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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[MAY 3, 1872.
Hill of Hearing). Another of the Rakshasa leaders, Bahayudam, gives his name to a village just across the Kriphņa, opposite Satrasala, on the Haidarabad side. The cave temples are always pointed out as remains of the Rakshases, and the people continually speak of Rakshasas and Jainas in connection with each other.
Mr. Fergusson has noticed an extensive excavation near Dachapalli, covered with sculpture in a most masterly style, and another on the road leading from the river to the Pagoda of Shrishailam. The former I have not been able to find; the latter is said to be in the Karnul district. There are also rock temples at Itipotula, Jatepallam, Elshwararn, and at other places along the banks of the Krichana in the Palnad, of which at present but little is known and which would doubtless repay investigation.
V. Relics of the transition period, when Brahmanism triumphed over Buddhism.-This period is represented by Brahmanical scriptures introduced into the old Buddhist caves, and sculptured stones taken from Buddhist buildings, and used in the con- struction of temples dedicated to Vishnu and Shiva.
The solar race entered India about 1,000 years before the lunar race, which was about the thirteenth century B.C. Both these were Aryans.
From this time till the third or fourth century B.C., no horde of any race, so far as we know, crossed the Indus. By this time the blood of the Aryans had become so mixed and impure that the Veda was no longer possible as a rule of faith, and when Shakya Muni atteinpted to revive, in Buddhism, the religion of the aboriginal Turanians, the call found a ready response. Buddha is ordinarily reported to have been born at Kapilavastu, a small principality north of the Ganges, B.C. 623, (and to have died) at Kusanagara in the same neighbourhood about B.C. 543. Mr. Fergusson has fixed the first century after Christ for the building of the Buddhist tope at Sanchi between Blailsa and Bhopal, Central India.
Amravati he places in the fourth century, A.D., and the caves of Ajanta in the seventh century, A.D. From this period the decline of Buddhism dates. Shankara Acharya, the principal teacher of Shaivism, lived about the eighth or ninth century, A.D., and out of Buddhism rose the Jaina and Vaishnava faiths; these are both direct products of Buddism; indeed Buddha is recognized as the ninth Avatar of Vishnu,
In many parts of this district is to be noticed the employment of sculptured stones of very ancient date in the construction of Vaishnava and Shaiva temples. The sculptures usually repres ut animals, elephants, horses, deer, bears, tigers, alligators, and various sorts of birds and fishes. The anatomical proportions of these representations are ex- cellent, but in the fabrics in which they are found, they are quite ont of keeping with the more recent buildings; thus there is at Vinukonda an ancient
mantapam, around whose basement is an entablature representing all sorts of animals. In the interior are some of the most beautifully shaped pillars I have seen anywhere in this part of the country. The old edifice is full of interest, but it is used as a common chaultry now by beggars of the lowest castes, and has been disfigured by the erection of a modern travellers' bangala with two rooms on the top. The bangala has in its turn been abandoned. One room is used for a school, and the other has been recently applied for, for a Post Office.
Other instances of the use of stones taken from older Buddhist structures for the construction of later temples may be seen at Parachur in the BApatla Taluq, and at Gurjala and Piduguralla in the Palnad. Near the latter village are a number of mounds forming a sort of large circle, which the people believe to be the remains of an old fort.
The appearance of these mounds bears, however, a very strong rosenblance to the depavali dinni at Airavati, beneath which the Amravati sculptures were discovered. They have never been opene. Scattered all around are great quantities of broken pottery, but no coins are known to have been found here.
A careful examination of existing temples would lead to the discovery of many ancient relics of Buddhism ; indeed, one comes across them continually, and the transition from the old to the recent forn of faith seems to be very clearly marked on the archaeological remains of this district.
VI. Temples of the Brahmanical periods, with inscriptions which purport to be from 300 to 800 years old.-The nuinber of temples dedicated to
Vishnu and Shiva in this district is very considerable, and what is strange, we find the most ancient ones abandoned, and their materials used in raising new buildings. The people seem to entertain but few ideas of veneration with regard to the ancient structures, and brick and mortar plastered outside is the description of architecture, that finds most favour for temples in the present day. When we do find worship maintained in an old temple, we are sure to find the ancient sculptures and inscriptions effaced and disfigured by a thick coat of whitewash, and the images smeared with oil or red-lead.
The principal teinples dedicated to Vishnu are at Mangalngiri, Akiripalli, Shrikakolam, Vedadri, and Golapalli. Attached to the one at Akiripalli there are some cave-temples.
The principal temples dedicated to Shiva are at Kotappa Konda, Bejwada, Kalapalli, Shivagangá Mopedivi, Chejerla, and Macherla.
I have not personally visited all these, and to some the priests object to admit European visitors. I have, however, visited a large number of temples in the district. Au interesting collection might be inade of the stone inscriptions, when such are to be found, and whicli, according to the Telugu dates, appear to extend for about 300 to 800 years back.
