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IV. OTHER IMPORTANT DISCOVRIES

ANDHRA PRADESH

1. CONSERVATION OF STUPA AT KOTTURU,

VISAKHAPATNAM DISTRICT: The debris

clearance carried out at the stupa located on

the western side of the site resulted in

exposing the disturbed remains of a brick

stupa. The exposed circular stupa was

marked by eight spokes around its central

circle, followed by 16 spoked circle

containing 2 to 15 brick courses. This is

further encircled by the drum wall, followed

by the Pradakshinapatha. A stone relic-

casket was found on the southeastern spoke

of the inner circle. The present stone relic-

casket comprises a stone lid and lower

receptacle all in Khondalite and a small

crystal casket within it. The other associated

finds include, cut sheet flower in gold (?)

and silver, small golden objects (Beads and

spirals?), some indeterminate copper

fragments, semi-precious stones and pearls.

CHENNAI

D. Dayalan assisted by A. Anil Kumar, S.

Ashok Kumar, A. Palanivel, Samuel

Joshua and P. Venkatesan of

Archaeological Survey of India carried out

survey of cave temples of Pandyas and other

minor dynasties in Tamil Nadu under the

project work. The details are as under:

2. BAS-RELIEF OF A SAINT,

TIRUCHIRAPPALLI, DISTRICT

TIRUCHIRAPPALLI: The bas–relief sculpture

has been carved on the north-west face of an

out crop on the top located at Ucchipillaiyar

Koil. The figure is carved in an uneven

rectangular niche slightly deep at the

bottom. The dropping line has been cut on

the top of the niche. The figure is shown

seated straight in the vajraparyankasana

attitude on a pedestal. Four devotees two at

the upper level and two at the bottom level

are also shown. Another boulder at the low

level of this bas-relief, showing image of

Buddha with an inscription of 12/13th

century and also a pair of pada (foot print).

The bas-relief is datable to 8th -9th century

(pl. 66).

3. UNFINISHED ROCK CUT FAÇADE,

TIRUCHIRAPPALLI, TIRUCHIRAPPALLI

DISTRICT: The low lying outcrops on the

western and northern sides of the

Tayumanuvar sannati have yielded a

clinching evidence of rock-cut activity

during the Pallava/Pandya period. These are

the remarkable specimen to show the

technique involved in preparing the façade

of the cave, removal of unwanted rock mass,

etc. Different shape of wedge marks,

grooves and chiselling marks indicate the

typo- technology of preparing the rock cut

cave temple (pl. 67).

INDIAN ARCHAEOLOGY 2008-09 – A REVIEW

154

Plate 66

Pl. 66; Bas-relief showing image of Buddha with an inscription of 12/13th century,

Ttiruchirappalli.

OTHER IMPORTANT DISCOVERIES

155

Plate 67

Pl. 67; Rock cut cave temple, Ttiruchirappalli.


156

Similar to the one noticed on western and

northern sides of the temple, another out

crop immediately on the back side of the

Tayumanuvar sannati also yielded ‘L’

shaped cutting to make façade on both sides

of the boulder (pl. 68). Interestingly on the

top, engraving of the plan of temples with

sanctum and front mandapa has been

noticed (pl. 69).

4. MEGALITHIC STONE CIRCLES AND LOOSE

SCULPTURES, ERAIYAMANGALAM,

DINDUGAL DISTRICT: A Large number of

megalithic stone circles with or without

cairn packing were noticed in the field near

the village. The stone circles are made of

granite boulders and are of different

dimensions (pl. 70). Some of the stone

circles are more than 12m dia. The area has

also yielded black-and-red ware pottery and

other artifacts of Iron Age period. Loose

sculpture of Jyestha datable to 9th -10th

century (pl. 71) and a sculptured hero stone

with inscription were also found in this

village (pl. 72).

5. URN BURIAL SITE, SANDAIYUR, DINDIGUL

DISTRICT: Many urn-burials of Iron Age

period with or without capstone over them

were noticed in the close vicinity of the

village. The pieces of different shapes of

black-and-red ware, black ware and red

ware pottery and lids of different variety are

also found wherever the urn-burials are

disturbed (pl. 73).

6. UNFINISHED ROCK CUT CAVE,

KANNADAMPATTI, DINDUGAL DISTRICT: At

the top of the hillock near the

Kannadampatti village was noticed a temple

of 13th – 14th cent. By the side of the

temple, attempt had been made to scoop out

rock cut cave temple. The façade for the

proposed rock-cut temple had been prepared

and the work had been stopped at that stage.

