Hoda Raja's Palace

Various descriptions

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

The earliest known picture of mapping cavers in Afghanistan is an engraving (note 1) that shows surveyors in the so-called Raja Hoda's Palace. This complex of man-made rock chambers is one of the most extensive (second only to –>Pheel Khana, the -Bazaar Cave-) which SIMPSON (1882a: 329; 1882b) had come across in the –>Jalalabad area. SITUATION: SIMPSON (1881: 198 note 2; 1882a: 328; 1882b) places the very interesting group of Caves at a pierced cliff less than a kilometre west of Hadda (note 2), where an irregular elevation in the plain is covered with mounds (see also –>Hada). MASSON (in WILSON 1841: 105, 112) calls the spot Tappa Zurgaran (Tope Zirgaran), or the Goldsmith's Mound (note 3). ETYMOLOGY + CAVE LEGEND (SIMPSON 1882: 328): The largest Cave in this group is known at the present day by the name of the -Palace of the Hoda Raja- [note 4] —Masson calls him Hudi or Udi [note 5] — who seems to be a very legendary character. General Cunningham [note 6] says that Khairabad oppsite Attock on the Indus is believed by the people in that locality to have been -the stronghold of Raja Hodi or Udi-. According to the present inhabitants of Hada this cave is of interminable extent, and the Cheknawur legend was also affirmed about it, that it communicated with Kashmir. ARCHAEOLOGY + CAVE DESCRIPTION: SIMPSON (1882: 328-329): Colonel Tanner, who was on the Survey Department with General Sir Samuel Browne's column, had some excavations made into it [note 7], and the general character was brought to light. The onlypart that was not explored was at the south-east corner, where a continuation is blocked up by stones. This most probably communicated with another entrance from the front. One continuation behind terminated where a perpendicular shaftexists; and aanother which branches off obliquely comes off again into a hollow, thus forming a sort of -Back-door- to the place.