Seeli^'s IVonders of Elora 



580 



in all the wonders ami beauties of na- 

 ture. Ill the liigli mountains to tiic 

 southward much valuable meteorolo- 

 gical data might be obtained, tor, while 

 below (Payeen) it is raining in torrents 

 for three successive moiitli^s, in the 

 Table-land above (^rt?a G'iial) it is the 

 fine season. Numerous rivers inlersfct 

 the low country, which, during the S.W. 

 monsoon, run with astonishing velocity ; 

 some few, that have their sources in the 

 mountains, have the whole year a shal- 

 low stream. 



TEMPLE OF EKVERAH. 



I proceeded across the open country 

 to the left, to the mountain of Ekverah 5 

 where, at a considerable height above 

 the plain, stands a large temple, hewn 

 out of the solid rock. On the left of a 

 terrace at the end of the foot-path, ex- 

 cavated from the bowels of the moun- 

 tain, stands, in solemn maanificcnec, the 

 great arched temple of Karii, with its 

 noble vestibule and entrance, and tlie 

 sitting figure of Budha. On looking 

 into the temple, an object of wonder 

 presents itself: a ponderous arched roof 

 of solid stone, supported by two rows of 

 pillars; the capitals of each surmounted 

 by a well-sculptured male and female 

 figure, seated, with their arms encircling 

 each other, on the back of elephants, 

 crouching, as it were, under the weight 

 they sustain. At the fuithcr end of the 

 temple is an immense hemispherical 

 altar, of stone, with a kind of wooden 

 umbrella spreading ov( r the top. 



There is no idol in front of the great 

 altar, as at Elora : the umbrella cover- 

 ing, before spoken of, rises from a 

 wooden pedestal out of the convexity of 

 the altar. A Brahman, whom I ques- 

 tioned on the subject of the altar, ex- 

 claimed, in nearly the words of our own 

 poet, " Him first, Him last. Him midst, 

 Him without end." In alluding to the 

 Almighty, he nearly spoke as above 

 described, placing his hands on this cir- 

 cular solid mass. He rejeete<l all idea 

 of assimilating Budha. or Brahma, with 

 the " Eternal God ;" who, he said, 

 was one alone from b( ginning to end, 

 and that the circular altar was his 

 emblem. 



A concourse of priests and fakecrs, 

 supported by the Pcishwa, lived here. 

 One of them, an ascetic of high renown, 

 had a singularly mild and serene coun- 

 tenance : he was sitting before a (lame 

 of fire day and night, with a cloth over 

 liis raoutb, to prevent his inhaling pollu- 

 tion, or destroying any living sub- 



stance*: he was regularly fed with 

 parched grain, and his water for drink- 

 ing was strained through a cloth. I 

 addressed him with reverence: he 

 turned up his fine placid countenance, 

 and looked at me with eyes that spoke 

 of heaven. I almost wished at the 

 moment to be a Brahman. This man 

 appeared the image of self-denial, ab- 

 sorbed in contemplating the wonders ot 

 God. Doubtless his ideas and actions 

 were i)Urity itself— -such was his charac- 

 ter, for he had resisted the most tempt- 

 ing off"ers to reside at the court of the 

 Peishwa, and nothing could withdraw 

 him from the arched temple and cncular 

 altar of Karli. He was too lost in men- 

 tal abstraction to heed me: he never 

 speaks; but he was evidently in prayer, 

 as I could see by the working of the 

 muscles of his face. 



POONA. 



The roads leading into the city of 

 Poona are in good repair. One route 

 proceeds by the British residency at the 

 Sangam, the other by a good substan- 

 tial stone bridge over the ISIoota river. 

 It was near sunset as I entered Poona; 

 the setting rays of that glorious orb re- 

 flecting its beams on the venerable roof 

 of the Parbntti temple, on turreted 

 walls, large white terraced houses, lofty 

 shining spires, and on handsome-looking 

 pagodas, intermingled with Moghul 

 buildings, Hindoo palaces, castles, and 

 gardens, afforded, on a serene evening, 

 an imposing sight to a stranger; while a 

 fine river, running in front or the city, 

 added an interesting feature to the 

 view. This was not lessened upon en- 

 tering a crowded city, where the ob- 

 jects were as varied in aj>pearaiice as 

 the external view had been half a milo 

 off, and consisted of large heavy houses, 

 built of stone, more for defence than 

 comfort; many of them painted with 

 representations of peacocks, figures ot 

 Ganesa and Hanuman. Shops of all 

 descriptions 



» A Brahman at Benares was so cau- 

 tions of causing the death of any living 

 auimal, that before him, as he walked, tlie 

 place was swept, that he might not destroy 

 anv insect : the air was fanned as he ate, 

 foi^ the same purpose. Some mischievons 

 European gave him a microscope, to look 

 at the water he drank. On seeing the 

 animalculapi, he threw down and broke the 

 instrnment, and vowed he would n<>t 

 drink water again : he kept liis promise, 

 and died. 



