suffered much from floods. Forbes, who visited Broach 1776-83, says in his Oriental Memoirs, i. p. 26, it enclosed a space within its principal stems 2000 ft. in circumference. It had 350 large and 3000 small trunks, and had been known to shelter 7000 men. Bishop Heber, in April 1825, says though much had been washed away, enough remained to make it one of the most noble groves in the world. small temple marks the spot where the original trunk grew.] The Baroda Gate is 31 ft. high, with elaborately carved pilasters on either side. The carvings represent the incarnations of Vishnu, and nymphs sporting with heavenly alligators. Near this the interior colonnades in the Fort walls are very interesting. They afford shelter to the garrison. The roofs give an ample rampart, but they indicate no fear of the breaching power of artillery. Pass then through dusty streets, in which the houses are of immense solidity, and built of burnt brick much worn by the weather, to the S. or Nandod gate, which is 29 ft. high and 16 ft. 4 in. wide. Trees have grown in the walls and fractured them with their thick roots. The Hira Gate in the E. face of the town is 37 ft. high, and a marvel of minute carving. On the spectator's left as he looks out from inside the tower, is the temple of Maha Kali, and on his right beyond the gate and inside it is a smaller temple, now quite ruined. These gates are well worth attention. The Temple of Maha Kali is a wondrous example of carving, which when new must have been very A beautiful, but is now much worn by the weather. The carving of the gate outside the town is elaborate. About 10 ft. up in the N. face of the centre, a man and woman are carved 4 ft. high, standing with a tree between them, like the old representations of Adam and Eve. To the left is the tall figure of a devil, with a ghastly leer. High in the centre face is an elephant, under which the builder of the gate is said to have been interred. On the N. side of the town is what was the palace, in which the law courts now sit. There is a fine tank on this side and the Mori gate. Dabhoi to Vishvamitri junc. 19 m.] 229 m. Miyagam junc. sta. This is a junction of a system of narrow gauge railways (2′ 6′′) owned by the Gaekwar of Baroda and worked by the B.B. and C. I. Rly. Dabhoi is the only place of interest on these lines, and it may best be visited by leaving the main line at Miyagam and rejoining it at Vishvamitri junction, 2 m. S. of Baroda sta., if the traveller intends continuing his journey by rail; but for seeing the city of Baroda, it may be better to leave the train at Goga Gate station. [From Miyagam 20 m. Dabhoi, a town belonging to the state of Baroda. Pop. 247 m. BARODA ✶ (R.) is the capital of a very important Maratha state, which with its dependencies covers an area of 8570 sq. m., with a pop. of dency are a long m. N. from the railway station and adjoining one another. They are well laid out with open wellplanted roads. 2,414,200. The Cantonment and Resi- | kinds. Some are large circular wells of ordinary construction, but containing galleried apartments; others are more properly described as 'wavs' or 'baolis. The wav is a large edifice, The city of Baroda is S. E. of the can- of a picturesque and stately, as well as tonment, about 1 m. It is a large busy peculiar, character. Above the level of place, with a pop. of 116,400, but con- the ground a row of four or five open tains few sights to detain a traveller. pavilions, at regular distances from The Vishvamitri river flows W. of the each other, usually square in the town, and is spanned by four stone interior, but sometimes, in the larger bridges, which exhibit great contrasts examples, passing into the octagonal of style. The city proper is intersected form within, is alone visible; the roofs at right angles by two wide thorough- are supported on columns, and are, in fares, which meet in a market-place, the structures of the Hindu times, where there is a fine pavilion of Mohammedan architecture. The new Nagar Bagh Palace, seen from the railway towering above the town, cost 27 lacs of rupees. Passes to view it can be obtained from the Khangi Karbari. The suburban palace Muckapura is 4 m. S. of the city. There are also many other handsome modern buildings, amongst which may be mentioned the Jamnabai Hospital, the Baroda State Library, the Central Jail, the Baroda College, and the Anglo- Vernacular School. There is a good public garden and menagerie between the cantonments and the city on the banks of the Vishvamitri river. 1 The Naulakhi Well is 50 yds. N. of the new palace. It is a beautiful structure of the Baoli class, described generally below. The water from it is pumped by steam into pipes leading to the city, the Moti Bagh, and Nagar Bagh. Twenty yds. beyond the Nagar Bagh Gate on right in a barrack are some small gold-plated field-pieces mounted on silver-plated carriages. There is an English Church, consecrated by Bishop Heber 1824. The Baolis, in Guzerat, are large wells. The following account of these structures is given by Mr. A. Kinloch Forbes, in his interesting work on Guzerat, the Ras Mala: "Of the wells of this period there remain in different parts of the country examples of two 1 The Old Palace and Tosha Khana are well worth a visit. 