territory to the small tract lying between Kâkûpur and Cawnpore, and thus leave room for the next district of Hayamukha. 13. HAYAMUKHA. From Ayuto the pilgrim proceeded down the Ganges by boat for a distance of 300 li, or 50 miles, to Oye.mu.khi, which was situated on the northern bank of the river. M. Julien* reads this name as Hayamukha, or "Horse-face;" but it may perhaps also be read as Ayomukha, or "Iron-face," which was the name of one of the ancient Dúnavas, or Titans. Neither of these names, however, gives any clue to the site of the old city; but if I am right in my identification of Ayuto with Kâkûpur, it is almost certain that Hayamukha must be Daundia-khera on the northern bank of the Ganges. Hwen Thsang makes the circuit of the town 20 li, or upwards of 3 miles; but Daundiakhera presents no appearance of ever having been so large. There still exists an old ruined fort or citadel, 385 feet square, with the walls of two buildings which are called the palaces of the Râja and the Râni. But as Daundia-khera is universally allowed to have been the capital of the Bais Rajputs, who gave their name to the district of Baiswâra in Oudh, it is almost certain that the place must once have been of much greater extent. Dondia or Daundia means simply a "drum-beater," and was probably applied to some mendicant, who took up his abode on the Khera, or "mound," and as this name is not likely to have been imposed on the place until it was in ruins, the difference of name offers no impediment to the identification of Daundia-khera with Hayamukha. *Julien's Hiouen Thsang,' ii. 274. Hwen Thsang makes Hayamukha 2500 li, or 417 miles, in circuit, which is perhaps too great; but as Daundia-khera was the capital of the Bais Rajputs, I conclude that the district must have comprised the whole of the present Baiswara, which lies between the Sai river and the Ganges, from Cawnpore to Mânikpur and Salon. But as these limits would give a circuit of only 200 miles, it seems almost certain that the district must have extended to the south of the Ganges in the time of Hwen Thsang. Its probable limits were, therefore, the Ghagra river on the north, and the Jumna on the south, a determination which derives some support from Tod,* who describes Baiswâra as an extensive district in the Doab between the Ganges and Jumna. 14. PRAYAGA. From Hayamukha the pilgrim proceeded 700 li, or 116 miles, to the south-east to Prayaga, the wellknown place of pilgrimage at the junction of the Ganges and Jumna, where Akbar, many centuries later, built his fort of Iláhabás, or Alláhábád, as it was afterwards called by Shah Jehân. The distance and bearing given by Hwen Thsang agree almost exactly with those of Prayaga from Daundiakhera. The distance is 104 miles by the nearest road to the south of the Ganges; but as the pilgrim followed the northern road, the distance must have been increased to 115 or 120 miles. According to him* the city was situated at the confluence of the two rivers, and to the west of a large sandy plain. In the midst of the city there was a Brahmanical temple, to which the presentation territory to the small tract lying between Kâkûpur and Cawnpore, and thus leave room for the next district of Hayamukha. 13. HAYAMUKHA. From Ayuto the pilgrim proceeded down the Ganges by boat for a distance of 300 li, or 50 miles, to Oye.mu.khi, which was situated on the northern bank of the river. M. Julien* reads this name as Hayamukha, or "Horse-face;" but it may perhaps also be read as Ayomukha, or "Iron-face," which was the name of one of the ancient Dánavas, or Titans. Neither of these names, however, gives any clue to the site of the old city; but if I am right in my identification of Ayuto with Kâkûpur, it is almost certain that Hayamukha must be Daundia-khera on the northern bank of the Ganges. Hwen Thsang makes the circuit of the town 20 li, or upwards of 3 miles; but Daundiakhera presents no appearance of ever having been so large. There still exists an old ruined fort or citadel, 385 feet square, with the walls of two buildings which are called the palaces of the Raja and the Râni. But as Daundia-khera is universally allowed to have been the capital of the Bais Rajputs, who gave their name to the district of Baiswâra in Oudh, it is almost certain that the place must once have been of much greater extent. Dondia or Daundia means simply a "drum-beater," and was probably applied to some mendicant, who took up his abode on the Khera, or "mound," and as this name is not likely to have been imposed on the place until it was in ruins, the difference of name offers no impediment to the identification of Daundia-khera with Hayamukha. * Julien's Hiouen Thsang,' ii. 274. of a single piece of money procured as much merit as that of one thousand pieces elsewhere. Before the principal room of the temple there was a large tree with wide-spreading branches, which was said to be the abode of a man-eating demon. The tree was surrounded with human bones, the remains of pilgrims who had sacrificed their lives before the temple, a practice which had been observed from time immemorial. I think there can be little doubt that the famous tree here described by the pilgrim is the well-known Akshay Bat, or "undecaying Banian tree," which is still an object of worship at Allahabad. This tree is now situated underground, at one side of a pillared court, which would appear to have been open formerly, and which is, I believe, the remains of the temple described by Hwen Thsang. The temple is situated inside the fort of Allahabad, to the east of the Ellenborough Barracks, and due north from the Stone Pillar of Asoka and Samudra Gupta. Here, then, must have been the site of the city in the seventh century, and this agrees with the sunken position of the tree, for originally both tree and temple must have been on the natural ground level; but from the constant accumulation of rubbish, they have been gradually earthed up, until the whole of the lower portion of the temple has disappeared underground. The upper portion has long ago been removed, and the only access to the Akshay Bat now available is by a flight of steps which leads down to a square pillared courtyard. This court has apparently once been open to the sky; but it is now completely closed overhead, to secure darkness and mystery for the holy fig-tree. |