Indian Antiquary Vol 06

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 58

36
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[FEBRUARY, 1877.
first letters are quite obliterated. Above & Chaitya has a verandah with two columns of the precipice to the north of this are-(1) a single Nasik type in front, which support the entablaoell, (2) a broken cistern, and then (3) seventure above the great window. Inside it is cells in a line.
wholly unfinished: the aisles have not been comReturning from these and scrambling along menced, for a great fault in the rock seems to the precipice to the south, we reach first a have stopped operations. The capital of the small Vihara without cells, then another with Dabgoba is blocked out, and portions of a square two octagonal columns and two pilasters in mass from which to carve the dome. The floor front of the verandah, rising from a seat. The is now much filled up with mud. The cave door is 5 ft. 10 in. wide and reaches to the roof faces north by east. of the hall, which has been frescoed. The ve. At the east side of it is a cell, alsu deep in randåh is about 2 ft. higher than the cave, and earth, in which is a Dahgoba, the chhatri or the back of the seat or low screen outside is umbrella carved on the roof, but the staff has carved with the rail ornament. The hall is 33 been broken, -evidently with a view to conft. deep and varies from 11 to 13 ft. wide, but at vert it into the usual Saiva emblem. Beyond the back stands a mass of rock over 8 ft. wide it are portions of other cells and a fragment of an by 5) thick, with a squatting figure roughly inscription beside some modern steps leading sketched out on the front of it. This mass of up to five cells above those last mentioned. rock is very rotten behind, and at the left side of The two at the west end are converted into one it is a well of excellent water. The verandah by cutting away the partition. In the back is 4 ft. 7 in. wide and 19 ft. 10 in. long; the wall of this apartment are two defaced figures columns are of the usual Nasik pattern but of Buddha, and in the west wall a third sitting without animal figures above: over them the under foliage, with diminutive attendants or frieze projects considerably, and is carved in figures in the parigara. The stíha or lion is the style of Cave IV. at Nasik, - the ends of traceable on one or two of the asanas or seats, the rafters projecting on the lower fasoia, and and & wooden framework seems to have been the upper being carved with rail pattern. Over fitted to them, for thore are holes in the stones this is a recess some 2 or 3 feet deep with for the wood to hold. This is now dedicated to the Chaitya arch over it, but without any the goddess Ambika,-& name of Pârvati carving.
indeed, but also the sá sanadevi or patron goddess Lower down in the face of the cliff and of Neminátha, one of the favourite Tirthansomewhat to the north of this are some cells karas of the Jains,-by whom she may have choked with priokly-pear and milk-bash. A been borrowed from some Buddhist sect. Here few yards south of the larger gave above men- we have Brahmans worshipping the matilated tioned is a Vihira with two pillars and pilasters images of Buddha as a Saiva goddess! In the in the verandah, and with three doors leading outer wall of the first of these cells there bavo into as many cells. Still farther on aro one or been a standing and a sitting figure of Buddha, two others almost inaccessible.
bat these are now almost obliterated. They Returning from this point to the north and are the only figures of the kind I have met winding round the hill to the north-west side, with in the caves here. we come upon another group of caves, the On the west of the Chaitya are some cells lower ones of easy access. Among them is much choked up with earth, and with at least an unfinished Chaitya the front of which is three inscriptions in them, and high up above almost covered with inscriptions; but from their these are a few more cells, but inacessible. positions, and the circumstance that in most Further to the west is a cistern under a tree. cases the surface of the rock has not been Two of the inscriptions (Nos. 9 and 10) are smoothed before cutting them, it may be in- in the cells on the right or west of the ferred that they are only the work of visitors, Chaitya; a third-one of those on the left side and not the records of the original excavators of the facade- is given by Dr. Bird as No. VI., Three of them are givon by Colonel Sykes, and but this copy is certainly wrong, at least in others by Dr. Bird and Lieut. Brett. This some of the letters.
Nos. 12 and 11 raspectively of Brett and Stevenson, Jour. Bo. Br. R. As. Soo, vol. V. pp. 164, 165.