7. INSCRIPTIONS AND LOOSE SCULPTURES,

TIRUVELLARAI, TIRUCHIRAPPALLI

DISTRICT: The Merchant guild inscription

datable to the 10th-11th century A.D., with

several symbols engraved on it, has been

noticed to the south-west of the

Pundarikaksa temple. The sack or the

hanging bags known as Pasumpai is shown

prominently on the top of all the symbols.

The Pasumpai was considered more sacred

by the merchant communities. The other

symbols found in the slab are: sword, bill-

hook, coiled whip, elephant goad, bow and

arrow (?) and lance. The symbols seem to

be of ritual significance of the people who

erected the stone. The inscription engraved

on a granite slab has 21 lines in Tamil, with

a few Sanskrit words. The inscription refers

to an ambalam (temple or mandapa) of

Cettiyar of Tiruvallarai. The ambalam was

known as ainnurruvan (pl. 74).

On the surface rock, in which the

unfinished rock-cut cave temple has been

excavated, were found label inscriptions of

7th -8th century (pl. 75-76), Chola

inscriptions and a huge inscription of 13th -

14th century.

Large number of loose sculptures such

as Jyestha (pl. 77), Saptamarikas, Siva,

Vishnu, Ganesa, etc. are also noticed in and

around Tiruvellarai.

8. CHOLA AND LATER INSCRIPTIONS,

UTTIRAMERUR, KANCHIPURAM DISTRICT:

Inscription of Aditya Chola (871-907) has

been noticed on the adhishtana of


157

Plate 68

Pl. 68; ‘L’ shaped cutting to make façade on both sides of the boulder, Ttiruchirappalli.


158

Plates 69-70

Pl. 69; Engraving showing plan of temples with sanctum and front mandapa, Ttiruchirappalli.

Pl. 70; Stone circles made of granite boulders, Dindugal.


159

Plate 71

Pl. 71; Sculpture of jyestha datable to 9th -10th century, Dindugal.


160

Plate 77

Pl. 72; Sculptured hero stone with inscription, Dindugal.


161

Plate 73

Pl. 73; Black ware and red ware pottery with urn-burials, Dindugal.


162

Plate 74

Pl. 74; Inscription referred to an ambalam (temple or mandapa), Dindugal.


163

Plates 75-76

75

76

Pls. 75-76; Unfinished rock-cut cave temple with number of label inscriptions of 7th -8th century,

Dindugal.


164

Plate 77

Pl. 77; Sculpture of Jyestha, Dindugal.


165

Kailasanatha temple, Uttiramerur. The

inscription refers to some donation to the

Brahmesvarattu peruntali Mahadevar, The

inscription also refers to touch-stone named

enpuram nirai to test the purity of the gold.

The Krishnadevaraya inscription engraved

on the back side of the temple refers to a gift

to a matha known as Isana Sivacharya math.

Interestingly, the adhishtana on the southern

side is engraved with a measurement scale

known as “virupparayan” datable to 13th -

14th century (pl. 78). The scale measures

6.72m with few inter-measures within it.

The balipitha in front of the main temple has

the bas-relief of the trio Saiva nayanmars

namely Appar, Gnanasambandar and

Sundarar. The Gnanasambandar is shown as

a child, within a prabha mandala, the Appar

is shown with spade (mazhu).

9. IRON AGE BURIALS, CHENGALUR-

VADAKKIPPATTI, TIRUCHIRAPPALLI

DISTRICT: The Iron Age burials spread in

nearly 20 acres of area were noticed. The

burials are mainly stone circles made of

huge blocks of laterite. The traces of mud

and cairn packing within the circles are

found in many cases. These stone circles

are either entombing urn burials capped by

granite slabs or cist burials. The black and

red ware, red ware and black ware potteries

kept in the urns were found scattered all

around the area. The traces of iron furnace

of Iron Age are also encountered in this

area. Interestingly, the site has also yielded

microlithic tools, made of quartz, and

chalcedony. Large numbers of nodules as

well as chips of these raw materials are

found all around the area (pls. 79-83).

10. MEGALITHIC BURIALS, TEMPLE OF 7TH-

8TH CENTURY AND HERO STONE,

KOLLIMALAI, NAMAKKAL DISTRICT: The

exploration in Kollimalai region revealed

Neolithic celts, megalithic cist burials (pl.

84) with port hole and a Jaina temple (pl.

