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Stephenson further added that a “Hindu Faqir” had then availed himself of the excavated spot of the mound nearby and converted it into a place of worship; while in 1861 Cunningham found another sanyasi, about 30 years of age, having settled down near the pillar with a small residence and a court-yard enclosing the pillar.
He mentioned that the “superb monument is the only remains of its former grandeur, that has escaped the ravages of time, owing to the solidity of its structure.” He imagined that the pillar may have had a pedestal in the ancient times, which may have sunk into the ground owing to the alluvial nature of the soil, and that it could be discovered if digging was done in the vicinity of the pillar. He also figured that if such pedestal was discovered, that could also lead to the discovery of an inscription. He figured that the place must have been the site of a large city inhabited by a numerous and civilised wealthy people, since there were about 50 magnificent old tanks in the vicinity.
The pillar as seen above ground is a monolith of highly polished sandstone, consisiting of a circular shaft, surmounted by a bell shaped capital, supporting a life size figure of a lion, facing the north. The shaft, as measured by Cunningham, is 18’ above the level of the courtyard, the bell portion and the plain oblong abacus, or pedestal for the lion above it, being 2’10” and 1’ respectively; while the figure of lion itself measures 3’6”. The total height of the pillar with the capital would thus come to 25’6” above the courtyard level
To be continued...