Indian Antiquary Vol 04

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 77

NOTES ON THE THANA COLLECTORATE.
MARCH, 1875.]
lives comfortably on his pay at Ku vâd, some twelve miles away. There are six inâm villages belonging to this temple, the proceeds of which are mostly expended on absentee dignitaries of this sort. I really think that when state property is alienated for the support of religion, it would be worth while for the state to see that it is so applied; the temple here, a fine one though modern, is not half kept up; and as the worship of W a zres war consists to a great extent in washing in good hot water, it is deserving of support on sanitary grounds. The Gaikvâd has recently added to the temple a large mandap of timber, with a tiled roof embellished, among other things, with a picture-gallery mainly recruited from the backs of French comfit-boxes, of which the chief and most conspicuous work of art is a portrait of Mabel Grey in a riding-habit. The goddess herself is a rude stone female figure, holding in her right hand the short Roman-looking sword from which she
derives her name.
West of Wadowli is Gane spuri, which contains the lowest group. of hot springs: the temperature of these is higher than at either Rameswar or Wazrâbâi, but still not up to boiling-point; and there is no other difference. There is here a temple of Mahideva, with cisterns like those at Râmeswar. This temple is said to have been built by Râmâji Mahadeva Bivalkar, Sar-Subedar of Kalyan under the last Peshwâ, and looks much as if it had been. But there are two stones lying in front of it which evidently once formed part of a much older building. The one appears to have surmounted a window or small door, and is covered with a very finely and deeply carved foliage pattern surrounding a sitting figure, probably of Vishnu, about four inches high. The other is a bracket* formed of a naked female figure of much grace and truth, in the position of the lady on the heraldic Irish harp. She has a curious sort of chignon, quite different from the coiled pigtail of the modern Hindu Leauty, but exactly resembling those of some female figures at A mbarnath. I am disposed, however, to surmise that she is not exactly a contemporary of theirs.
It is deeply pierced above, and served apparently to support a flagstaff, or part of the woodwork of a well. (Or probably a toran or flying bracket under a lintel. -ED.)
+ Compare the legend of W Alukeswar, Ind. Ant. vol. III. p. 248, and that of this same goddess (if I recollect
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For, in the first place, the brackets at Ambarnâth are all monstrous or conventional figures; secondly, though the Ganespuri lady would be quite in the fashion among those of Ambarnâth in the matter of coiffure, they are all highly adorned, and she in the garb of nature; and while she is just such a sonsy lass as may have been bathing in the sacred spring under the eyes of the sculptor, they are all deformed to that slim-waisted, huge-breasted figure dear to the heart of modern Hindu artists and poets.
From Wadowli a pass called the Gunj Khind leads to Gunj, in the Wâre Tâlukâ. It is barely passable to light carts; but there are two good passes further east-those of Dongaste and Sâprundâ. At Gunj there is a small tank, well supplied by springs, which apparently was in former days faced with stone walls and good ghats, and surrounded by a group of Hindu temnples of more than ordinary number and sanctity. But "when the Firangi lok came, the gods all ran away." Wazrà bài escaped through the hills to her present abode. Parasûrâma was apparently short-winded, for he only got about half a mile up the mountain close by, and another temple has since been raised to him at the spot where he pulled up. Kalka Bhawani plunged into the foundation of her own temple,† which, being perhaps protected by her subterraneous presence, remains in better preservation than the others. It is a small and very solid building with a shrine and mandap, the latter partly supported by pillars carved with figures of wrestlers, fighting elephants, &c., rude enough, but a good deal better than modern Hindu sculpture in these parts. "Hemâd Pant built it"-of course. Of the other temples only the platforms remain in situ, with part of the superstructure scattered around in ruin. Near the rain south of the tank is an upright slab, on which is carved an incident similar to that mentioned by Herodotus as having occurred before his visit to a place in Egypt when "yuuki Tpayos eμloyeтo avadardov." The carving is very rude, and has been, I suspect, the work of a recent artist upon a paving-stone not originally intended for the purpose. It is worshipped with much devotion and red paint by right) at Chanl, where, on the approach of the Musalmans, she sprang into a tank beside her temple. The tank and temple, the latter a dome rather like a Musalman tomb, "are alive at this day to bear witness," and rank among the triple lions of Chaul-360 temples, 360 tanks, and 360 shoals in the river.