85) with a seated Jaina Thirthankara of 10th-

11th century (pl. 86), etc. At Vasalur village

on the top of the Kolli hills, a small temple

of 7th-8th century dedicated to Siva has been

noticed. Inscribed Hero stone of 9th-10th

century is erected by the side of the road

leading to Karaiyankattuppatti, located 3-4

kms from Vasalur (pl. 87).

11. BRICK TEMPLE OF CHOLA PERIOD,

VEPPATTUR, DISTRICT TANJAVUR: Brick

temple of Chola period dedicated to Vishnu

was noticed. The existing portion revealed

that it is a tri-tala pyramidal vimana (pl. 88).

It is sama chaturasra up to the prastara

(architrave) of the third tala, but the griva

and sikhara over it seem to be astasra. The

vimana is constructed by using corbelling

technique as it was the common feature

found during the Chola period. The walls

of the first or lower tala of the vimana have

five bays or bhadras with four intervening

salilantara recesses. The madya tala has

three bays with two intervening salilantara

recesses. The top or upari tala is devoid of

hara over the prastara. The size of the

brick used forconstruction is 30 x 16 x 7cms

and 26 x 17 x3.5cms. It is comparable with

the size of the bricks found in the well

known Chola edifices at Gangai Konda

Cholapuram and Darasuram. Interestingly,

the whole garbha-griha was originally

painted during the Chola period and the

remains of the painting are still visible at

few places. As the paintings are damaged


166

Plate 78

Pl. 78; Engraved measurement scale known as “virupparayan” (13th -14th century), Dindugal.


167

Plates 79-80

79

80

Pls. 79-80; Megalithic burials of cairn circle, Tiruchirappalli.


168

Plates 81-82

Pl. 81; Megalithic burial of cairn circle, Tiruchirappalli.

Pl. 82; Megalithic burial with microlithic tools, made of quartz, and chalcedony,

Tiruchirappalli.


169

Plates 83-84

Pl. 83; Megalithic site with black ware potteries and urns, Tiruchirappalli.

Pl. 84; Megalithic cist burial with port hole, Namakkal.


170

Plates 85-86

Pl. 85; Remains of jaina temple (10th-11th century), Namakkal.

Pl. 86; Jaina thirthankara (10th-11th century), Namakkal.


171

Plate 87

Pl. 87; Inscribed hero stone of 9th-10th century, Namakkal.


172

Plate 88

Pl. 88; A tri-tala pyramidal vimana,Tanjavur.


173

badly it is difficult to identify the theme of

the painting at present. However, it is

surmised that the paintings depict mainly the

religious themes and some paintings seem to

be of gods and goddess. The paintings are

executed over lime plaster in different

colours (pls. 89-90).

There is also a sculpture of Jyeshtha

found in the paddy field. The sculpture is

assignable to Pallava period (pl. 91).

12. MEGALITHIC DOLMEN, AYAL, DISTRICT

VELLORE: Megalithic dolmen with three

orthostats on the sides except on the east has

been noticed on the low lying hillock

overlooking Lake at Ayal. The capstone is

huge and extends beyond the orthostats.

The orthostat on the north has a ‘U’ shape

port-hole. Interestingly, there are large

numbers of cup marks on the orthostats.

The surrounding area has yielded potsherds

of black and red ware, red ware, black ware,

and also iron slag of Iron Age period (pl.

92).

13. MEGALITHIC STONE CIRCLE, SOORAI,

DISTRICT VELLORE: Huge megalithic stone

circle made of granite boulders has been

noticed very close to an outcrop by the side

of the road leading to the village.

Originally, the stone circle is filled with

cairn and the cairns are scattered all around

the area. The site has also yielded black

and red ware, black ware, and red ware

pottery of Iron age period (pl. 93).

14. PALLAVA INSCRIPTIONS AND

MEGALITHIC BURIAL, PUNCERI,

MAMALLAPURAM, KANCHIPURAM

DISTRICT: Punceri, a small village to the

west of Mamallapuram has yielded a large

number of potteries datable to Iron Age,

early historic period and early mediaeval

period. Stone circles, urn burials and

sarcophagus of Iron Age are found in the

close vicinity of Puncer (pls. 94-95). These

indicate that this area was inhabited at least

from Iron Age period. A few metres away

towards the western side of the Buckingham

canal are a small knoll. Running throughout

on the western side of this has been noticed

a set of 3 to 4 deep cut grooves probably to

accommodate the foundation of a huge

structure of Pallava or Pre-Pallava period..

