Photo 1002/1(35)

Genre: Architectural Photography

Described in 'List of Ancient Monuments in Bengal. Revised and corrected up to 31st August 1895' (Calcutta, 1896), pp. 476-477:

'This is about 22 feet high, and stands on a pedestal made of three eneormour blocks of stone, each about 5 feet long, 5 feet broad and about 2 feet thick. The monolith itself is 3½ feet square at the bottom; it is bevelled off for some inches at each corner, and then runs up into a fluted shaft for about 20 feety. The circumference of the column, when the fluting begins, is over 11 feet, and the height is thus about six diameters. On the top of the monolith is another enormous stone over 6 feet high wrought into a regular capital. The lower part of the capital is is round for about 4 feet up. On this garlands are sculptured; then the stone is cut into the shape of a lotus calyx, on which the upper portion rests. This upper portion forms a square of about 4½ feet, and looks as if intended to support a statue of some sort. About half a mile from this column is found the sacred vulture of Vishnu (Garud), which the column is said to have supported till the time of the Mughal invasion, when Kalapahar pulled it down with some difficulty. The Muhammadan General attempted to pull the column down by chains and teams of elephants but failed. The enormous capital of the column appears to have been moved an inch or two from its position, but the monolith remains as firmly fixed as on the day it was set up. At the corners of the square portion of the capital and of the square part at the bottom of the monolith holes have been drilled as if for ropes or chains to pass through. This column is really well sculptured, and the workmanship shows a considerable advance on that of the statue of Buddha [seen at Photo 1002/1 (40)?]. The garud which is said to have crowned this column is in a pucka thakurbari about half a mile from Chandessar. It stands on a sort of base, corresponding to the capital on the top of the monolith. This base is about three feet high and of one block of mugni stone. At its lowest part it is round and 9½ feet in circumference and adorned with sculptured heads of lions. Over this the stone is like the capital of the monolith cut into the shape of a lotus calyx. This 12 feet in circumference. The stone then is left a square platform. On this platform, four feet two inches square, stands the garud itself. The figure is in a kneeling position and is four feet high. It is fastened down to the square platform with lime. There can be no doubt that the base of on which this figure stands belongs to the monolith. In the four corners of the platform holes are drilled exactly as in the corners of the monolith and its capital. The pillar must have been part of a large temple (facing its eastern gate); no sign of which is now visible.'

The pillar was 'situated about a mile and a half from the town and a few yards off the road from the bazar to the temple of Baraja' (M. H. H. Kuraishi, 'List of ancient monuments...in the Province of Bihar and Orissa' (Calcutta, 1931), p. 229). See pp. 229-230 for a detailed description arguing against there ever having been a Garuda image on top of the pillar.