Pampore

"At the commencement of the fourth mile from Pampur, a low spur of steep rock descends from the mountains, and rests upon the flat upon the bank of the river. Near its extremity, where it may be about one hundred feet high, is the capital, and five feet of the shaft, of an enormous limestone-pillar. The capital is about five feet in diameter, and polygonal. The plinth is much damaged, but enough is left to show that it was composed (at least I thought so) of four gigantic female busts, most likely those of Luksmi, if the pillar supported the Garuda or bird of Vishnu, as mentioned below. It is lying on its side, and was probably overthrown by the zeal of “the idol-breaker”. A flat surface, sufficiently large to answer the purpose of a base; has been cut on the rock; but I could not discover a vestige of any other ruin near it. About half a mile nearer the city is another large block, on which are rudely sculptured the knees and legs of a gigantic sitting figure, not crossed like those of a Hindu figure in general, but apparently bent like those of an Egyptian statue; all the remainder seemed to have been broken off; but although the uncultivated slope around it is strewed with large masses of stone, I saw nothing that must be necessarily supposed to have formed part of the image. Near them again are some enormous lingams, or pieces of sculpture, that are, as is well known, venerated by the Hindus as the emblems of Siva. I could not contemplate these massive relics without imagining for a moment that they may have originally been parts of a city and vast Hindu temple, which, being near the modern city, and consequently of so much the greater sanctity and importance, must have called for the especial notice of Butshikan."