Interestingly Punceri has the credit of

providing epigraphical information about the

names of the sculptors who probably created

the magnificent stone creations at

Mamallapuram. Two label inscriptions of

Pallava Grantha character are found now on

the boulders found very close to the

backwater, of which, one is read as “Svasti

sri Narendrah: Narendrah.” (Pl. 96)

Interestingly, the engraving of the letters up

to “Svasti sri Narendrah” is more perfect,

elegant and ornamental whereas the word

“Narendrah” following that is not so

elegant. Notwithstanding it is also written in

Pallava Grantha character, it is reasonable to

presume that the latter word “Narendrah”

might have been engraved not along with

the prior one but perhaps later than that.

However, it is difficult to say how late it is.

Another label inscription of Pallava Grantha

character found on another boulder is

weathered/worn out badly and all letter are

not traceable. The visible letters can be read

as “Srivar” (pl. 97).

KARNATKA

15. SCULPTURES, RAIBAG, DISTRICT

BELGAUM: The Dharwad Circle of the


174

Plates 89-90

89

90

Pls. 89-90; Paintings executed over lime plaster in temple, Thanjavur.


175

Plate 91

Pl. 91; Sculpture of Jyeshtha, Thanjavur.


176

Plates 92-93

Pl. 92; Potsherds of black and red ware, iron age, Ayal.

Pl. 93; Black and red ware pottery of iron age, Soorai.


177

Plates 94-95

94

95

Pls. 94-95; Sarcophagus of Iron Age and stone circle, Punceri.


178

Plates 96-97

Pl. 96; Inscription on boulders, svasti sri narendrah, Punceri.

Pl. 97; Inscription on boulders, ‘srivari’, Punceri.


179

Survey reported the discovery of twenty-

three Jaina Tirthankara images and

prabhavalis during excavation undertaken

for the construction of a house in Raibag,

District Belgaum. The retrieved images and

prabhavalis were found from the foundation

deposits, which were highly disturbed and

devoid of any cultural material. The images

are made of copper alloy and are assignable

to the late medieval period, i.e., sixteenth-

seventeenth century AD.

TAMIL NADU

16. TEMPLES, LOOSE SCULPTURES, ROCK-

CUT CAVE AND FAÇADE, MEGALITHS,

INSCRIPTIONS, DISTRICTS

TIRUCHIRAPPALLI, DINDUGAL,

KANCHIPURAM, VELLORE, NAMAKKAL,

TANJAVUR: During the course of fieldwork

under the Temple Survey Project (Southern

Region), Chennai, the team comprising D.

Dayalan, assisted by A. Anil Kumar, S.

Ashok Kumar, A. Palanivel, Samuel Joshua

and P. Venkatesan, noticed many important

archaeological finds, the details of which are

as follows:

1. Bas-relief of a saint, Tiruchirappalli,

district Tiruchirappalli: The bas-relief

sculpture has been carved on the north-

west face of an outcrop on the top which

is located Ucchipillaiyar Koil. The

figure is carved in an uneven rectangular

niche which is slightly deep at the

bottom. The dropping line has been cut

on the top of the niche. The figure is

shown seated straight in

vajraparyankasana on a pedestal. Four

devotees- two at the upper level and two

at the bottom level-are also shown. On

another boulder below this bas-relief,

there is an inscription of twelfth-

thirteenth century and also a pair of

padas (footprint). The bas-relief is

datable to eighth-ninth century.

2. Unfinished rock-cut facade,

Tiruchirappalli, district Tiruchirappalli:

The low- lying outcrops on the western

and northern sides of the Tayumanuvar

Sannati have yielded clinching evidence

of rock-cutting activity during the

Pallava/Pandya period. These are

remarkable specimens that show the

techniques involved in preparing the

façade of the cave, removal of unwanted

rock mass, etc. Different shapes of

wedge marks, grooves and chiselling

marks indicate the typo-technology

involved in preparing the rock-cut cave

temple.

Similar to the one noticed on the

western and the northern sides of the

temple, another outcrop, immediately on

the rear of the Tayumanuvar sannati,

yielded a ‘L’-shaped cutting to create

façades on both sides of the boulder.

Interestingly, on the top was noticed an

engraving of the plan of the temple with

sanctum and front mandapa.