2 A much finer specimen of this class of wells is to be found at Ahmedabad. pyramidal in form. The entrance to the wav is by one of the end pavilions; thence a flight of steps descends to a landing immediately under the second dome, which is now seen to be supported by two rows of columns, one over the other. A second flight of steps continues the descent to a similar landing under the third pavilion, where the screen is found to be three columns in height. In this manner the descent continues stage by stage, the number of the columns increasing at each pavilion, until the level of the water is at last reached. The last flight of steps frequently conducts to an octagonal structure, in this position necessarily several stories high, and containing a gallery at each story. It is covered by the terminating dome, and is the most adorned portion of the wav. The structure, which is sometimes 80 yds. in length, invariably terminates in a circular well." At Baroda the traveller has entered the part of Guzerat that is most fertile and park-like. It will be a pity to pass through it in the dark. Nearly every village has its tank and its temple, large well-grown trees abound, and the fields, which are richly cultivated, are surrounded by high hedges of milk bush (Euphorbia tirucalli). The small game shooting is exceptionally good. [An expedition may be made from Baroda to the fortified mountain of Pawangarh, and the ruined city of Champanir, the distance to which by road is 38 m. These places contain many ancient buildings of great interest. Champanir was long the town is the Court House, a building residence of the Kings of Guzerat.] 270 m. Anand junc. sta. One branch line from this station extends N.E. to 49 m. Godra, and will be eventually prolonged to Ratlam in Malwa (Řte. 4.) Another runs S. W. 15 m. to Petlad, a commercial town, pop. 14,500. [18 m. Dakor sta. There is a large piece of water at this place, and a temple with an image much venerated by the Hindus. As many as 100,000 pilgrims assemble at this place in October and November.] [About 20 m. N. of Dakor is the walled town of Kapadvanj, noted for its industry in soap, glass, and leather jars for "ghee." There is a good D.B. at this sta. Midway between Ďakor and Kapadvanj are the hot springs of Lassendra, the highest temperature being 115. The water is slightly sulphurous and efficacious in skin diseases. There is a small D.B. in the cantonment.] 292 m. Mehmadabad sta. Picturesque view of river from rly. sta. In the morning and evening troops of monkeys play about quite near the train. Mehmadabad was founded by Mahmud Begada in 1479. There is a tomb 1 m. E. of the town, built in 1484 in honour of Mubarak Saiyad, a minister of Mahmud. For simplicity of plan, and solidity and balance of parts, it stands almost first among Indian mausoleums. Begada also con structed the Bhamaria Baoli well. It has two stone arches, on which it was said the king's swing was hung. It is 74 ft. long by 24 ft. broad, is entered by four winding stairs, and has eight underground chambers. [Kaira (Kheda) is 7 m. from Mehmadabad, by a good road shaded by fine trees (pop. 12,681). The city consists of two parts, the town proper and the suburbs. Kaira is said to be as old as 1400 B.C. Copper-plate grants show that the city was in existence in the 5th cent. There are now only five European civil officers resident there. The chief industry is printing cloth for saris and other native garments. In the centre of the with Greek pillars. Near it is a Jain Temple, with beautiful dark wood carving. Outside the E. gate is the new Jail. Outside the S. gate are the Reading-room and Library and a Clock Tower, built in 1868. It was once a military cantonment, but proved so unhealthy for Europeans that the troops were withdrawn. It is the capital of a collectorate of well-wooded fertile country. Wild hog may still be found in the district as well as the Nilgai (Portax pictus), but they are scarce. The antelope (Antilope bezoartica) and the Indian gazelle (Gazella Bennettii) are very common. Wild-fowl, bustard (Eupodotis Edwardsii), and florican (Sypheotides auritus), partridges and quails, sand-grouse, plovers and bitterns, pea-fowl and green pigeon are found everywhere. The Mahsir (Barbus Mosal), little inferior to the salmon, are found in the Mahi, Vatrak, Meshwa, and Sabarmati, and afford excellent sport with the rod and fly. There are few richer and more pleasing portions of India than the Kaira collectorate.] It may well be asserted that the line of railway from Mehmadabad to Delhi through northern Guzerat and Rajputana traverses