Description: | Photograph of sculptured pillars at Baijnath, Bihar, taken by Henry B W Garrick in 1881-2, from the Archaeological Survey of India Collections. The 'List of Ancient Monuments in Bengal' of 1896 published by the Government of Bengal states: 'The square elevated space on the east side of the old watercourse contains a vast variety of figures, better executed than those at Darauti. There are in particular a great many square obelisks of a different form from those at Darauti, which represent in several tiers domestic scenes. There are also numerous columns, pedestals, cornices, capitals, &c.' (pp.360-362) Garrick gives the following description of this scene, 'The small obeliscal pillars, of which twenty-two are now above ground, are somewhat similar to the four I found on the ruined temple at Darowli. They are solid square pillars, tapering towards the top and mostly crowned with a circular ornament, probably meant for the Amaranth. They are generally about five feet high, and divided into several compartments or storeys, each of which forms the frame of some design in bas-relief - generally human figures…' H.B.W. Garrick, Report of a tour through Behar, Central India, Peshawar, and Yusufzai 1881-82 (A.S.I. vol. XIX, Calcutta, 1885). |