Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924024153987).pdf/645

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distillery. That from the north-east comes from Utraula past the " Debi Bakhsh-ka-makan" a building now falling into decay but which was for some hundreds of years prior to the re-occupation of Oudh the palace of the Gonda r^jas. / dvancing by the fourth road you proceed towards the civil lines and old cantonments. On your left a few perches from the chauk

the sarae a spacious building, recently renewed, which stands on an elevated ground and has a fine brick front with a large open space before it. yith these advantages of situation and construction it is not only a superior rest-house for travellers but an ornament to the town. Northwest of the sarae and behind it lies the Radha Kund a very large masonry tank with a masonry building at its edge. The qasba appears on only two sides of the tank and the remaining sides look towards the open country and the ornamental grounds of the Sagar. lies

This tank was we shall presently in the later annals of the

Gonda

see, the

scene of a remarkable tragedy

rajas.

As you leave the native town and enter the civil lines you pass on your right the civil dispensary and zila school house, two handsome buildings, the latter especially so, between which the Bahraich road branches off.

The

dispensary was opened at the close of last year (1875) and the schoolhouse has been opened for some years. To the latter a boarding-house for resident pupils has been added this year. It is situated on the opposite Free from contact with the town, side of the road and nearer the town. unconnected with other buildings, and possessing a fine frontage on the roadside looking across to an ancient tamarind grove, beyond which is the open country, this building should prove an extremely healthy lodging for the pupils of the school. Further on, on the left of the main road is the Sagar an artificial lake constructed by Raja Shiu Parshad. At the side of the lake on a rising ground stands a building, inscribed " Davies' Manzil," at the suggestion of the Deputy Commissioner of the period in honour of the present Lieutenant Governor of the Panjdb who was Chief Commissioner of Oudh at the time this building was constructed, but the compliment was too remote to catch the native mind and the building is known as the " Anjuman-i-Rifah," after the society under whose auspices it was This is a literary institution originated by native gentlemen and built. supported by European and native subscribers. The building contains an extensive library comprising works of fiction, history, science, oriental The chief English research, oriental literature, and miscellaneous works. and vernacular newspapers are taken in and circulated. The society is extremely popular and has been the means of enlightening public opinion and developing public spirit among its members and even beyond that In connection with this institution a lithographic press is maincircle. tained which has become self-supporting and amuseum is about to be added.

The building stands as has been said at the side of the Sagar. This long sheet of water never completely dries up even in the hottest weather. At pue end it is overshadowed by a large grove of tall mango trees and bank to confine the water. The at the opposite end there is an artificial and at the other side stands the side one at distance the in seen town is Aniuma.n, below which is a walk extending the whole length of the lake, winding in and out among tombs and fantastic piles of masonry represent-