34 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



rows of elephants, are sculptured in alto rilievo, forming cary- 

 atides of strange and mysterious figure, well calculated to strike 

 the imagination of the ancient Hindu population. The interior 

 of the central pagoda is adorned with sixteen magnificent col- 

 umns, which, as well as the side walls, were once covered with 

 paintings ; and, with the central sanctuary of the idol, is com- 

 posed with a correct understanding of architectural proportions. 

 The two exit doors open upon a platform on which are five pago- 

 das of lesser importance but of architectural merit and artistic 

 ornamentation corresponding to those of the main building. 

 Around these isolated temples excavations have been made into 

 the sides of the mountain, in which are found a cloister adorned 

 with bas-reliefs representing the principal gods of the Hindu 

 pantheon ; other halls, likewise sculptured ; and various other 



features implying great labor 

 and refined artistic taste and 

 skill. 



At Bamian, in Afghanistan, 

 are five colossal statues (prob- 

 ably Buddhas) seated in niches 

 which have been dug out in the 

 cliff, while the rock is pierced 

 with caves which are supposed 

 to have been excavated by Bud- 

 dhist monks during the first 

 five centuries of the Christian 

 era. Many of the caves are in- 

 habited. Some of them are 

 shown to have been bricked up 

 in front, and both niches and 

 caves are adorned with paint- 

 ings and ornamental devices. 

 Captain F. de Laessoe has de- 

 scribed a number of caves which 

 were excavated for habitation 

 in the sandstones of the right 

 bank of the Murghab River, 

 near Penjdeh, in Afghanistan. 

 One of them (Fig. 6) consists of a central passage a hundred and 

 fifty feet long and nine feet broad and high, having on each side 

 staircases and doors leading to rooms of different sizes. Each room 

 has attached to it a small chamber, with a well in which possibly 

 water brought up from the river was stored ; and is also provided 

 with small niches in the walls on which the lamps were placed and 

 where marks of soot can still be seen. The entrances from the 

 main passage to the rooms were shut with folding doors on wooden 



Fig. 6. Yaki Deshik Caves of Afghan- 



istan. 