3. Megalithic stone-circles and loose

sculptures, Eraiyamangalam, district

Dindugal: A large number of megalithic

stone-circles, with or without cairn

packing, were noticed in the field near

the village. The stone-circles are made

of granite boulders and are of different

dimensions. Some of the stone-circles

are more than 12m in diameter. The

area has also yielded black-and-red ware

pottery and other artefacts of the Iron


180

Age period. A loose sculpture of Jyestha,

datable to the ninth-tenth century and a

sculptured hero-stone with inscription

were also found in this village.

4. Urn burial site, Sandaiyur, district

Dindigul: Many urn-burials of the Iron

Age period, with or without capstone

over them, were noticed in the close

vicinity of the village. Pieces of different

shapes of black-and-red ware, black

ware and red ware pottery and lids of

different variety were also found

wherever the urn-burials are distributed.

5. Unfinished rock-cut cave,

Kannadampatti, district Dindugal: At the

top of the hillock near the

Kannadampatti village was noticed a

temple of the thirteenth-fourteenth

century. By the side of the temple, an

attempt had been made to scoop out a

rock-cut cave temple. The facade for the

proposed rock-cut temple had been

prepared but work was stopped at that

stage.

6. Inscriptions and loose sculptures,

Tiruvellarai, district Tiruchirappalli: The

merchant guild inscription, datable to the

tenth-eleventh century AD, with several

symbols engraved on it was noticed to

the south-west of the Pundarikaksa

Temple. The sacks or hanging bags,

known as Pasumpai, are shown

prominently on the top of all the

symbols. The Pasumpai was considered

sacred by the merchant community. The

other symbols found on the slab are

sword, bill-hook, coiled whip, elephant

goad, bow and arrow (?) and lance. The

symbols seem to have been of ritual

significance for the people who erected

the stone. The inscription, engraved on a

granite slab, has twenty-one lines in

Tamil with a few Sanskrit words. The

inscription refers to an ambalam (temple

or mandapa) of Cettiyar of Tiruvallarai.

The ambalam was known as

ainnurruvan.

On the rock surface on which the

unfinished rock-cut cave temple has

been excavated, was found many label

inscriptions of the seventh-eighth

century, Chola inscriptions and a long

inscription of the thirteenth-fourteenth

century.

Large number of loose sculptures such

as that of Jyestha, saptamarikas, Siva,

Vishnu, Ganesa, etc. were also noticed

in and around Tiruvellarai.

7. Chola and Later Inscriptions,

Uttiramerur, district Kanchipuram: An

inscription of Aditya Chola (AD 871-

907) was noticed on the adhishthana of

the Kailasanatha Temple, Uttiramerur.

The inscription refers to some donation

to the Brahmesvarattu peruntali

Mahadevar. The inscription also refers

to a touch-stone, named enpuram nirai,

to test the purity of the gold. The

Krishnadevaraya inscription engraved on

the rear of the temple refers to a gift to a

matha known as Isana Sivacharya

matha. Interestingly, the adhishtana on

the southern side is engraved with a

measurement scale, known as

vimpparayan, datable to the thirteenth-

fourteenth century. The scale measures

6.72 m with few inter-measures within

it. The balipitha in front of the main


181

temple has the bas-relief of the trio Saiva

Nayanmars, namely Appar,

Gnanasambandar and Sundarar.

Gnanasambandar is shown as a child,

within a prabhamandala while Appar is

shown with a spade (mazhu).

8. Iron Age burials, Chengalur-

Vadakkippatti, Tiruchirappalli district:

Iron Age burials, spread in an area of

nearly twenty acres, were noticed. The

burials are mainly stone-circles made of

huge blocks of laterite. The traces of

mud and cairn packing within the circles

were found in many cases. These stone-

circles are entombing either urn burials

capped by granite slabs or cist burials.

The black-and-red ware, red ware and

black ware pottery, which were kept in

the urns, were found scattered all around

the area. Traces of iron furnace of the

Iron Age were also encountered in this

area. Interestingly, the site also yielded

microlithic tools, made of quartz and

chalcedony. Large numbers of nodules

as well as chips of these raw materials

were found all around the area.

Megalithic burials, temple of

seventh-eighth century and hero-stone,

Kollimalai, District Namakkal: The

exploration in Kollimalai region

revealed Neolithic celts, megalithic cist

burials with port hole and a Jaina temple

with a seated Jaina Tirthankara of the

tenth-eleventh century, etc. At Vasalur

village on top of the Kolli hills, a small

temple of the seventh-eighth century,

dedicated to Siva was noticed. An

inscribed hero-stone of the ninth-tenth

century is erected by the side of the road

leading to Karaiyankattuppatti located

three-four km from Vasalur.

