Indian Antiquary Vol 20

SR No.: 032512
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: John Faithfull Fleet, Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 486
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 21 MB

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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[APRIL, 1891.
doorways leading into the cells, and the niches between the cells, are ornamented with the façade pattern, including the semicircular bars, almost the exact reproduction of the façades tobe found at Bedsa and Kärla. In these façades, below the semicircular bars, and along the upper portion of the walls of nearly the entire cave, are small figures, in bas relief, of serpents, bulls, elephants, tigers, men and women, dagobús, and the rail and façade pattern. In the centre of the roof is a figure of the lotus. On the north wall is a short inscription in two lines in the ancient cave character and in the PAli language, which I have not been able to satisfactorily decipher, but which seems to give the name of the donor or excavator. The sculptures are in good preservation and are well executed. Separated from this hall by a thin wall is the dágood shrine, 23' by 16', with an arched roof. The base of the dogobá is 9' 6" in diameter.
The only other cave worthy of mention is No. XV., a room 20'6" x 14' with two cells. The upper part of the east wall and the doorways of the cells have the rail and façade pattern, similar to that found in the other caves. A narrow outside verandah has at its north end a similarly ornamented niche, now partly broken, a perforated screen window, and a small figure, in bas relief, of a man and woman standing upon what looks like a fish.
No. XX. is a large natnral cave, bat with benches running east and west. The cisterns are dry, but there is a spring of delicious water, a few rods to the south of the caves, which flows from the rainy season antil about the middle of January.
These caves seem to fall into the same group as those at Bhaja, Bedsa and Karla, and were probably excavated at about the same time, or about 100 B. O.
The Nenavali Caves. This Buddhist vihara, which I discovered on the 10th December 1889, is situated about a mile above the village of Nenavali, in Lat. 18° 30' and Long. 73° 23'. The caves are cut into a scarp of rock ranning north and south, and face the east. They are ten in number, excluding those that are now 80 ruined as to be undistinguishable, and also excluding the natural cave to the south of the series. The rock in which they are cut is friable; hence the caves are all more or less injured by age. Large portions of rock, forming the roof of some, have fallen, completely ruining many of the caves. The rock is not suited for sculpture; there are no inscriptions; and no ornamentation of even the simplest kind.
Commencing at the most southern of the series, No. I. appears at first sight to be a large cave, 56' x 28', but a restoration of its rained walls would shew that it was formerly divided into many rooms.
No. III. is the only cave of this series especially worthy of mention. It is a large hall, 67' 9' X 52', with seventeen cells on the three inner sides. Each cell has a stone bench, and & window opening into the hall. A verandah, 9' wide, surrounds the hall, leaving a central court. Square holes in the roof of the cave, over the edge of the verandah, shew where wooden posts were once placed at frequent intervals around the central court. The roof is unsupported by pillars. The dágobá sbrine is placed at the north-west corner of the hall, and consists of a rectangular room, 24' x 18', with a circular roof. The dagoba is 10% high and 9' in diameter, and has lost its Tee.
The remaining caves have nothing of special interest. Many of them are in complete ruin. The two cisterns which I noticed are filled with debris. In many of the cells, large patches of
Since the above was first written, Mr. Coueens of the Archeological Survey has visited these osves and found another inscription on the south wall of this Chaitya cave, which also has not yet been deciphered. --[This paper was originally received in February, 1890. It was held over, with the object of publishing plans of the caves with it. The necessary drawings, however, did not como to hand. And Mr. Cousens has since made more detailed measurements, for the publication of complete plans &c. elsewhere. - EDITORS.)
Mr. Consens, in his Government Report, has named them the Kharsambla Caves, from a nearer village of that, Dame.