a country more crowded with beautiful buildings and ruins than any in the known world. of the broad gauge from Bombay with 310 m. AHMEDABAD,1 junc. sta. the metre gauge rly. to Delhi and the N., and of the branch into Kattywar to the W. (see Rte. 7). area of 2 sq. m. (146,000 inhab.) stands This most beautiful city, covering an which skirts its W. wall. on the 1. bank of the Sabarmati river, The B.B. and C. I. Rlys. extend all along its E. side, and the remains of an old wall, pierced by 12 gateways, surrounds it. Ahmedabad, once the greatest city in Western India, is said to have been from 1573 to 1600 the "handsomest town in Hindustan, perhaps in the 1 No tourist should pass the ancient capital of the Sultans of Guzerat, the stronghold of the northern Jains, without pausing at least long enough (4 hrs.) to visit the Tombs of the Queens. The chief objects of interest marked with an asterisk. world." In Sir Thomas Roe's time, 1615, we are told, "it was a goodly city as large as London." It was founded in 1411 by Sultan Ahmad I., who made Asaval, the old Hindu town now included in the S. part of the city, his capital. It passed through two periods of greatness, two of decay, and one of revival. From 1411 to 1511 it grew in size and wealth; from 1512 to 1572 it declined with the decay of the dynasty of Guzerat; from 1572 to 1709 it renewed its greatness under the Mogul emperors; from 1709 to 1809 it dwindled with their decline; and from 1818 onwards it has again increased under British rule. The Cantonment lies 3 m. N.E. of the city, and is reached by a good road lined by an avenue of trees, the haunt of thousands of parrots. Here there is an English Church, and there is another, Christ Church, in the Idaria Quarter, 500 yds. S. of the Delhi Gate. It is hard to account for Ahmedabad being so little known to modern travellers from Europe. It certainly ranks next to Delhi and Agra for the beauty and extent of its architectural remains. Its architecture is an interesting and striking example of the combination of Hindu and Mohammedan forms. "Nowhere did the inhabitants of Ahmedabad show how essentially they were an architectural people as in their utilitarian works (wells [Baolis] and inlets to water reservoirs). It was a necessity of their nature that every object should be made ornamental, and their success was as great in these as in their mosques or palaces" (see Fergusson). The Jumma Musjid and Tombs of Ahmad Shah and his wives; the Rani Sipri's Tomb and Mosque; Daslar Khan's Mosque; the Tin Darwazah ; the Bhadr Azum Khan's Palace; Sidi Said's Mosque; Ahmad Shah's Mosque; Shaikh Hasan's Mosque; the Rani (or Queen's) Mosque in Mirzapur; Muhafiz Khan's Mosque. With a second morning to spare, he should start early and see Sarkhej, across the river to the S. W., giving himself at least four hours for the trip. A second afternoon could be devoted to the Kankria Tank and Shah Alam, S. of the city, and perhaps the modern Jain Temple of Hati Sing, outside the Delhi gate. Near the rly. sta. are the handsome lofty minarets and arched central gateway, which are all that remain of a mosque1 (1) destroyed in the struggle with the Marathas in 1753. The Jumma Musjid (3),* or principal mosque, stands near the centre of the city, on the S. side of the main street (Manik Chauk), a little E. of the Three Gateways. It was built by Sultan Ahmad I. (Ahmad Shah) in 1424. Mr. Fergusson says: "Though not remarkable for its size, it is one of the most beautiful mosques in the East." The mosque is entered from the N. by a flight of steps. On the S. is another porch leading into the street, and on the E. is the enclosure, in which is the tomb of the founder. The court is surrounded by a cloister. To the W. is the mosque proper. On the threshold of the main arch, embedded in the pavement, lies a black slab brought from Chintaman's Temple, which, according to Mr. Hope, is a Jain idol turned upside down for the faithful to tread on; and touching it on the E. is a white marble crescent, where the Imam stands to pray. In the right The Jaina feeding-places for birds, which at the first glance look like pigeon-houses, to be seen in many of the streets, are a peculiar feature of Ahmedabad: they are extremely pic-hand corner on entering is a gallery, turesque, ornamented with carving, and often gaily painted. Many of the houses in the street have fronts beautifully ornamented with wood-carving, which is a speciality of the place (see below). A traveller pressed for time, having only one day at his disposal, might take the buildings in the city in the following order : which was probably used for the ladies of the royal family. The roof, supported by 260 Jain columns, has 15 cupolas with galleries round them. The centre cupola is larger and much higher than the others. The two minarets lost half their height in the earthquake of 16+ 1 These numbers in brackets refer numbers on the accompanying plan. |