The Geographical Dictionary of Ancient and Mediaeval India c5.s2.30

c5.s2.30

Ballalapuri—The capital of Âdiśûra and Ballâla Sena, kings of Bengal, now called Râmpâla or Ballâlabâḍi, about four miles to the west of Munshiganj at Bikramapura (q.v.) in the district of Dacca. The Sena Râjâs, according to General Cunningham (Arch. S. Rep.), retired to this place after the occupation of Gaur by the Mahomedans (Arch. S. Rep., vol. III, p. 163). The remains of Ballâla Sena's fort still exist at this place. It is said to have been founded by Râjâ Râma Pâla of the Pâla dynasty, and a large tank in front of the fort still bears his name. He was the son of Vigrahapâla III and father of Madana-pâla. The five Brahmans, who came to Bengal from Kanauj at the request of Âdiśûra, are said to have vivified a dead post by the side of the gateway of the fort into a Gajâria tree, which still exists, by placing upon it the flowers with which they had intended to bless the king. It should be here observed that Âdiśûra Jayanta or Âdiśûra, who ascended the throne of Gaur in A.D. 732, caused the five Brahmans to be brought from Kanauj for performing a Putreshti sacrifice, and he gave them five villages to live in, namely, Pañchakoti, Harikoṭi, Kâmakoṭi, Kaikagrâma and Baṭagrâma, now perhaps collectively called Pañchasâra, about a mile from Râmpâla. Ballâla's father Vijayasena conquered Bengal and ascended the throne of Gaur in A.D. 1072. Ballâla Sena, who ascended the throne in A.D. 1119, is said to have been the last king of this place. His queens and other members of his family died on the funeral pyre (the spot is still pointed out in the fort,) by the accidental flying of a pair of pigeons carrying the news of his defeat at the moment of his victory over the Yavana chief Bâyâdumba of Manipur, the Bâbâ Âdam of local tradition, who had invaded the town of Bikramapura or, as it was called, Ballâlapuri, at the instigation of Dharma Giri, the mahanta of the celebrated Mahâdeva called Ugramâdhava of Mahâsthâna, whom the king had insulted and banished from his kingdom (Ânanda Bhatta’s Ballâla-Charita, chs. 26 and 27). Bâyâdumba or Bâbâ Âdam’s tomb is half a mile to the north of Ballâla-bâdi. Vikramapura was the birth-place of Dîpaṅkara Śrî Jñâna, the great reformer of Lamaism in Tibet, where he went in A.D. 1038, and was known by the name Atîśa. Râmpâla was also the capital of the Chandra and Varma lines of kings.