9. Chola period brick temple, Veppattur,

district Thanjavur: A brick temple of the

Chola period, dedicated to Vishnu, was

noticed. The existing portion reveals that

it is a tri-tala pyramidal vimana. It is

sama chaturasra up to the prastara

(architrave) of the third tala, but the

griva and sikhara over it seem to be

astasra. The vimana is constructed by

using corbelling technique, as was

common during the Chola period. The

walls of the first or lower tala of the

vimana have five bays or bhadras with

four intervening salilantara recesses.

The madhya tala has three bays with two

intervening salilantara recesses. The top

or upari tala is devoid of hara over the

prastara. The sizes of the bricks used for

construction are 30cm x 16cm x 7cm

and 26cm x 17cm x 3.5cm. They are

comparable with the sizes of bricks

found in the well-known Chola edifices

at Gangaikondacholapuram and

Darasuram. Interestingly, the whole

garbhagriha was originally painted

during the Chola period and the remains

of the painting are still visible at few

places. As the paintings are damaged

badly, it is difficult to identify their

themes. However, it is surmised that the

paintings depict mainly religious themes

as some of the paintings seem to depict

gods and goddesses. The paintings are

executed in different colours over lime

plaster.


182

A sculpture of Jyeshtha was also

found in the paddy field. The sculpture

belongs to the Pallava period.

10. Megalithic dolmen, Ayal, district

Vellore: A megalithic dolmen with three

orthostats on the sides, except on the

east, was noticed on the low-lying

hillock overlooking a lake at Ayal. The

capstone is huge and extends beyond the

orthostats. The orthostat on the north

has a U-shaped porthole. Interestingly,

there are a large number of cup marks on

the orthostats. The surrounding area has

yielded potsherds of black-and-red ware,

red ware, black ware, and also iron slag

of the Iron Age period.

11. Megalithic stone circle, Soorai, district

Vellore: A huge megalithic stone-circle

made of granite boulders was noticed

very close to an outcrop by the side of

the road leading to the village.

Originally, the stone-circle was filled

with cairn and the cairns are scattered all

around the area. The site has also yielded

black-and-red ware, black ware, and red

ware pottery of the Iron Age period.

Pallava inscriptions and megalithic

burial, Punceri, Mamallapuram, District

Kanchipuram: Punceri, a small village to

the west of Mamallapuram has yielded a

large number of potteries datable to

theIron Age, early historic period and

early mediaeval period. Stone-circles,

urn burials and sarcophagii of the Iron

Age are found in the close vicinity of

Punceri. These indicate that this area

was inhabited at least from the Iron Age

period. A few metres away towards the

western side of the Buckingham canal is

a small knoll. Running throughout the

western side of this knoll are a set of

three to four deep-cut grooves, probably

to accommodate the foundation of a

huge structure of the Pallava or pre-

Pallava period. Interestingly, Punceri

provides epigraphical information on the

names of the sculptors who probably

created the magnificent stone creations

at Mamallapuram. Two label

inscriptions in Pallava Grantha

characters are found on the boulders,

very close to the backwater. One of them

reads as ‘Svasti sh Narendrah:

Narendrah’. The engraving of the letters

up to ‘Svasti sh Narendrah’ is perfect,

elegant and ornamental whereas the

word ‘Narendrah’ following that is not

so elegant. It is reasonable to presume

that the latter Narendrah’, also written in

Pallava Grantha characters, might not

have been engraved along with the

former but later. However, it is difficult

to say how late it was engraved. Another

label inscription in Pallava Grantha

characters, found on another boulder, is

weathered/worn out badly and all the

letters are not traceable. The visible

letters can be read as ‘Srivari.

WEST BENGAL

17. MOUNDS AND TEMPLE, BONOFULJHOR,

DISTRICT BARDDHAMAN: In the course of

inspection and exploration, Sunipa M.

Ketkar and Karabi Saha, Assistant

Archaeologists, located a dilapidated

mediaeval temple amidst a number of

mounds at the site.


183

18. REMAINS OF FORTIFICATION WALL,

ARCHITECTURAL REMAINS AND TEMPLES,

KHAROBARI, DISTRICT BARDDHAMAN: In

the course of inspection and exploration,

P.K. Naik found the remains of the

fortification wall and other architectural

remains dating to the tenth-eleventh century

AD. Other architectural remains at

Garhchandi have also been duly surveyed.

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