460 Voyage of the Novara. 



sculptures represent either the one or the other descriptions of 

 the Avatars (the incarnations or transfigurations) of Vishnii, 

 to whom the larger proportion of the temples is dedicated. In 

 one of these temples, we perceived the god Vishnii in the 

 fifth, or Dwarf Incarnation, in the course of which he had, 

 under the guise of a Brahminical dwarf, begged of King 

 Balitscha-Kravathi — who, by his piety, had acquired so much 

 powder over the gods, that they had to transfer to him the 

 dominion of sea and land, and had in consequence waxed 

 arrogant — as much soil as he could traverse in three steps ! 

 The wealthy Rajah made no objection to complying with 

 the apparently moderate request of the pigmy being before 

 him. On the opposite wall of the temple we now see, in a 

 large admirably executed bas-relief, how Vishnii, represented 

 on this occasion with eight arms, at once embraced heaven 

 and earth with his left foot, and as there was thus no more 

 room left for the next step, Vishnii released the haughty 

 Rajah from his promise, on condition that he should descend 

 to the infernal regions. From this feat, Vishnu bears the 

 name of Triwikrama and Tripadas (thrice-stepper). 



In the next rock grotto we came to, we beheld the Life of 

 Krishna, the shepherd-god, represented, first as tending his 

 sheep, surrounded by cows, goats frisking about, &c. Walter 

 ElHot names this representation " Krischna's Choultry," or the 

 abode of the priests. The temple has a frontage of' 50 feet, 

 is from 30 to 40 feet in depth, and has about twenty figures. 



From this spot, our guide, a Brahmin, brought us to what is 



